Pad Kra Pao
Pad Kra Pao
Ingredients
For the Pad Kra Pao
- 2 cups white rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 4 red chilies, roughly chopped
- 4 green chilies, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 1 pound ground meat, (beef or pork recommended)
- 4 eggs
For Garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 red chilies, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1
Pour white rice into a rice washing bowl. Wash the rice thoroughly under running water, scrubbing with hands, then drain the cloudy water. Repeat this process at least once more until the water runs clearer.
⏱️ 3 min
- 2
Transfer the washed rice to the inner pot of a rice cooker. Add a pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon) to the rice. Close the rice cooker lid and press the "white rice" button to start cooking. This will take approximately 20 minutes of passive time.
⏱️ 2 min
- 3
Place the roughly chopped red and green chilies and the peeled garlic cloves into a mortar. Add a pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon). Using a pestle, grind the chilies, garlic, and salt until a coarse paste is formed.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
In a measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, granulated sugar, and hot water. Stir the mixture with a utensil until the sugar dissolves and all ingredients are well combined.
⏱️ 3 min
- 5
Place a stainless steel pan on a gas stovetop and turn the burner to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, pour 2 tablespoons of cooking oil into it.
⏱️ 1 min
- 6
Add the prepared chili-garlic paste to the hot oil and sauté, stirring with a wooden spatula, until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
⏱️ 1 min
- 7
Add the ground meat to the pan. Break up the ground meat with the spatula and cook, stirring frequently, until it is mostly browned, about 5-7 minutes.
⏱️ 7 min
- 8
Pour the prepared sauce mixture over the cooked meat in the pan. Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer and reduce slightly, coating the meat, for about 2-3 minutes.
⏱️ 3 min
- 9
Add the bunch of fresh basil leaves to the pan. Toss the meat and basil together until the basil wilts, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer the cooked Pad Kra Pao mixture into a separate bowl.
⏱️ 2 min
- 10
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the same pan used for the meat. Heat over medium heat. Crack the four eggs directly into the hot oil to fry them.
⏱️ 1 min
- 11
Cover the pan with a lid to steam the top of the eggs, ensuring the whites are set but the yolk remains runny (sunny side up), about 2-3 minutes.
⏱️ 3 min
- 12
Scoop a portion of the cooked white rice into each serving bowl. Scoop a generous portion of the Pad Kra Pao meat mixture next to the rice in each bowl.
⏱️ 2 min
- 13
Garnish the meat with a few fresh basil leaves and sprinkle finely sliced red chilies over the meat. Carefully place one fried egg (sunny side up) on top of the rice in each bowl. Sprinkle black sesame seeds over the fried egg.
⏱️ 2 min
- 14
Serve immediately. For best enjoyment, break the yolk of the fried egg and mix it with the rice and meat before eating.
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Pad Kra Pao
For the Pad Kra Pao
- 2 cups white rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 4 red chilies, roughly chopped
- 4 green chilies, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 1 pound ground meat, (beef or pork recommended)
- 4 eggs
For Garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 red chilies, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1
Pour white rice into a rice washing bowl. Wash the rice thoroughly under running water, scrubbing with hands, then drain the cloudy water. Repeat this process at least once more until the water runs clearer.
⏱️ 3 min - 2
Transfer the washed rice to the inner pot of a rice cooker. Add a pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon) to the rice. Close the rice cooker lid and press the "white rice" button to start cooking. This will take approximately 20 minutes of passive time.
⏱️ 2 min - 3
Place the roughly chopped red and green chilies and the peeled garlic cloves into a mortar. Add a pinch of salt (about 1/4 teaspoon). Using a pestle, grind the chilies, garlic, and salt until a coarse paste is formed.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
In a measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, granulated sugar, and hot water. Stir the mixture with a utensil until the sugar dissolves and all ingredients are well combined.
⏱️ 3 min - 5
Place a stainless steel pan on a gas stovetop and turn the burner to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, pour 2 tablespoons of cooking oil into it.
⏱️ 1 min - 6
Add the prepared chili-garlic paste to the hot oil and sauté, stirring with a wooden spatula, until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
⏱️ 1 min - 7
Add the ground meat to the pan. Break up the ground meat with the spatula and cook, stirring frequently, until it is mostly browned, about 5-7 minutes.
⏱️ 7 min - 8
Pour the prepared sauce mixture over the cooked meat in the pan. Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer and reduce slightly, coating the meat, for about 2-3 minutes.
⏱️ 3 min - 9
Add the bunch of fresh basil leaves to the pan. Toss the meat and basil together until the basil wilts, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer the cooked Pad Kra Pao mixture into a separate bowl.
⏱️ 2 min - 10
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the same pan used for the meat. Heat over medium heat. Crack the four eggs directly into the hot oil to fry them.
⏱️ 1 min - 11
Cover the pan with a lid to steam the top of the eggs, ensuring the whites are set but the yolk remains runny (sunny side up), about 2-3 minutes.
⏱️ 3 min - 12
Scoop a portion of the cooked white rice into each serving bowl. Scoop a generous portion of the Pad Kra Pao meat mixture next to the rice in each bowl.
⏱️ 2 min - 13
Garnish the meat with a few fresh basil leaves and sprinkle finely sliced red chilies over the meat. Carefully place one fried egg (sunny side up) on top of the rice in each bowl. Sprinkle black sesame seeds over the fried egg.
⏱️ 2 min - 14
Serve immediately. For best enjoyment, break the yolk of the fried egg and mix it with the rice and meat before eating.