Pad Krapow Gai (Thai Basil Chicken)  Recipe (2024)

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yourconciergect

Is the Golden Mountain a deal breaker? Are there substitutions?

Jo Jo

After trying it this way I feel compelled to share my experience that the traditional ingredients and measurements are really much better than this particular recipe. No need for the large amount of oyster sauce AND the golden mountain Thai sauce flavor is not better than the traditional addition of light and dark soy sauce. This is way yummier in my humble opinion: 1T fish sauce, 1T Thai light soy sauce, 2 t dark soy sauce, 2 t oyster sauce. ❤️

maggiec

IMO…This is missing rice wine vinegar and ginger. Also top with cilantro and chopped scallions.

adam

The fried egg is crucial. Don’t skip it. Let a small pool of canola or peanut oil get glimmering hot in your wok. Put on apron. Crack one egg in, it should bubble and sizzle vigorously. The edges of the egg should start to really brown and crisp up in 30 seconds or so. Then tip the wok and use a spoon to scoop up small spoonfuls of the hot oil and ladle over the egg to finish the top. Don’t overdo it. You want a runny yolk. Take out and drain on paper towel. Just takes 1 minute per egg, if that.

Seattle Thai

I don’t know why the Golden Mountain seasoning sauce is added, it’s simply not needed or traditional. Also no oyster sauce no green beans or white pepper. Really is the best with holy basil.Most popular with pork (pad krapow moo). Garlic and chili should be cooked before the meat.

Mo

The internet says substitute with a combo of light soy, dash of fish sauce, dash of regular rice vinegar, and a little brown sugar.

Delightful

Really enjoyed this. Great summer meal if you have access to lots of fresh Thai basil and green beans. Subbed turkey for chicken and it worked just fine. Will make again without major adjustments.

Sharno

For people watching carbs, this works really well as a filling in a lettuce wrap.

Sukie

This is an easy, flavorful weeknight meal that is also easily adaptable. Used ground turkey. Didn’t have the Thai spice so used 1 T soy sauce and 1 T rice wine vinegar. Also didn’t have oyster sauce so substituted 2 T hoisin sauce. Used 4 cloves of garlic and 1 jalapeño and 1 Serrano. Served over rice with the crispy fried egg which was divine with the other intense flavors. Will definitely make again.

Grant W

Like many other western published recipes, this one calls for too much sugar. There is no balance without heat. Advise you either add much more chili or reduce the sugar by half. Otherwise a very tasty dish and easy to make.

Carrie

For oyster sauce you can use hoisin sauce or a half soy sauce, half honey (or molasses, something thick and sweet) combo. Basically it's sweet and salty. I'm allergic to oysters and I like hoisin.

CFXK

Two substitutions and one recommendation...If you can't find or don't want to make a special trip for Thai Seasoning Sauce, use soy sauce.Don't let the fact that you can't find holy basil or Thai basil stop you; just use Italian basil - a bit different, but still wonderful.And let's be honest, in the choice between plain old apple pie and apple pie with a scoop of ice cream on top, is there really any choice? So too, don't even think about omitting that crispy fried egg.

ParisPie

this was super easy to make, required very little prep, and cooked up in a short period of time! I followed one of the comments and threw a smattering of chopped scallions on top and in lieu of chicken i used impossible meat. I found a substitution for golden mountain sauce online (1tbs soy sauce + 1 tbs sugar) and it was fine. this will be added to my go-to weeknight recipes.

Caroline

This was super salty without the Gold Mountain sauce. And i like salt. Think I’ll start with half the amount of oyster and fish sauces next time and add more to taste.

chris hawkins

Subbed Korean fermented soy bean paste for Golden Mountain. Used Italian basil. Subbed tsp of Thai red curry paste for fresh hot pepper (spicy food induces coughing bouts for my wife). Added 1/4 lg onion w green beans just because. Then I used Korean hot sauce on my portion.Will do this again w a combo of ground pork and fine-diced shrimp.

suggestions

Add a little rice vinegar and sesame oil and water to the sauce. Serve with brown rice

Rebecca

Might be sacrilege, but our basil went bad and we substituted in cilantro instead, and it was also incredibly delicious.

Quentin

This recipe some time ago turned me on to Green Mountain which we now use exclusively when soy sauce is called for--and in many cases when it isn't!

jim

Yum-yum

Sam

Subbed the ground chicken for ground impossible meat and it was perfect!

vivian y.

Thai basil is a must in my opinion, it didn’t smell like Thai cooking until that last step when I added it and got a whiff of that delicious peppery licorice aroma. Other basil like Italian would smell different. Also I used minced garlic paste from the asian mart and a bunch of dried chili peppers lying around the house. Don’t skip the egg, it’s a must! It rounds off the saltiness of the dish. I think Golden Mountain Sauce completes this too, dark soy sauce would make this a tad too sweet.

Sarah

Agree with the others regarding reducing the amount of salt. I used 1T fish sauce, 1T Thai light soy sauce 2T dark soy sauce 2T Oyster sauce. I will even halve that next time I make this though.

Melanie

We made our own Thai Seasoning mix from spices we had in the cupboard. I just googled one. I also used Hoisin instead of Oyster sauce. Since we used sugar elsewhere (a bit of brown was in the Thai seasoning recipe too) I didn't add anything else sweet. We found that a spritz of fresh lime on top really made it all sing and added to the balance of the dish. We will definitely make this again!

JenBeee

This is easy and delicious. Great way to use up Thai basil if you have an out of control aerogarden like I do. I used jalapeño in mine and it was a bit too mild, so I’d greatly increase the amount next time (or just use Thai chilies as written!) I used soy sauce and rice wine vinegar in place of the golden mountain.

