Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

This was delicious! My first time using fish and oyster sauce though... I think next time I make this I might reduce the fish and oyster sauce by half, but the rest of the recipe was spot on! I used serano peppers since I can't handle super hot and it worked out well for me but was still spicy enough for my heat loving husband. I will definitely be making this agian. We loved this dish!

YUM! Great recipe. Chef John does say in his video that the cooking technique he used is not the "authentic" method, but it gets the job done, and it's likely that most home cooks will use a variation of his video method. My stove is also typical for American stoves and the burners do not generate the blazing BTUs needed for authentic "stir fry" cooking method that creates that wonderful caramelization without overcooking lean meats like white meat chicken and most cuts of pork. To get a better caramelization without overcooking/drying the meat I use the Chinese meat "velveting" technique, and cook the meat separately from the veggies, or rice when doing a fried rice. Velveting is very simple. Once you've cut the meat into small cubes, slices, or chopped, then put the meat in a non plastic bowl and a bit of white wine, soy, and the very important corn starch, mix to coat and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. The liquids will high salinity will seep into the meat bringing a bit more moisture into it, and the corn starch will create a coating that tempers the high heat of the pan so that the meat cooks nicely yet retains its moistness. It is a WONDERFUL technique that works. Once everything is prepped, heat up your pan with some oil in it. Don't use EVOO as it has a low smoking point and will burn too quickly with the high heat you need. Plus, EVOO has a particular flavor that is better suited to salad dressings and low heat saute dishes. Once the oil starts to sm

This is a great recipe! It was better than the expensive take out that I get. I doubled the sauce because I wanted to add some vegetables. I seared mushrooms in a cast iron skillet (hint: put in microwave for 30 sec and it will release water that doesn't allow them to brown) also added some bok choy. Yummy, wish I had left overs. It was a little salty but I think I may have added a bit too much fish sauce. First time using oyster sauce and I love it. Thai basil is a great addition to the recipe. You can get it at your local Asian market. Thank you, Chef.

Wow, it was FANTASTIC! I followed the recipe to a Tee and wouldn't change a thing. As for the variables, I used chicken breast instead of thighs, a Serrano Pepper (with all seeds) and one little habanero pepper (used 4 seeds), 2 tsp palm sugar, and regular basil. I enjoy a medium spice for the most part at restaurants and the pepper ratio I used worked really well, very spicy but the flavorful kind. It will get you sniffling for sure! Tone down the spice by removing some seeds. I made it last week, and I am making it again this week! A new dinner staple! Thanks Chef John!

What did I do wrong?! I followed the recipe word for word, made absolutely no substitutes, and the juices from the chicken totally took over the dish and ruined it. The oyster-fish sauce never thickened or caramelized leaving the chicken extremely bland.

This is absolutely delicious!! My husband would eat Thai food EVERY day if he could. I've always been so intimidated to try cooking Thai cuisine, but, Chef John made this so easy. I love, love, love Chef John's recipes & his videos are immensely helpful and priceless! Definitely chop chicken when it's still partially frozen! I backed off on the fish sauce a bit b/c it just smells so unappetizing and the 1st time I made this I felt like it was all I could taste...only used 1 tsp. of fish sauce and it's perfect for us. Also, Chef John loooooves spice in his food. While I love spice, too, the rest of my fam isn't crazy about it, so, use peppers at your own discretion. I think I use 1 (sometimes only 1/2) serrano pepper, seeded. This barely makes enough for 3-4. If making for a bigger crowd then I would double. Also, make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped & ready since this cooks up FAST. In his video he actually cooks this in what looks like a cast iron skillet, but, I actually cook it in my wok. Have made this several times & comes out perfect every time!--thanks, Chef John!!

This is sooooo good! I made this to serve as lettuce wraps with some jasmine rice and veggie egg rolls. It was savory, sweet, spicy and delicious. Next time I will serve it with rice and a sunny side egg as suggested...but the lettuce wraps were an excellent alternative. Tip: Double or triple the recipe as the leftovers make a quick and delicious lunch for work!

Fantastic! The hardest part was chopping up the chicken without a butcher knife. Might have to invest one because this was a hit in my house (also, it looks like fun...and a great de-stressor :) ). Flavor was amazing! I had about 1-1/2 pounds of chicken and I doubled the sauce because we like enough sauce for the rice so soak up some. I served over jasmine rice. Everyone loved it and not a bite left over!

I read the reviews before making and so doubled the sauce as that seemed to be a common thing. I used 3 chilli peppers and found it was only a hint of spice, nothing over powering. Would definitely make again, with additional Thai peppers and possibly bell peppers for colour. Edit: 3-4 chilli peppers seems to be right for us (5 was a bit too much, although can handle). Half an orange bell pepper added nice colour to the dish. Take the time to cut up the chicken into smaller than bite sized pieces.

This was better than 90% of the restaurant versions I've tried. I used vegan oyster sauce (mushroom-based sauce) due to a shellfish allergy and doubled the sauce. I also added red peppers and broccoli, which I stir fried for a few minutes before cooking the chicken. I love that, other than the crazy sodium level, this recipe is incredibly healthy.

