High-Protein Pad Kra Prao

A lighter, vegetable-loaded twist on classic Thai basil stir-fry. Packed with lean ground chicken, crunchy green beans, garlic, chilies, and topped with a crispy fried egg over rice.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings 3

Calories 617 kcal

Ingredients

Garlic-Chili Paste

6 garlic cloves
2 fresh red chilies (adjust to heat preference)

Sauce Mixture

120ml warm water
1 chicken stock cube
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp sugar (adjust to preferred sweetness)

Stir-Fry

300g ground chicken
300g green beans, trimmed and cut into ~1cm pieces
1 medium onion, roughly minced
1 generous handful fresh Thai basil (sub holy basil or normal basil if unavailable)
2 green onions, sliced (optional)
Ground black pepper, to taste
Neutral oil for cooking

For Serving

Cooked jasmine rice
3 eggs (for frying)
Neutral oil for cooking

Instructions

In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic cloves and chilies together into a rough paste.
Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the pounded garlic-chili paste and fry for 15–20 seconds until fragrant.
Add the ground chicken. Flatten it against the pan to brown the bottom, then flip and break it into small pieces with your spatula.
While the chicken is frying, cut the green beans into small ~1cm pieces and roughly mince the onion. Mix the water, stock cube, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar in a small bowl.
When the chicken is almost cooked through, pour in the prepared sauce, minced onion, and green bean pieces. Stir-fry on high heat until the beans are cooked and the sauce reduces into a rich, glossy glaze. Taste and adjust if needed.
Turn off the heat completely. Toss in the Thai basil leaves, optional green onions, and pepper, stirring until the leaves wilt in the residual heat.
Spoon over warm jasmine rice, top each bowl with a crispy fried egg, and serve immediately.

Notes

(Note: Macronutrients calculated per serving based on 3 portions total, including 1 tablespoon neutral oil in the stir-fry, 1 cup cooked jasmine rice, and 1 fried egg per serving)

Personal Chef Notes & Customization Tips

Easy Meat Searing: Flattening the ground chicken against the searing-hot pan without stirring right away creates those golden, caramelized bits that unlock deep flavor.
Basil Choice: Thai basil is best for this recipe. If you don't have it on hand, holy basil or normal Italian basil work as easy substitutes.
Adjusting Heat & Volume: Feel free to double the chilies for traditional fire, or swap green beans for snap peas if you want a different crunch.