Thai Basil Chicken Rice Bowl (Pad Krapow)

Name: Thai Basil Chicken Rice Bowl (Pad Krapow)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1½ cups (300 g) jasmine rice, rinsed in a strainer under cold water until the water runs mostly clear; 2 cups (480 ml) water; ¼ tsp (1½ g) kosher salt; 1 lb (450 g) ground chicken, preferably thigh meat, cold from the fridge, loosely broken up; 6 cloves (30 g) garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped; 6 chilies (15 g) Thai bird's eye chilies, stems removed, roughly chopped (seeds in for heat); 1 small (40 g) shallot, thinly sliced; 4 oz (115 g) long beans or green beans, trimmed and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil such as canola or peanut; 2 cups, packed (50 g) holy basil leaves, leaves picked from stems, left whole; 1 tbsp (15 ml) oyster sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) light (regular) soy sauce; 1 tsp (5 ml) dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce; 2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar; 3 tbsp (45 ml) water; 4 eggs (200 g) large eggs, each cracked into its own small cup; ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil such as canola or peanut

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Fiery, garlicky ground chicken stir-fried in a glossy savory-sweet sauce and finished with a big handful of holy basil. Spoon it over steamed jasmine rice and top with a crispy-edged fried egg with a runny yolk.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 18 min
Wait: 22 min
Total: 55 min
Makes: 4 rice bowls

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the rice
1½ cups (300 g) jasmine rice, rinsed in a strainer under cold water until the water runs mostly clear
2 cups (480 ml) water
¼ tsp (1.5 g) kosher salt
For the stir-fry
1 lb (450 g) ground chicken, preferably thigh meat, cold from the fridge, loosely broken up
6 cloves (30 g) garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
6 chilies (15 g) Thai bird's eye chilies, stems removed, roughly chopped (seeds in for heat)
1 small (40 g) shallot, thinly sliced
4 oz (115 g) long beans or green beans, trimmed and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil such as canola or peanut
2 cups, packed (50 g) holy basil leaves, leaves picked from stems, left whole
For the sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) oyster sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) light (regular) soy sauce
1 tsp (5 ml) dark soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce
2 tsp (8 g) granulated sugar
3 tbsp (45 ml) water
For the fried eggs
4 eggs (200 g) large eggs, each cracked into its own small cup
¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil such as canola or peanut

Equipment (7)

Medium saucepan (2–3 quart / 2–3 L) with a tight lid
Fine-mesh strainer
14-inch (35 cm) wok or 12-inch (30 cm) large skillet
8- to 10-inch (20–25 cm) nonstick or carbon-steel skillet for the eggs
Mortar and pestle or chef's knife
Small bowl for the sauce
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Start the rice first. It cooks and rests unattended while you prep and stir-fry.
Have everything chopped and measured before you heat the wok. The stir-fry takes about 10 minutes and moves fast.
Holy basil (bai krapow) is traditional. Look for it at Asian markets. If you can't find it, see the substitutions.
Thai chilies are very hot. Start with 4 if you're unsure, and wash your hands well after handling them.
The eggs are fried with a runny yolk. If you need fully cooked eggs, cook them until the yolks are firm, about 1 extra minute.

