Thai Basil Beef (Pad Kra Pao)
The Bangkok street-food favorite: ground beef stir-fried with loads of garlic, chiles and a salty-sweet fish sauce glaze, tossed with fresh basil and served with a crispy fried egg over cauliflower rice.
Nutrition per serving
1 bowl with a fried egg- Net carbs
- 8.7g
- Calories
- 656kcal
- Protein
- 40g
- Fat
- 50g
- Total carbs
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 3.7 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Ground chicken (kra pao gai): Ground chicken is the most common version in Thailand — lighter, and it soaks up the sauce just as well.
- Stir-fry the chicken until no pink remains and it reaches 165°F (74°C), 6–7 minutes, before adding the green beans.
Ground pork (kra pao moo): Ground pork is richer and slightly sweeter than beef, and just as popular at Thai food stalls.
- Cook the pork exactly like the beef, until browned and 160°F (71°C), then continue as written.
Vegetarian (tofu): Crumbled extra-firm tofu replaces the beef, and tamari stands in for the fish and oyster sauces. The fried egg on top keeps it hearty.
- Press the tofu for 20 minutes and crumble it into small pieces. After the aromatics, stir-fry it over high heat 6–8 minutes, until golden in spots, then add the green beans and sauce as written.
- Sauce
- Stir-fry
- Cauliflower rice
- Fried eggs
- Sauce
- Stir-fry
- Cauliflower rice
- Fried eggs
- Sauce
- Stir-fry
- Cauliflower rice
- Fried eggs
- Sauce
-
1½ tsp oyster sauceleave out - Stir-fry
- Cauliflower rice
- Fried eggs
Estimated cost $19.79 for 4 servings ($4.95 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Stir the fish sauce, tamari, oyster sauce, sweetener and water together in a small bowl.
-
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the riced cauliflower and salt and cook uncovered 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly toasted. Divide among bowls and keep warm.
-
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Crack in the eggs and fry 2–3 minutes, tilting the pan and spooning the hot oil over the whites, until the edges are brown and lacy and the whites are set; cook longer if you prefer firm yolks. Set one on each bowl and wipe out the pan.
-
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the garlic, chiles and shallot and stir-fry 30–60 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
-
Add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned and no pink remains (160°F/71°C), 5–6 minutes. Add the green beans and stir-fry 2 minutes, until bright green.
-
Pour in the sauce and toss 1 minute, until it is absorbed and the beef looks glossy. Take the pan off the heat, fold in the basil until just wilted and spoon the beef over the cauliflower rice beside the eggs.
Tips for success
-
Holy basil (kra pao) is peppery and clove-like and is the traditional choice. Thai basil is easier to find; Italian basil works but tastes sweeter. - Pounding the garlic and chiles together in a mortar releases more of their oils than mincing and gives a punchier, more authentic flavor.
- Oyster sauce contains some sugar, but this amount adds only about 0.3 g net carbs per serving. Leave it out and add a little more fish sauce if you prefer.
Nice to have, not needed
- A mortar and pestle bruises the garlic and chiles for more punch — fine mincing works.
- A wok over high heat gives the smoky street-stall flavor — a large skillet works fine.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Stir-fry the beef in a hot skillet 2–3 minutes or microwave 1½ minutes; fry a fresh egg to serve.
Prep tip: Fold a handful of fresh basil into each portion after reheating — it brings back the aroma that fades in the fridge.
Refrigerate the beef and cauliflower rice up to 4 days; fry eggs fresh. The beef freezes up to 3 months, though the basil darkens.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosGround chicken (kra pao gai)
ProteinGround chicken is the most common version in Thailand — lighter, and it soaks up the sauce just as well.
- ground beef (80/20) → ground chicken
8.7 g net · 468 kcal · 40 g protein · 30 g fat · ≈$4.24 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Ground pork (kra pao moo)
ProteinGround pork is richer and slightly sweeter than beef, and just as popular at Thai food stalls.
- ground beef (80/20) → ground pork
9.3 g net · 595 kcal · 41 g protein · 43 g fat · ≈$3.98 per serving (+0.6 g net carbs vs the original)
Vegetarian (tofu)
DietCrumbled extra-firm tofu replaces the beef, and tamari stands in for the fish and oyster sauces. The fried egg on top keeps it hearty.
- ground beef (80/20) → extra-firm tofu
- fish sauce → extra tamari or soy sauce
- no oyster sauce
9 g net · 367 kcal · 28 g protein · 24 g fat · ≈$2.94 per serving (+0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
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