Thai Basil Crispy Pork Fried Rice
Ground pork crisped with bird's eye chili and holy basil, folded into fried rice. Thai street-food heat.
Walk into any Thai restaurant and pad kra pao is on the menu. It's one of Thailand's most beloved home dishes, served at every street stall and lunch spot across the country: ground meat stir-fried with bird's eye chilies, garlic, and holy basil, spooned over rice and crowned with a fried egg that has lacy crispy edges and a runny yolk. Locals order it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's how good it is.
This version takes the same soul and builds it into a one-pan fried rice. Ground pork gets rendered hard until the edges crisp and darken. Garlic and bird's eye chilies bloom in the pork fat, loud and sharp. Day-old rice goes in and toasts up in everything left behind, coated in fish sauce, oyster sauce, and a touch of dark soy for color.
Thai basil (or holy basil if you can find it) goes in off the heat at the very end. It has to. High heat turns basil black and bitter in seconds. Off the heat, it wilts into the hot rice and releases its licorice perfume through the whole dish.
The fried egg is non-negotiable. Cooked in a separate pan, oil screaming hot, the edges going lacy and brown while the yolk stays completely runny. Laid on top of the rice so the moment you break the yolk, it runs down into everything and becomes the final sauce.
Bird's eye chilies are hot. Start with one if you're new to them, build from there. And don't skip the basil. The whole dish is built around it.
- 01
Render and crisp the pork
Heat neutral oil in the wok over high heat until smoking. Add ground pork in a single flat layer. Don't break it up yet. Let it sit 2 to 3 minutes until the bottom caramelizes and darkens. Break apart and continue cooking until most pieces have crispy caramelized edges, another 2 to 3 minutes.- Give the pork time to get crispy. Don't ball it up, don't stir constantly, but also don't completely ignore it. The goal is crispy caramelized edges on most of the pieces.
- If using lean pork (or the fat content isn't listed), add an extra 1 tbsp oil before the pork hits the pan. Without enough fat, the caramelization won't develop.
- 02
Add the aromatics
Add garlic and bird's eye chilies directly to the pork. Stir for 20 to 30 seconds until the garlic is golden and the chilies are fragrant.- Bird's eye chilies are very hot. Start with 1 and taste, you can always add more.
- The chili and garlic should smell toasty and sharp, not raw.
- Garlic burns fast at high heat. If the pork is still smoking from the sear, pull the pan off briefly to cool it down before adding garlic.
- 03
Add the rice and vegetables
Add rice and toss aggressively to combine with the pork. Press flat and leave undisturbed for 1 minute until the bottom starts to crisp. Add green beans and scallions and toss for 1 more minute until the beans are just tender-crisp.- Day-old rice fries without clumping. Break up any clumps before adding.
- Press the rice flat against the pan and don't move it. The bottom layer caramelizes and adds crispy bits throughout.
- 04
Season
Add fish sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy, and sugar. Toss until every grain is evenly coated and the rice looks deep and glossy.- Fish sauce is the seasoning here, not soy sauce. It gives a different kind of saltiness, more round and oceanic. Don't over-season before tasting.
- The dish has plenty of salt between fish sauce, oyster sauce, and dark soy. Taste before adding anything else.
- 05
Add the basil
Turn off the heat. Add the Thai basil leaves and fold through the hot rice until just wilted.- Add basil off the heat. High heat turns it black and bitter in seconds.
- The basil should look wilted but still bright green. That's the window.
- 06
Fry the egg (optional) and plate
If using eggs, fry them however you like them. Sunny side up with a runny yolk is traditional, but anything goes. Cook in a separate small pan or push the rice to one side of the wok and crack the eggs into the empty space. Pile rice into wide bowls. Lay the fried egg on top, if using.The runny yolk breaks over the rice and becomes the sauce. Worth the extra 60 seconds if you can.