This was excellent. I am a novice cook, and this seemed a bit complicated, but I followed the recipe exactly (except I substituted chicken breasts for thighs) and it turned out great. For some reason my kids weren't so wild about it, but my husband and I loved it; I guess the kids are going to have to suffer through eating this dish repeatedly.

Very tasty. I used chicken tenders instead of thighs to make a little,healthier. I used 4 Thai chilies that I removed the seeds from and it was still pretty hot so next time would use Serrano or jalapeño pepper. I would also add a little more brown sugar to make a little sweeter and double the sauce.

Made this a few time now. Flavors are spot on but there is a big flaw with using that much chicken broth. To get the sauce to caramelize and coat the chicken you end up severely over cooking the chicken because you have to reduce all that chicken broth. Ideally you omit the chicken broth until the end and then add if if you want a bit more of a saucy dish. No other Pad Krakow Gai recipes use chicken broth.

This was good! I added broccoli and red pepper, which diluted the sauce with the liquid they produced while cooking. That was the only disappointment, but that was my fault. Like the idea of the veggies but maybe next time no pepper. Sounds silly but I really enjoyed the chopped up chicken vs. bite size pieces! My family enjoyed this. update: Made this again last night. Doubled everything except the fish sauce and didn't add any veggies. My sauce was not thickening so I dissolved about a T. of corn starch in a little water and added it and that did the trick. I enjoyed it much better without the veggies. Did not dilute the flavor of the sauce.

I double the recipe, and triple the sauce....xtra sauce is great on the rice....my husband and son love this, and that is why we always make a double batch....for leftovers....excellent recipe, and not hard to make. Sometimes I will add some additional veggies to it, depending on how I feel. Try it, You'll like it!

I used left over pulled pork and about 12 Thai chilies and this was absolutely amazing. I will try with chicken soon. I needed to use up the pork and a ton of basil. I deseeded the Thai peppers because I was afraid of the heat but ended up adding chopped fresh to my dish. Definitely double the sauce.

Spot on. The sauce is phenomenal, I found that adding a little chili oil was a good addition.

Very easy to make, delicious, even with dry basil

fantastic will make it again soon!

Amazing!!!!! Thai basil is a necessity!

I added an extra two Serrano peppers the same time I added the rest of the fish/oyster sauce because the first time I made it, all I could taste was fish sauce. This made all the difference.

Absolutely delicious! I've made it at least a half a dozen times now, and plan to make it again soon. Besides being delicious, I was surprised by how quick and easy it is to make. After prepping everything, I put the rice on to cook, start cooking the chicken, and the chicken's done a couple of minutes before the rice is ready. The first time I made it I used Thai chilis and Thai basil, and it was great, although 2 Tbs of Thai chilis was way too much (still delicious, but very spicy, and I have a high tolerance). Cutting the Thai chilis to one tablespoon seemed about right, but if you're sensitive you might want to cut back to a teaspoon, or use a milder type of pepper like serranos. The second time I used mostly Italian basil and serrano peppers - cutting the amount of peppers almost in half - and although I liked the flavor with the Thai basil better, it was still fantastic, and the amount of heat was just right. The only other change I made was to double the amount of sauce, just to make the end product a little saucier. This one's a keeper! One more thing... I've mostly made it with chicken thighs, as described in the recipe, but it works equally well with flank steak, thinly sliced and cross-cut into bite-sized pieces.

Amazing, CHEF JOHN!!

I made the recipe with one modification, which was to add Stevia instead of sugar because I do low-carb. Also I used Italian Basil, because I could not find Holy Basil. Hubby still thought it was delicious.

Outstanding! I made this tonight for guests and it turned out perfectly. To compliment I cut up some fresh Thai chilies and served them in sushi vinegar. Thanks for another winner Chef John!

Love me some Chef John, and this method produces a nice tasting version of a great Thai dish! If (when) I make this again, I will amp up the seasoning (maybe 1.5x or 2x the sauce mixture) because while the flavors were right, adding more of them really makes this dish pop.

This delicious!! It was nice to use Thai basil and serenos from my yard. My oyster sauce had gone bad so I googled replacements and ended up adding more fish sauce and soy sauce, I made twice the sauce served on Jasmine rice and chopped green onions.

I followed the recipe straight up and added chopped water chestnuts. Husband loved it.

As usual Chef John gets 5 stars more if I could give him. Loved this recipe, I followed the recipe to a 't' even put the egg on top. My husband went back for seconds. Thanks again John.

I made this dish and it was excellent. I love spice, but this was almost too much to handle. I must have used too many peppers or the recipe is simply that hot. I would recommend reducing the peppers and adding them to taste.

My first try and I just didn't have fish sauce available just work out so good.. and I'll definitely do it again..... love chicken Thai basil... .thanks for sharing.

