The Chicken Pad Kaprao, or Pad Kaprao Gaiis one of Thailand’s most popular dishes. This quick stir-fry combines finely chopped chicken, garlic, chillies and holy basil in a savoury, slightly sweet and wonderfully aromatic sauce. It is usually served with jasmine rice and a fried egg with crispy edges. In Thailand, it is the dish people order when they want a quick meal at any time of day. Easy to make at home, this Pad Kaprao recipe is ready in around 15 minutes.
🌿 Good to know
Pad Kaprao is not made with the sweet Thai basil commonly used in curries. Its defining ingredient is holy basil, known as kaprao in Thai. The two varieties have very different flavours.
Today, I’m writing this holy basil chicken stir-fryrecipe surrounded by boxes and suitcases. Just three days to go before I leave my island for good.
I have to admit that, strange as it may sound, I don’t think I’ll miss it straight away. After six years on a tiny paradise island, I’m looking forward to returning to some semblance of civilisation. It may be nothing like the civilisation you know in Europe, but it’s still better than nothing at all!
As an added bonus, I’ll finally have time to do nothing but read all those books that have been tempting me for the past year. A sofa, a cup of tea and plenty of time… Wooooow!
So here is a quick and easy recipe, for those " no time to cook, but still want something delicious” days. A chicken recipe, of course, since there isn’t much else available on my island! Holy basil from the garden, yardlong beans, chillies, garlic… and that’s all it takes.
✨ Last updated: July 2026
This recipe, first published in 2013, has been updated with additional information about Pad Kaprao, holy basil, and the different ways to prepare this classic Thai dish. The recipe itself remains the one I have been cooking in Thailand for many years.
What Is Pad Kaprao?
Pad Kaprao is a Thai stir-fry made with meat, garlic, chillies, and holy basil. The word pad means “stir-fried,” while kaprao refers to holy basil. When made with chicken, the dish is called Pad Kaprao Gai.
Extremely popular at street-food stalls and small local eateries throughout Thailand, it is usually cooked to order in a very hot wok. It is served over rice, often topped with a Thai-style fried egg known as khai dao. It is the kind of dish people order in Thailand when they are hungry, in a hurry, and want something they know will be delicious.
Pad Kaprao can also be made with minced pork, beef, prawns, squid, or tofu.
Pad Kaprao or Pad Krapao?
The spellings Pad Krapao or Pad Kra Pao are often found on Western websites and restaurant menus. They mainly result from English-language transliterations and do not accurately reflect the Thai pronunciation.
The Thai name ผัดกะเพรา is pronounced approximately “Pad Ka-prao”. The word pad means “stir-fried in a wok,” while kaprao refers to the holy basil that gives the dish its name. I therefore use the spelling Pad Kapraohere, as it is closer to the Thai pronunciation.
Holy Basil and Thai Basil: What’s the Difference?
Holy basil, known as kaprao in Thailand, is the ingredient that gives the dish its name and distinctive flavour. Its leaves have a slightly peppery taste and are far less aniseed-like than those of Thai sweet basil.
Thai sweet basil, or horapha, often has purplish stems and a more pronounced aniseed flavour. It is commonly used in dishes such as green curry, but it does not produce the same result in Pad Kaprao.
Outside Thailand, holy basil can be a little harder to find in Asian grocery stores than Thai sweet basil, but it is worth seeking out. Alternatively, you can grow some in your garden and save yourself the trouble! Here in Thailand, it grows by itself almost everywhere. If you cannot find any, you can use another type of basil, but the dish will have a different flavour.
Good to Know
“Thai basil” is a generic term often used to refer to several different varieties. To make Pad Kaprao with its characteristic flavour, look for holy basil, which may also be sold as tulsi or kaprao.
More Quick and Delicious Recipes
Ingredients for Chicken Pad Kaprao
Chillies: As always, the amount of chillies you add depends on your tolerance for spicy food. You can use bird’s eye chillies, long mild chillies, or leave them out altogether. Pad Kaprao served in Thailand is usually very spicy.
Yardlong beans: In Thailand, we use long beans, also known as yardlong beans. You can easily replace them with regular green beans. In my version, they add crunch and colour to the dish.
Chicken: As I cannot find ready-minced meat where I live and do not own a meat grinder, I simply chop it by hand. Sitting on the floor with a sturdy chopping board and a large, sharp knife, I pound away at the chicken fillets until they are finely chopped. If you do the same and do not want your downstairs neighbours to hate you, place a tea towel under the board to soften the noise. 😆
Finely chopping the chicken with a knife gives it a much more pleasant texture than grinding it into a paste. Chicken thighs will be juicier, but chicken breast works well too.
You can also prepare this recipe with pork, beef, tofu, or prawns..
My version also contains a few yardlong beans and shallots. There are many variations of Pad Kaprao in Thailand: some are very simple, while others include a few vegetables.
Dark soy sauce and oyster sauce are readily available in Asian grocery stores. To learn more, visit my guide to the essential ingredients used in Thai cooking..
My Tips for Making Pad Kaprao
Prepare all the ingredients before turning on the heat. The dish cooks very quickly, so there will be no time to chop vegetables once you start.
