🌶️ Pad kra pao (pork)

Name: Pad kra pao (pork)
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Thailand · Bangkok and central Thailand
Ingredients: 300 g minced pork; 1 large handful of holy basil leaves; 4 garlic cloves and 3–5 bird's eye chillies, pounded; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tsp sugar; 2 eggs; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; Cooked jasmine rice to serve

Origin: Thailand · Bangkok and central Thailand

770kcal

per serving · 350 g

220kcal

per 100 g

56 gProtein16 g / 100 g

42 gFat12 g / 100 g

28 gCarbs8 g / 100 g

Pad kra pao is a fiery Thai stir-fry of minced pork with holy basil, chilli and garlic, seasoned with soy sauce and fish sauce. It is cooked fast in a very hot wok so the basil wilts and perfumes the meat. It is usually served over jasmine rice and topped with a crisp-edged fried egg whose runny yolk mixes into the spicy, savoury pork.

Diets

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

✓

Low-carb8 g carbs per 100 g

✓

High protein16 g protein per 100 g — 29% of the calories

Not vegetarianbecause of: pork, fish sauce

Not veganbecause of: pork, fish sauce, egg

Contains porkbecause of: pork

Contains glutenbecause of: soy sauce

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Gluten ⚠ Crustaceans ⚠ Eggs ⚠ Fish ⚠ Soy

What it is made of

porkbasilchili peppergarlicsoy saucefish sauceegg

Recipe

2 servings20 min

Ingredients

300 g minced pork
1 large handful of holy basil leaves
4 garlic cloves and 3–5 bird's eye chillies, pounded
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Cooked jasmine rice to serve

Method

Fry the eggs in hot oil until the edges are crisp and set them aside.
In the same wok stir-fry the garlic and chilli for 20 seconds.
Add the pork and stir-fry over high heat until cooked through.
Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and a splash of water, then toss in the basil until just wilted.
Serve over rice with the fried egg on top.

How to make it lighter

Use lean minced pork or swap half of it for chopped green beans.
Poach or soft-boil the egg instead of deep-frying it in oil.
Keep the rice to a small scoop and add cucumber slices on the side.

History

Pad kra pao is one of the most popular street and canteen dishes in Thailand, often ordered as a quick one-plate meal. Its exact origin is not well documented, but it is widely seen as a modern classic of central Thai street food.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →