Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Kra Pao)
Cook time: 25 minutes
Ground chicken stir-fried with Thai basil, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and chili over jasmine rice with a fried egg on top. One of the fastest high-protein meal preps you can make.
NOTES: Cook over the highest heat your stove can produce — this is a wok dish at heart and the char matters. Thai basil is worth seeking out over Italian basil; the flavor is noticeably different. Fry eggs fresh each morning for best texture, or pack them with the portions and reheat gently.
Ingredients
Stir-Fry
- 2 kg (4.4 lb) ground chicken
- 3 Tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
- 12 garlic cloves, minced
- 4–6 Thai chilies or 2 Tbsp (30 g) chili paste, adjust to heat preference
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) oyster sauce
- 3 Tbsp (45 ml) fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp (15 g) sugar
- 60 g (2 cups loosely packed) fresh Thai basil leaves
Rice
- 750 g (3¾ cups) jasmine rice, dry
- 1.4 L (6 cups) water
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt
Eggs
- 10 large eggs
- Neutral oil, for frying
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook rice: combine rice, water, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, cook 15 min. Rest 5 min off heat then fluff. Keep warm.
- Mix oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a large wok or skillet over maximum heat until smoking. Add 1 Tbsp oil. Working in 2–3 batches to avoid steaming, add ground chicken and press into a flat layer. Cook without stirring 2–3 min until a crust forms on the bottom, then break apart and stir-fry 2–3 min more until cooked through. Remove each batch and set aside.
- Return all chicken to the pan. Add remaining oil, garlic, and chilies. Stir-fry 1 min. Pour in the sauce mixture and toss to coat 1 min. Remove from heat and fold in Thai basil — it will wilt in the residual heat.
- Fry eggs one at a time in a small pan with a splash of oil over high heat for crispy edges and a runny yolk, 1½–2 min. Season with salt.
- Portion rice into 10 containers (~150 g cooked each). Top with chicken (~200 g) and one fried egg. Refrigerate up to 5 days. Reheat rice and chicken together; fry eggs fresh if preferred.
Macros
Whole Dish
| Field | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 7 000 kcal |
| Protein | 580 g |
| Fat | 210 g |
| Carbs | 710 g |
| Volume | 3 800 g |
Per Serving
700 kcal, 58 g protein, 21 g fat, 71 g carbs, 380 g volume