1
Cook the rice
- Combine the rinsed rice, 2 cups (480 ml) water and the salt in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then reduce to the lowest heat and cover tightly.
- Cook for 12 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered, still on the burner, for 10 minutes more.
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Ready when: All the water is absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy, with steam holes on the surface
Tip: Don't lift the lid while it cooks. Escaping steam leaves the rice gummy or undercooked.
2
Mix the sauce
- In a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and 3 tbsp (45 ml) water until the sugar dissolves.
- Set it next to the stove.
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Ready when: No sugar granules remain and the sauce is a uniform dark brown
3
Make the garlic-chili paste
- Pound the garlic and chilies in a mortar and pestle into a coarse, chunky paste, about 1 minute.
- Without a mortar, mince them together with a chef's knife, then press and smear with the flat of the blade.
- Keep the sliced shallot and cut long beans in separate piles.
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Ready when: The garlic and chilies form a coarse, wet paste with no large chunks
Tip: Wash your hands, board and knife with soap after handling the chilies, and don't touch your eyes.
4
Fry the eggs
- Heat the egg oil in the 8- to 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and a drop of egg sizzles right away, about 2 minutes.
- Slide in 2 eggs.
- Tilt the pan and spoon hot oil over the whites for 1½ to 2 minutes.
- Lift the eggs out with a slotted spatula onto a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Repeat with the remaining 2 eggs.
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Ready when: Whites are puffed, bubbly and golden-brown and crisp at the edges, and the yolk is still runny
Tip: The oil must be hot before the eggs go in. If it isn't, the whites turn greasy instead of crisp.
5
Brown the chicken
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat for 1 minute until very hot.
- Add the stir-fry oil and swirl it.
- Add the ground chicken and break it into large chunks.
- Let it sear without moving for 1½ minutes, then stir and break it into small crumbles.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more.
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Ready when: No pink remains, the edges are lightly browned, and the internal temperature reads 165°F (74°C)
Tip: Don't crowd or stir too early. Searing first browns the chicken instead of steaming it.
6
Add aromatics and beans
- Push the chicken to one side of the wok.
- Add the garlic-chili paste and shallot to the empty space and stir for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Then mix everything together and add the long beans.
- Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
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Ready when: The garlic smells fragrant and is just turning pale gold, and the beans are bright green and crisp-tender
Tip: Lower the heat to medium-high if the garlic starts to darken quickly. Burnt garlic tastes bitter.
7
Add the sauce
- Stir the sauce once more and pour it around the edge of the wok.
- Toss for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
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Ready when: The sauce bubbles, reduces and coats the chicken in a glossy glaze, with only a spoonful of liquid left in the pan
8
Wilt in the basil
- Turn off the heat.
- Add the holy basil and fold it into the chicken for 15 to 20 seconds, using the residual heat.
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Ready when: The basil is wilted and glossy but still bright green, and smells peppery and fragrant
Tip: Add the basil off the heat. Cooking it longer turns it dark and dulls the flavor.
9
Assemble the bowls
- Fluff the rice with a fork and divide it among 4 bowls.
- Spoon the chicken over the rice and top each bowl with a crispy fried egg.
- Serve right away, and break the yolk so it runs into the rice.
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Ready when: The rice is steaming and the eggs are still warm
Tip: If the eggs have cooled, warm them for 20 seconds in the hot rice bowl before topping.

Good to know

Tips

Get the wok very hot before adding the chicken. Browning gives the dish its savory depth.
Dark soy sauce adds color and a molasses note, not salt. Don't skip it, but use only 1 tsp or the dish becomes too dark and bitter.
Chicken thigh meat stays juicier than breast. If you only find lean ground chicken breast, add 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra oil.
Pad krapow is meant to be spicy and slightly saucy, not soupy. If the pan has lots of liquid, cook 30 to 60 seconds longer before adding the basil.

Make ahead

"Cook the rice up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it. Reheat it with a splash of water, covered, in the microwave. Mix the sauce and pound the garlic-chili paste up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them separately in covered containers. Cook the chicken and fry the eggs just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: store the chicken and rice in separate airtight containers for up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze the chicken (without the egg) for up to 2 months and thaw it overnight in the fridge. Reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes with a splash of water until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C). Fry fresh eggs when serving."

Substitutions

holy basil leaves → Thai sweet basil. Easier to find and milder, with an anise flavor. Use the same amount. Add a pinch of black pepper for peppery flavor.
ground chicken, preferably thigh meat → ground pork or ground turkey. Use the same weight. Pork is the most common street-food choice. Turkey is leaner, so use an extra 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil. Cook to 160°F (71°C) for pork and 165°F (74°C) for turkey.
Thai bird's eye chilies → serrano or red jalapeño chilies. Use 3 serranos for similar heat or 2 red jalapeños for a milder dish.
long beans or green beans → thinly sliced red bell pepper. Same weight. Cook for 1 minute instead of 2 so it stays crisp.