Thai Spicy Basil Chicken
This recipe is from my girlfriend, who is from Thailand. I love learning authentic Thai cooking methods, and this is one of my favorites – spicy and delicious!
This recipe is from my girlfriend, who is from Thailand. I love learning authentic Thai cooking methods, and this is one of my favorites – spicy and delicious!
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 12 ounces chicken breasts boneless and skinless ground or minced
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 shallots minced
- 6 thai chilies finely chopped
- 1 dash ground white pepper
- 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce sweet
- 1 bunch thai basil leaves stem removed
- 1 1/3 tablespoon fish sauce
- Carbohydrate 16.7804655727705 g
- Cholesterol 524.791987357447 mg
- Fat 12.6720596609575 g
- Fiber 1.67806746239741 g
- Protein 44.3929178015639 g
- Saturated Fat 3.7879024661465 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (364g)
- Sodium 1636.99778111016 mg
- Sugar 15.1023981103731 g
- Trans Fat 2.32728521227842 g
- Calories 357 calories
Step-by-step
- Add oil to heated wok or skillet if wok not available
- Add chopped garlic and shallots. Stir fry the garlic and shallots until aromatic, then add chicken meat. Use spatula to stir fry and break up chicken into small lumps. When the chicken meat changes color (about 4-5 minutes of cooking), toss in chilies, fish sauce, sugar, and soy sauce
- Continue to stir fry about 2-3 minutes then add basil leaves and stir a few times until leaves are wilted
- Sprinkle white pepper, stir, serve over white rice
- Top with sunny side or over easy egg
High-heat stir-frying demands an iron skillet or carbon steel wok capable of maintaining intense thermal energy without immediate temperature drops. Pad Kra Pao relies on rapid dehydration of minced chicken combined with sharp aromatics. Finely chopping four cloves of garlic and two shallots rather than crushing them prevents the surface water inside the cells from instantly cooling the pan floor. Heating two and a half tablespoons of vegetable oil until it shimmers allows the meat to undergo surface browning within the first four to five minutes of contact. Breaking the ground chicken into uniform fine lumps using a rigid spatula ensures equal heat distribution across the metal surface. Introducing Thai chilies alongside fish sauce, sweet soy sauce, and granulated sugar creates an immediate glaze as the liquids reduce against the hot iron. Tossing in the Thai basil leaves during the final two to three minutes prevents bitterness while wilting the foliage just enough to release essential oils. White pepper finishes the dish with a distinct earthy pungency that differs structurally from black peppercorns. Serving this preparation over steamed white rice absorbs the excess aromatic pan juices. Crowning the bowl with a fried egg featuring crispy edges and a runny yolk adds necessary lipid richness to balance the concentrated sodium from the fish sauce.
