There are hundreds of weeknights in a year. That’s a lot of dinner! Test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin is here to help. In her series Speedy Does It, she shares whoa-worthy meals you can get on the table like *snaps fingers* that.
Twenty minutes are all you need to bring together this spicy, umami stir-fry dish, chock-full of fragrant basil. We love to whip up this pad kra pao as a fast weeknight dinner in the summer, when big farmers market bunches of basil are at their least expensive.
Beloved in Thailand, traditional pad kra pow can be made using any kind of ground meat, so feel free to swap in ground chicken or ground beef if you’d prefer that to minced pork. Similarly, any basil will do. Classically, peppery holy basil is used (look for it at an Asian grocery store and farmers markets between June and September), but all varieties, from Italian basil (a.k.a sweet basil) to anise-y Thai basil, pair nicely with the heat of the chiles. Speaking of, if you can’t find Thai chiles, Fresno chiles also work. (Something like serranos would not deliver the same level of heat or pop of color.)
A crispy egg on top may be the best part of this easy Thai dish. Don’t be afraid to go hard on your fried egg—the lacy edges add a delightful textural dimension. To ensure the top of the whites are set but the yolk remains runny, tilt your pan and spoon some of the hot oil that pools at the side over the whites to cook them.
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Stir 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. fish sauce, 2 tsp. oyster sauce, 1 tsp. sugar, and 3 Tbsp. water in a measuring glass to combine; set aside.
Step 2
Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Crack 4 large eggs into pan; cook, tilting pan so oil runs over eggs and spooning oil over whites, until whites are set and edges are golden brown and very crisp but yolks are still runny, 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat (to help oil cool slightly). Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a plate.
Step 3
Return pan to medium-high heat. Cook 3 medium shallots, thinly sliced, stirring with a wooden spoon, until just softened, 1–2 minutes. Add 5 red Thai or Fresno chiles, finely chopped, and 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 lb. ground pork and cook, stirring and breaking up meat, until starting to brown, 2–3 minutes. Add reserved soy sauce mixture; cook, stirring often and breaking up pork more, until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 large bunch basil, leaves plucked; stir until wilted.
Step 4
Divide steamed jasmine rice and stir-fry among shallow bowls and top each with a fried egg.
Recipe notes
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