Skinnymixer’s Pad Kra Pao (Holy Basil Mince Stir Fry) features in the Fast section of the cookbook SkinnyAsia 2.
Pad Kra Pao isn’t typically fancy restaurant food.
It’s the kind of fast, flavour-packed everyday meal Thailand does exceptionally well.
Pork or chicken mince is stir-fried over high heat with garlic, chilli and shallot, coated in a salty-savoury sauce and finished with a generous handful of fresh basil.
Spoon it over hot jasmine rice, add a crispy fried egg and finish with as much Nam Pla Prik as you dare.
Best of all?
It’s on the table in around 20 minutes.
Methods: Thermo cooker + Conventional preparation, wok cooking
Heat: Mild to VERY spicy, you choose
What is Pad Kra Pao?
Pad Kra Pao, also written as Pad Krapow, Pad Gaprao or Pad Kra Pao, is a popular Thai stir-fry traditionally made with meat, chillies, garlic and holy basil.
It’s commonly served over rice, often topped with a fried egg.
It’s quick, punchy and designed for high-heat cooking rather than a long simmer.
Our version can be made with pork mince or chicken mince, making it a particularly handy weeknight dinner.
What You’ll Need
The complete quantities are in SkinnyAsia 2, but you’ll need:
- Pork or chicken mince
- Fresh basil – Holy basil is preferred but Italian basil is a more accessible substitute. You can buy Holy basil plants from plant nurseries.
- Garlic
- Birdseye chillies
- Shallot
- Soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
- Fish sauce
- Oyster sauce – gluten-free if required or you can also make your own Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
- A little sugar
You’ll also make a simple Nam Pla Prik to spoon over at the table.
Holy Basil vs Thai Basil: What’s the Difference?
This is probably the biggest question you’ll have when shopping for Pad Kra Pao.
Holy Basil
Holy basil is the traditional choice for Pad Kra Pao.
It has a more peppery, slightly spicy flavour than the sweet basil commonly found at supermarkets.
You may find fresh holy basil at Thai or Asian grocers, although availability can be inconsistent. You should be able to buy a plant at Bunnings or your local plant nursery.
Thai Basil
Thai basil is another variety commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking.
It has a distinctive aromatic flavour with slightly anise or liquorice-like notes.
While delicious, Thai basil and holy basil aren’t the same thing.
Italian Basil
Can’t find holy basil?
Use Italian or sweet basil.
It’s readily available, still gives the dish plenty of fresh basil flavour and means you don’t need to hunt all over town before you can make dinner.
If you happen to find holy basil, absolutely grab it for the more traditional flavour.
How Spicy is Pad Kra Pao?
Traditionally, Pad Kra Pao can have some serious chilli heat.
Our recipe uses birdseye chillies, which can be very hot.
But you’re making it at home, so make it work for your family.
Use fewer chillies for a milder stir-fry, remove the seeds where practical, or increase the chilli if you want more heat.
Remember that you’re also serving Nam Pla Prik on the side, so chilli lovers can add extra heat to their own plate.
This is particularly handy when you’re feeding adults and kids from the same batch.
What is Nam Pla Prik?
If you’ve scanned the QR code wondering what you’re supposed to do with the little bowl of Nam Pla Prik, don’t skip it!
Nam Pla Prik is a simple Thai condiment based around fish sauce and fresh chilli.
Our version combines:
- Garlic
- Birdseye chilli
- Fish sauce
- Fresh lime juice
- A little brown or coconut sugar
It’s salty, sour, spicy and slightly sweet.
Spoon a little over the finished Pad Kra Pao and fried egg at the table.
You don’t need to drown your meal in it. Start with a small amount, taste, then add more.
Control the Heat with Nam Pla Prik
One of the easiest ways to make Pad Kra Pao work for different spice preferences is to keep the main stir-fry relatively mild and let everyone adjust their own bowl with Nam Pla Prik.
Making dinner for the kids?
Reduce the chilli in the stir-fry.
The chilli lovers can then spoon plenty of Nam Pla Prik over their own servings without making everyone else’s dinner unbearably hot.
Don’t Skip the Fried Egg
Technically you can, but we really don’t recommend it.
A crispy-edged fried egg is one of the best things you can put on top of Pad Kra Pao.
For a Thai-style fried egg, use enough hot oil to allow the white to bubble and crisp around the edges while keeping the yolk cooked to your liking.
Pile your Pad Kra Pao over rice, place the fried egg on top and spoon over some Nam Pla Prik.
When that yolk mixes with the salty, spicy mince and rice… SO good.
Want More Vegetables?
Pad Kra Pao is easy to bulk out.
Try adding:
- Green beans or Snake beans
- Chinese broccoli
- Other quick-cooking Asian greens
Keep the pieces relatively small and stir-fry them quickly so they retain some texture.
If adding a significant amount of vegetables, be mindful of overcrowding your wok.
Pork or Chicken Mince?
Either works beautifully.
Pork mince gives you a slightly richer result.
Chicken mince is lighter and is also used for our Super Skinny variation.
This is a useful recipe to keep in mind when you’ve got a packet of mince in the fridge and need dinner FAST.
Dietary & Recipe Variations
LOW CARB
Use the compliant sweeteners and sauces specified in SkinnyAsia 2 and serve with cauliflower rice instead of jasmine rice.
PALEO
Use compliant sugar and sauces and serve with cauliflower rice if desired.
SUPER SKINNY
Use chicken mince and minimal cooking oil.
VEGETARIAN
Replace the mince with pressed, crumbled extra-firm tofu and use vegetarian versions of the sauces.
LOW FODMAP
Omit the garlic and Nam Pla Prik and use garlic-infused olive oil for stir-frying. Replace the shallot with the green part of spring onion and use compliant sauces.
HALVED / DOUBLED
The recipe can be halved or doubled. When doubling, cook the mince in batches so it can properly brown rather than steam.
What to Serve with Pad Kra Pao
For the classic simple meal, you really don’t need much:
Steamed jasmine rice + Pad Kra Pao + fried egg + Nam Pla Prik.
That’s dinner.
For a lower-carb option, swap the jasmine rice for cauliflower rice.
If you’re serving a larger Thai feast, you could add some fresh cucumber, Asian greens or other SkinnyAsia 2 favourites alongside it.
Get the Recipe
The complete Pad Kra Pao (Holy Basil Mince Stir Fry) recipe, including the Nam Pla Prik, Thermo cooker and conventional preparation, stir-frying instructions and dietary variations, is available in SkinnyAsia 2.
From the Testing Team
- Val W. – Oh wow! What a fantastic meal. This will be a regular here…but I did use the lower end of the
. - Julie H. – Very quick and although a tad chilli hot for us a great high protein meal
- Amanda E. – LOVED THIS!! I made the sauces yesterday and nearly died when I tasted the PNP, so I only put 2 chillies with the mince. I told the kids the chillies were Hot AF, so 2/3 weren’t game to try. Middle Miss, who I now call Spice Girl (after she loved the chilli in the drunken noods) tried it and loved it lol. All together it was perfect spice for me.
- Nicole K. – Made here with beef mince and added beans and bamboo shoots. So good!
- Melissa L. – Best dinner!
Easy Fast Balanced (Mostly) store cupboard ingredients Kids loved it too! Looks like we have a complete weekday winner - Tanya H. – Low carb using monkfruit sweetener but went rogue using beef mince. We make it often with beef mince. This was beautiful! Only thing we usually do different is add green beans or spring onions but other than that it’s spot on. Ready in minutes using conventional. The prik nam pla was perfect too
- Angie G. – Made for dinner tonight and it tasted amazing !! yum The mince browned/cooked well and the sauce coated & caramelised the mince to perfection !! Ohh and that prik nam pla tasted devine I served the Pad Kra Po with some Golden Coconut Rice, maybe an unlikely combination but it sure tasted super delicious
Some other Thermomix Stir Fry recipes you might love:
Want to know more about SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook?
SkinnyAsia 2 is a collection of Thermomix & Conventional cooking recipes. All of our cookbooks have a strong focus on Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg Free, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegetarian and Low FODMAP.
Instructions
- This recipe is exclusive to the SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook.
FAQs
What can I use if I can’t find holy basil?
Use Italian or sweet basil, which is why we’ve included it as an alternative in the SkinnyAsia 2 recipe. Holy basil gives Pad Kra Pao its more traditional peppery basil flavour, but it can be difficult to find. Thai basil can also be used if you enjoy its distinctive aromatic, slightly anise-like flavour.
Is Pad Kra Pao supposed to be spicy?
Traditionally it can be very spicy, particularly because it’s made with small, hot chillies. At home, there’s no reason you can’t adjust it. Reduce the chillies in the main stir-fry for a family-friendly version and let the chilli lovers add extra heat with Nam Pla Prik at the table.