Thai · Dinner

Thai holy basil chicken with fried eggs (pad kra pao)

Name: Thai holy basil chicken with fried eggs (pad kra pao)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided; 4 large eggs; 8 garlic cloves; 4 to 8 Thai bird chiles, to taste; 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken thigh; 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce; 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; 3 tablespoons water; 2 packed cups Thai holy basil leaves; 4 cups hot cooked jasmine rice; 1 lime, cut in wedges

Fast, fiery minced chicken stir-fried with garlic, bird chiles, savory sauces, and peppery holy basil, served over jasmine rice with crisp-edged eggs.

About 30 minTotal

About 30 minActive

$$Cost

EasyDifficulty

Makes 4 servings

Equipment

A large carbon-steel wok is ideal; a wide skillet works only in small uncrowded batches.
Best household stir-fry starting point
YOSUKATA 13.5-Inch Pre-Seasoned Black Carbon Steel Wok
View at Amazon
Another workable path: A large carbon-steel wok is ideal; a wide skillet works only in small uncrowded batches.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched high-heat batch searing, tossing area, and a stable household-cooktop base, then verified the 13.5-inch pre-seasoned black carbon-steel model, care burden, current manufacturer identity, and exact Amazon destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this wok.
YOSUKATA 13.5-Inch Pre-Seasoned Black Carbon Steel Wok: The 13.5-inch bowl provides a broad hot zone for batch searing and enough sloped surface to toss without steaming, while its flat base remains stable on common gas and electric household cooktops. Trade-off: Carbon steel must be dried and lightly oiled after washing, its seasoning can react with long acidic cooks, and the wooden handle rules out unrestricted oven use.
Another workable path: Use a large uncoated carbon-steel wok suited to your burner, or a wide heavy skillet for small batches; never crowd a cooler pan and expect equivalent stir-fry browning.
Sources
YOSUKATA 13.5-inch black carbon-steel wok specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
4 large eggs
8 garlic cloves
4 to 8 Thai bird chiles, to taste
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken thigh
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
2 packed cups Thai holy basil leaves
4 cups hot cooked jasmine rice
1 lime, cut in wedges

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a over medium-high. Fry eggs one at a time or in pairs, spooning oil over the whites until edges are lacy and centers reach the household's preferred doneness; transfer to plates of hot rice.
Pound garlic and chiles into a rough paste. Whisk oyster sauce, fish sauce, light and dark soy, sugar, and water in a small bowl so the fast stir-fry does not pause.
Return the pan to high heat with remaining oil. Fry garlic-chile paste 20 seconds, add chicken, spread it against the pan, and leave 45 seconds before breaking into coarse crumbles. Stir-fry until no pink remains and chicken reaches 165°F, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add sauce and toss 30 to 60 seconds until it clings with almost no loose liquid. Turn off heat, add holy basil, and toss only 5 to 10 seconds until just wilted.
Spoon chicken beside the fried eggs and rice and serve with lime. If holy basil cannot be sourced, another basil makes a useful basil-chicken stir-fry, but the meal should not be represented as fully equivalent pad kra pao.

ThailandThai household and street-food cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Pad kra pao literally centers holy basil and is one of Thailand's most common fast rice meals, combining hot dry stir-fried meat, garlic, chile, fish sauce, plain rice, and often a crisp fried egg.

Pad kra pao literally centers holy basil and is one of Thailand's most common fast rice meals. Meat varies, but garlic, chile, fish sauce, holy basil, hot dry stir-frying, jasmine rice, and often a crisp fried egg define the pleasure. The sourcing caveat protects the name without making the technique difficult. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Follow two unusually strong 100-plus-review patterns and Thai chef authority, use ground chicken thigh for a fast household dinner, and make holy-basil sourcing honest without weakening the dish's identity.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe