{"id":156507,"title":"Thai Basil Beef Stir-Fry (Pad Gra Prow)","modified":"2026-07-18T02:31:19+02:00","plain":"This hugely popular Thai dish goes by many names: Pad Gra Prow, Pad Ga Pao, and more.\n\n\n\n\u201cPad Gra Prow\u201d is phonetically the closest spelling, but it seems to be the least common one, since many Thai speakers would misread it at first glance !\n\n\n\nWhatever you call it, all of these names refer to the same delicious, rustic, gently spicy stir-fry, fragrant with holy basil. For the most traditional presentation, serve it over rice and top it with a fried egg. It’s a must!\n\n\n\nA Thai \u201cfast food\u201d dish\n\n\n\nIn Thailand, this dish is the equivalent of a sandwich or a burger.\n\n\n\nIt’s quick, easy, and everywhere—something many people grab for lunch.\n\n\n\nTry the Thai basil chicken stir-fry recipe\n\n\n\nYou’ll find Thai holy basil beef stir-fry everywhere, from humble roadside stalls to food courts, and as mentioned earlier, countless people eat it for lunch.\n\n\n\nSometimes vendors cook it fresh to order; other times, it sits ready-made in a large buffet-style tray, to be spooned over steaming jasmine rice.\n\n\n\nHow do you fry an egg Thai-style?\n\n\n\nYou can serve this dish simply with rice, but the most popular way is with a fried egg on top.\n\n\n\nThis classic combination is called \u201ckao pad gra prow gai kai dao,\u201d which simply means rice with holy basil beef stir-fry and a fried egg.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA Thai-style fried egg is cooked in LOTS of oil, because the hallmark of this method is golden, bubbly edges on the egg whites.\n\n\n\nThe rich, slightly runny yolk mellows the bold, spicy flavor of the stir-fry, which is exactly why this pairing is so beloved.\n\n\n\nThe Key Ingredients in Thai Basil Beef Stir-Fry\n\n\n\nBeef: You have two options: use ground beef or slice steak thinly. Personally, I prefer ground beef with Thai basil – in Thailand, it’s called ‘pad ga prao nua sap’. ‘Nua’ means beef, and ‘sap’ means minced. Ground beef really soaks up all the flavors. If you go with sliced steak, you’ll get juicy, spicy strips of beef.\n\n\n\nHoly basil: Holy basil has a peppery flavor that sets it apart from sweet basil. When added to the stir-fry, it gives the whole dish a subtly spicy note with a hint of clove.\n\n\n\nChilies: For a spicy Thai basil beef, use Thai bird’s eye chilies or Jinda chilies. If you prefer less heat, choose a milder chili or remove the seeds. For example, you can use a mild chili pepper.\n\n\n\nDried chilies: I like to add a few dried chilies for extra heat and a light smoky note. This is completely optional.\n\n\n\nGarlic: Fresh garlic is a key ingredient in Thai stir-fries. We’ll crush it with the chilies to create a flavorful base for the dish.\n\n\n\nDark soy sauce: It gives the beef a darker color and a richer flavor, with a deep, slightly sweet note that works perfectly here. Just be careful not to use too much, or the dish may become overly sweet. In authentic Thai cuisine, balance is everything.\n\n\n\nOyster sauce: Oyster sauce is a key ingredient in many Thai stir-fries, adding a distinctive umami depth that enhances everything in the pan.\n\n\n\nFish sauce: Salty and packed with umami, fish sauce is essential if you want your Thai basil beef to taste like it came straight from a street-food stall.\n\n\n\nWhite pepper: Adds warmth and a gentle kick to the dish.\n\n\n\nWhite sugar: A pinch of sugar balances all the flavors, softening the spicy and salty notes so everything comes together perfectly.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tThai Holy Basil Beef Stir-Fry - Pad Gra Prow\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\tWokmortier\t\n\t\n\t\t250 g ground beef3 tablespoons neutral oil1 handful Thai holy basil (regular basil can be substituted in a pinch, but the flavor will be different)Chili Paste3 fresh chilies (adjust to taste)3 dried chilies (optional; adjust to taste)3 cloves garlicSeasonings0.25 teaspoon white pepper0.25 teaspoon dark soy sauce1 tablespoon oyster sauce1 tablespoon fish sauce0.5 tablespoon white sugarFor Serving2 eggscooked rice\t\n\t\n\t\tIf you like, hand-chop the beef with a knife to your preferred texture.Using a mortar and pestle, pound the chilies and garlic into a coarse paste.Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the chili-garlic paste and cook until fragrant and lightly golden, about 20 seconds.Add the ground beef and cook until just done, being careful not to overcook it.Add the sauces and seasonings, then toss well to coat the beef evenly.Turn off the heat and stir in the holy basil.Set aside. Add a little more oil to the wok over high heat and fry the eggs sunny-side up.Serve immediately with rice and one fried egg per plate.\t\n\t\n\t\tBe careful with the chilies! If you prefer, you can swap them for milder peppers.\nIdeally, use ground beef with a fairly high fat content (20-30% fat).\n\t\n\t\n\t\tPlat principalTha\u00eflandaiseBasilic sacr\u00e9, Pad Gra Prow\t\n\n\n\n\n\nThis recipe was contributed by Praew from the English-language blog Hungry In Thailand. Stay tuned—she specializes in “Authentic and Easy Thai Recipes” and will be sharing more traditional Thai recipes soon.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}