Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken ((other ground meat works, too))
• 4 to 6 Thai bird’s eye chilis (, chopped (depending on spice level desired) (Footnote 1))
• 6 cloves garlic (, smashed)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce ((Optional) (Footnote 2))
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 yellow onion (, diced)
• 4 oz green beans (about 1/2 cup) (, cut into 1” (2.5 cm) pieces)
• 1 bunch basil (, stems removed (Footnote 3))
• Fried eggs ((Optional))
• Lime wedges ((Optional) (Footnote 4))

Steps

1. 1

   Mince the chilis and garlic together until a rough paste forms (see the blog post above for step-by-step pictures). You can also blend both together in a small food processor or use a mortar & pestle.

2. 2

   Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

3. 3

   Add the oil and garlic-chili paste to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Cook until the aromatics are fragrant and the garlic is just barely starting to brown.

4. 4

   Add the ground chicken. Move the aromatics onto the chicken using your spatula to prevent the aromatics from burning. Spread out the chicken and let it cook without disturbing for 1 minute, to let the bottom brown. Break apart the chicken, let cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is almost cooked through and the chicken juices have cooked off, 2 minutes or so. I prefer to keep some larger chunks of chicken without breaking them into a million pieces.

5. 5

   Pour in the sauce and stir to mix well.

6. 6

   Add the onion and green beans. Cook for another minute or two, until the sauce is distributed and slightly reduced.

7. 7

   Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves. Toss until the leaves are wilted.

8. 8

   Serve hot over rice with a crispy fried egg and a squeeze of lime juice.