Mary

Excellent. I used ground pork (what I had on hand), and I added the green beans much sooner as mine were old so they cooked a lot longer than the recipe. I also used soya sauce instead of the Thai seasoning sauce (1:1). A great weeknight dinner!

Todd

This was so salty as to be inedible. Thank goodness I didn't make it for guests.

Dee

I would add that Golden Mountain also has a subtle smokiness to it.

kb

My own note after making:Doubled sauce, didn't have oyster so combined Japanese BBQ and Teriyaki, added fresh ginger,extra fresh chopped chili pepper. I didn't have light soy so used regular. Also, used about 2/3 brick of pressed and crumbled tofu, adding after browning one pound Turkey1/4 c Oyster (Japanese BBQ & Teriyaki)1/4 c dark soy2TBSP Fish Sauce2TBSP Light Soy (dark soy)

HP

This recipe is not traditional for a lot of reasons, but we really enjoyed it. I made it with crumbled tofu and upped both the chilies and the thai basil. Also did not have greenbeans so added some bok choy which worked nicely. I would definitely make this again.

Erik

Em loved it, Xan was sort of meh (Nov ‘23). Both wanted the green beans to be less chewy, so make it with leftover cooked veggies. (We used some leftover cooked carrots and they were good.) Use fermented black beans in place of the Thai Mountain sauce)

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Pad Krapow Gai (Thai Basil Chicken)  Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does pad krapow mean in Thai? ›

Phat kaphrao (Thai: ผัดกะเพรา, pronounced [pʰàt kā. pʰrāw]; transl. stir-fried holy basil), also spelled pad krapow, pad kaprao, or pad gaprao, is one of the most popular Thai dishes in Thailand.

What does Krapow mean in English? ›

What does Kratav mean? Share. The meaning of Kratav is : One of many names representing the God Trimurti; Representation of God Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, One of many names representing the God Trimurti, Representation of God Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Gender.

What do you eat with Krapow? ›

Accompaniments. Pailin Chongchitnant's pad kra pao: 'quick, easy, and ubiquitous that lots of people have for lunch'. If you like things extra-hot, serve the dish with Thompson's sliced chillies in fish sauce on the side. Either way, I'd strongly recommend pairing it with a fried egg and a pile of steamed rice.

What does pad mean in Thai? ›

The word “pad” means “fried” while “thai” means “Thai”. It is a staple food in Thai Cuisine. The recipe of pad thai has evolved over time. It is believed to be originally a Chinese dish and later on got adapted to the taste of Thais.

Is pad thai healthy? ›

It can definitely be a part of a balanced, well-rounded diet. While pad thai includes many nutritious ingredients, its sodium content is considerably high. You can reduce its sodium by requesting the eatery go easy on the sauce and salt-contributing condiments.

What does kapow mean in Thai? ›

The “kapow” at Prik Nam Pla is what's more commonly called krapow, a Thai rice bowl with wok-sautéed vegetables, basil, a protein and a healthy dose of the house-featured spicy sauce. “Krapow” in Thai means “basil,” and “pad” means “holy,” and sometimes you see it as pad krapow or “holy basil,” but I digress.

What does Bo mean in Thai? ›

The first element bo (บ่อ) means "well" or "no".

What is the flavor of Thai basil? ›

A type of basil native to Southeast Asia and its cuisines, Thai basil is savory, spicy, and anise-like, adding a distinct pungency to dishes. It's a vibrant, irreplaceable addition in many dishes, providing the herbaceous and savory notes that round out a dish.

What is basil called in Thai? ›

Thai basil, or horapha (Thai: โหระพา), is widely used throughout Southeast Asia and plays a prominent role in Vietnamese cuisine.

What does pad Krapow taste like? ›

All this together is a delicious dish that's sweet and savory, aromatic, garlic-y, spicy, and just delicious.

What is a substitute for pad krapow basil? ›

Italian basil is my preferred substitute because it is a closer flavour match than Thai basil, but Thai basil will also work if you love that flavour. Oyster sauce. See my post on choosing good oyster sauce here.

What tastes good with Thai basil? ›

Kitchen Tips
  • Vegetables: zucchini, corn, bell pepper, tomato, green beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, eggplant, squash, spinach, artichoke, fennel, onion, potato.
  • Seafood: lobster, shrimp, crab, red snapper, salmon (fresh and smoked), grouper, tuna.
  • Meat and Poultry: chicken, turkey, beef, veal, lamb, sausage.

Is Thai basil dish good for you? ›

Research shows that Thai Basil is high in antioxidants, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties, which is why it has been used in traditional healing since centuries ago. Aside from ingesting Thai Basil, you can also bruise the leaves and inhale its aroma to relieve stress.

What is the difference between Horapa and Krapow? ›

Thai basil is called horapa โหระพา in Thai. It has an anise-y aroma and it's what you find in many Thai curries, and also served alongside Vietnamese pho. It has dark green, pointy leaves, and often has purple stems. Holy basil is called gaprao กะเพรา or kra pao in Thai, and it's also known as tulsi in India.

What is Pad Kra Pao made of? ›

Pad kra pao, also written as pad gaprao, is a popular Thai stir fry of ground meat and holy basil. This beef version is an old-style traditional recipe with a simpler ingredient list; perfect for a quick meal.

Should Thai basil be cooked? ›

That means that it can be added fresh as a garnish, to provide an herbaceous kick, but it can also be added during the cooking process, to infuse the whole dish with its aroma. When used raw, Thai basil can be a vibrant addition to your salads.

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