Asian

Pad Kaprao (Thai Holy Basil Stir-Fry)

A fiery, fragrant Thai street-food stir-fry of minced meat and holy basil served over rice with a crispy fried egg.

Pad Kaprao is one of those dishes that proves how powerful simple food can be. Just a handful of ingredients, cooked fast over high heat—bold, savoury, slightly spicy, and deeply comforting! What really stood out to me while learning this dish in Thailand is the use of holy basil, or kra pao. It’s stronger, more peppery, and completely different from Thai sweet basil, giving the dish its signature flavour. This is my version, learned in Thailand and cooked with respect to the original.

By Ivana Sanshia · Updated Aug 2026

Pad Kaprao (Thai Holy Basil Stir-Fry), a Asian recipe
Prep10 min
Cook5 min
Total15 min
Serves2
LevelEasy
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Before you start

Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.

Method

  1. 1

    Prep Sauce

    In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1½ tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 to 2 tsp optional dark soy sauce until the sugar dissolves.

  2. 2

    Stir-Fry Meat & Basil

    Heat 1 to 2 tbsp neutral oil in a wok or large pan over high heat until shimmering hot. Add the pounded chilli and garlic paste to the hot oil, frying briefly for 15–20 seconds until fragrant (be careful not to burn the garlic).

  3. 3

    Add 400 g minced pork or chicken, cooking quickly over high heat while breaking it up with a spatula until browned.

The rest of this recipe

There’s 6 more ingredients and 3 more steps to go.

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Ivana Sanshia’s note

Holy basil (kra pao) is essential for the authentic peppery, clove-like bite of this dish! If unavailable, Italian sweet basil or Thai sweet basil can be used as a substitute, though the flavour profile will be sweeter and milder.

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