Kao pad nam prik pao is a Thai fried rice built on three layers of chili heat—paste, flakes, and fresh peppers—balanced by aromatic Thai basil. The spice level is fully adjustable, making it accessible for any palate while delivering authentic depth.
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Combine the chicken with all marinade ingredients and mix well. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, stirring halfway through, and until most of the water has been absorbed into the chicken and is no longer pooling.
Mix the chili paste with 2 tsp of fish sauce to loosen it up and allow it to mix more easily into the fried rice.
Sear the chicken: Heat a wok or a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add just enough oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil is very hot, add the chicken and spread it out into one layer. Allow the chicken to sear until the underside is browned, then toss and keep cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan, leaving the oil behind.
Scramble the eggs: In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed (if using a nonstick pan you may not need any oil at all) and heat at medium high until it's hot and ready to go. Add the eggs and scramble them, keeping the yolks and whites slightly marbled. Once the eggs are done, remove from the pan. At this point if the pan has some bits of eggs stuck on it you can wipe or scrape them off, but there's no need to clean the pan.(PS. The egg is cooked separately and added back in in order to keep its colour vibrant. Otherwise it will get coated in the chili paste and everything looks the same colour.)
Fry the rice: Add about a tablespoon of oil to the wok and heat it over medium heat. Add the garlic and dried chilies and saute until the chilies start to smell a bit smokey, about 1 minute.
Add the rice and toss with the garlic briefly, then turn the heat up to high. Add the onion and the sauce and toss until the rice grains are separated and evenly coated in the sauce. If there are clumps, use your spatula to push them down to break them apart.
Add the eggs and the chicken back in along with any collected chicken juices in the bowl. (*If for some reason your rice is looking too moist and it doesn't look like it can handle more liquid without getting mushy, hold back on the chicken juices.)
Turn off the heat then taste and add more fish sauce if needed. Add the fresh chilies and Thai basil and toss just until the basil is wilted.
Serve with lime wedge and fresh cucumber slices, be sure to squeeze the lime over the rice before eating!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan with 1 tsp oil over medium heat, stirring often; add 1 tsp water if dry. Best eaten fresh.
Start with 1 tsp chili flakes and ½ of the Thai chili paste, then add more to taste. You can also omit fresh chilies entirely for milder heat.
Yes. Omit chicken and add 8 oz extra tofu or vegetables. Substitute fish sauce with soy sauce (1 tsp extra) or tamari for gluten-free soy.
Day-old cooked rice, chilled. Fresh rice clumps; if using fresh rice, spread it on a plate to cool first, then break up any clumps before frying.
Yes—use regular basil, cilantro, or mint. Thai basil has a licorice note; others will shift the flavor but the dish remains delicious.
Yes, if you use tamari instead of soy sauce and verify your Thai chili paste contains no wheat. Standard fish sauce and soy sauce do contain gluten.