Heat the wok or frying pan before adding the chicken. The meat should sear over high heat rather than simmer in a large amount of liquid.
Add the holy basil at the very end. It only needs to wilt in the heat, as cooking it for too long will cause it to lose its aroma.
We like this dish with plenty of holy basil. The basil from our garden is particularly fragrant. If you are using shop-bought holy basil, feel free to add even more.
🍽️ What to Serve with Pad Kaprao
In Thailand, Pad Kaprao is served with jasmine rice and very often topped with a fried egg. A Thai-style fried egg, or khai dao, is cooked in a generous amount of oil, giving it crispy edges while the yolk remains runny. The rice helps balance the heat of the chillies and absorbs the sauce. You do not need many additional side dishes to make this a complete meal.
Chicken Pad Kaprao with Holy Basil
Ingredients
- 400 g minced chicken thighs or chicken breast
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 3 bird chillies or more... or fewer
- 1 cup holy basil leaves
- 3 shallots
- 4 yardlong beans, or regular green beans
- Oil for cooking
Sauce :
- 1 tsp of palm sugar
- 2 tbsp of soy sauce
- 3 tbsp of oyster sauce
- 1 tsp of dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp of fish sauce
- 5 tbsp of water
To serve:
- Jasmine rice
- Fried eggs
Instructions
Hold on tight—here we go!
- Crush the garlic cloves, remove the skins, and chop them finely.
- Finely slice the chillies.
- Wash the holy basil and pick the leaves from the stems.
- Cut the beans into 5 mm pieces.
- Peel and finely slice the shallots.
- In a bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients.
- Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, then sauté the garlic and chillies. Hehehe… this usually makes everyone cough!
- Add the chicken and stir-fry over high heat. When it starts to turn white, add the sauce and shallots.
- Reduce the heat slightly and mix everything thoroughly. The sauce will give the chicken a lovely brown colour and a slightly sweet flavour.
- Continue stirring until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Add the holy basil and beans, cook for another 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.
- Fry the eggs and serve them with the Pad Kaprao and jasmine rice.
- And that’s it—all that’s left to do is eat!
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions About Pad Kaprao
Traditionally, Pad Kaprao is very spicy, but you can reduce the amount of chilli without changing the rest of the recipe.
Thai basil can be used as a substitute, but its aniseed flavour is very different. The dish will still taste good, but it will not have the characteristic flavour of Pad Kaprao.
Fresh or frozen holy basil is available in some Asian grocery stores. It may be sold as holy basil, tulsi or kaprao.
It is best eaten immediately after cooking. However, you can prepare it in advance or even freeze it.
Gai means chicken, while moo means pork. The cooking method and seasoning are similar.
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Chère Kris,
j’aimerais réaliser cette recette, et j’ai bien compris qu’il ne fallait absolument pas mettre de basilic thaï ! Malheureusement, c’est tout ce qu’on trouve ici en France. Par contre, je n’ai pas encore été voir à Paris (Frère Tang/Paris Store); il y a peut-être une chance d’en trouver là-bas. Par quoi le remplacer sinon? ou ne rien mettre du tout…?
Bonjour Lili,
On ne peut pas remplacer le basilic sacré si on souhaite obtenir le goût original de ce plat. Par contre, tu peux utiliser le basilic doux, ce sera bon aussi mais très différent.
Est-ce que tu as fini par trouver du basilic sacré?
Ta recette déchire, un grand merci !!!
J’ai bossé 1 an en Thaïlande et je dois dire que ce soir j’ai retrouvé les saveurs 😉
Wow, merci 🙂
J’espère que tu trouveras ton bonheur ici 😉
A tout bientôt et bon appétit !
Kris
Salut Kris! Tu reviens en France alors???? Très jolie recette ! Welcome!
Coucou,
En fait non, j’ai juste déménagé : j’ai passé d’une petite île à une petite ville 🙂 mais toujours en Thaïlande.
Becs
Kris
Ayant ,pour la première fois trouvé du basilic thaï, ( mais non sacré),.je me suis empressée de faire ta recette.
C’était bon mais trop de ce parfum.
Je débute dans cette gastronomie, et m’accroche à toi, telle la sangsue . MERCI au hasard ,de m’avoir fait découvrir ton magnifique blog, pour me permettre d’apprendre.
. Je te lis avec beaucoup d’attention……………….Mon âge m’autorise à te faire 2 gros bizouxes,
AS-tu des bébinous????
Bien amicalement, de la Côte d’Azur Chris 06
Hello Chris de la Côte d’Azur,
Le basilic thaï ou basilic doux a effectivement un goût très (trop fort). Je dois dire que je ne l’utilise pas souvent. J’ai essayé de remplacer le basilic européen dans les salades avec celui-ci… ça ne me plait pas.
Ils est, par contre, absolument délicieux dans un curry vert.
Pour le poulet sauté au basilic, il faut vraiment du basilic sacré, il a un goût discret particulier qui ne peut pas être remplacé.
N’hésites pas à poser toutes les questions que tu veux et à continuer à t’accrocher 🙂 c’est avec plaisir que j’y réponds.