Thai Basil Pork or Beef (Pad Krapow)
🇹🇭泰式打抛猪/牛肉 · pan chinese cuisine
The version served in Thai restaurants uses holy basil (da pao leaf), which can be hard to find; regular Thai basil (nine-story pagoda / the plant known in Chinese as jiu ceng ta) is a common substitute. Authentic versions use palm sugar, but brown sugar works, or regular white sugar plus a little dark soy sauce for color. The fish sauce quantities here assume the Three Crabs brand; milder brands may need a bit more. Some North American Thai restaurants also add chopped long beans, which is purely optional. The author notes that the small spoon referenced is about the size of a disposable plastic spoon.
Yuki TanakaTokyo-born, now in Chicago. I post about dashi, pickles, and bento for picky kids. My kitchen is tiny but my knife game is sharp.Nutrition & allergens
Contains:EggSoyWheat
Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- 209.1(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Protein (g)
- 23.5(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Fat (g)
- 10.3(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
- Carbs (g)
- Unknown
- Sodium (mg)
- 303(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
Techniques you'll use
- Aromatic blooming (bao xiang) ↗
Bloom ginger, garlic, and chili in hot oil to build the aroma base.
- Stir-frying ↗
Cook small pieces in stages, then bring them together while their textures are distinct.
- Pan-frying (jian) ↗
Sear food in a shallow layer of oil, one side at a time.
Steps
- 1
Step 1
Shown here is Thai basil (jiu ceng ta).
✅ Done when: No cooking in this step; it is complete once you have identified the basil shown.
- 2
Step 2
Shown here is holy basil (da pao leaf, available online but not always fresh). Wash and dry the bird's eye chilies and the Thai basil or holy basil, either air-dried or patted dry with paper towels. Mince the garlic and cut the chilies into small pieces. Adjust the amount of chili to your heat tolerance.
✅ Done when: The herbs are dry and the garlic is minced and the chilies are cut into small pieces.
- 3
Step 3
Before stir-frying, mix the sauce: 3 small spoons of fish sauce (use less if you dislike the flavor), 2 small spoons of soy sauce, 2 small spoons of sugar, 1 small spoon of oyster sauce, and 1 small spoon of water. Optionally add 1 small spoon of dark soy sauce for better color. How much oyster sauce to use depends on the saltiness of your fish sauce; start with 1 spoon and taste, adding more if needed.
✅ Done when: The sauce ingredients are stirred together into a uniform liquid.
Heat oil in a pan and add the minced garlic and bird's eye chilies to fragrance them. Garlic lovers can double the garlic; heat seekers can double the chilies.
✅ Done when: The garlic and chilies are fragrant.
Add the ground meat (pork, beef, or chicken all work) and stir-fry. If using pork, add a splash of rice wine to remove gaminess (avoid Chinese cooking wine if possible).
✅ Done when: The meat is broken up and being stirred evenly in the pan.
When the meat is about 80% cooked, pour in the pre-mixed sauce and keep stir-frying. Taste; extra salt is usually not needed, but those who like it saltier can add a touch.
✅ Done when: The meat is about 80% cooked and coated with the sauce.
Once the sauce has reduced to a little more than half and the meat is fully cooked, add the Thai basil or holy basil and stir-fry until the sauce is nearly dry (a drier sauce seasons the meat better). Tip: if you're unsure about timing, wait until the sauce has reduced, turn off the heat, add the basil, toss a few times in the residual heat, cover, and let sit 1 minute to preserve maximum basil aroma.
✅ Done when: The sauce is nearly dry and the basil is just wilted and fragrant.
- 8
Step 8
The Thai basil pork is done and ready to serve.
✅ Done when: The dish is fully cooked, glossy, and ready to plate.
Serve with freshly cooked white rice and a fried egg cooked until golden on both sides with a runny yolk — every bit as good as the restaurant version.
✅ Done when: The egg is golden on both sides with a runny center.
Optional: if you can find shallots, add some minced shallot along with the garlic in step 4 to fragrance them together for an extra layer of flavor.
✅ Done when: The shallots are fragrant alongside the garlic.