THIS was sooo good! It definitely took longer in prep than it says, but it was well worth the wait. I paired it with coconut milk rice and couldn't wait to post the pic to Instagram. Loved it!

Wow, this recipe is astounding! Tasted very authentically Thai!!I Took my time and followed the recipe pretty exactly except for doubling the sauce in general and using about 4x the fish sauce it called for. Made some Tom Kai Gai soup to go with it and there is already begging for a repeat:)

This was great. I love spicy food and this did not disappoint. I followed the recipe as written. My only regret is that I did not adjust for a 6 or 8 serving. I did it for 4 and there was only vapors left over after my daughter got ahold of it.

A+. I will be making this again. I used chicken breasts and they got a little dry. Next time I'll make a double batch so I can have leftovers and I'll make a little bit not so spicy (for my children).

It's as good as everyone says! Watching the video is helpful for first time.

This is by far the best Thai recipe I’ve made and I’ve tried a lot. I was searching for something that was similar to the Take Out I’d been getting at a local restaurant. This surpasses it. I’ve made it exactly as is, substituted beef for chicken, and experimented with different peppers and it’s always delicious. I always double the sauce. There are never any leftovers. Perfect recipe Chef John!

I adjusted the recipe, as I am on time and allergy constraints. I used ground chicken instead of cubed chicken, as it does cook faster. I used Hoison sauce in place of the oyster sauce, and Worcestershire sauce in place of the fish sauce. It was amazing!!! My picky-eater ate two bowls.

Thank you Chef John for another winner! I regularly order this dish at one of the best-rated Thai restaurants in DC and this is every bit as delicious! Worth it — dark meat chicken, real Thai basil and don’t skip that nice, rich egg on the top!

Loved this. Followed recipe exactly. I used one tbls. of each, Red chili pepper and Serrano pepper and it was just a little bit spicy. Next time I would add at least another tbls. of peppers because I like more spice. I did add a bit of ground black pepper also. Another thing I would change next time would be to use coconut oil rather than vegetable oil. But all in all it was really good!

THIS was sooo good! It definitely took longer in prep than it says, but it was well worth the wait. I paired it with coconut milk rice and couldn't wait to post the pic to Instagram. Loved it!

I made it exactly as described, but tasted as I went and thought it was too bland. However, I added salt, a tablespoon of thai chili sauce, more hot peppers, and peanuts, and then it was probably the best Asian dish we have made at home. I served it with steamed sugar snap peas and rice.

I rarely write reviews but this dish is worth my time. Absolutely delicious! A perfect blend of spicy and sweet in the sauce and great basil flavor. Such a refreshing change from my normal Thai choices. I did end up with quite a lot of liquid that did not reduce as I did not want to over cook the ingredients. I just served it in a bowl with the rice and the extra liquid made it even better.

I did not use chilies. I used a Asian sweet chili sauce (1T). Next time will use a little fresh ginger. My kids ate it up.

Made this a few times already. and it's fantastic! The basil is a must! I didn't have it one time and it made a huge difference. I like to put a little extra. I've also made this with regular ground chicken/ turkey. Great with that too especially if you don't have time to mince chop your chicken. Side note: the fish sauce is noticeable but tolerable. My bf who normally hates certain dishes because of the fish sauce gobbled this up. The basil helped masked the "fishiness".

T A S T Y

Excellent meal! Easy to make, and the recipe allows for you to add your own veggies, etc. We used cauliflower rice instead of white rice, and it worked perfectly.

Easy, great flavor. My chicken was a bit juicier so it took me longer to boil the sauce down, but other than that, I didn't make any adjustments and it came out great

Wonderful wonderful recipe. it's one of the few recipes that doesn't require lots and lots of ingredients that a student living alone wouldn't have, and it's absolutely delicious.

Really good ! My 2 sons really enjoyed this meal, only regret that I should have doubled the recipe !

So much flavor. I added a little crushed red pepper at the end because I could not find Thai chili peppers. My almost 2yr old son ate half a plate. I made 1 cup uncooked brown rice and doubled the servings to feed 4. It was just the right amount. I will make a bit more rice next time for filler. Highly Recommend This Dish

This is so good and tastes authentic. Yum.

Simply amazing!! I think it's quite possibly the best chicken dish I ever made. Being Diabetic, I substituted 2 packs of Splenda for the sugars.

Really really good flavor! Took a little longer than 20 min for me to prep. I also added a small yellow onion and one red bell pepper. I had to drain some of the liquid from the veggies in order for the chicken to carmelize but proceeded as instructed. Will definitely make again!!

I had an abundance of Thai basil in my garden this year so was excited to try this recipe. I've made it many times since then and it's always divine! Thai basil really gives it that extra flavor and spiciness. Thai basil is really easy to grow. I've even started plants by taking home a section of the Thai basil garnish that comes with a bowl of Pho. Just put the stem in a little jar of water until roots form, then transplant in soil with lots of light.

No changes, and just loved it! Can never go wrong with a recipe from Chef John. I had lots of fresh basil and was looking from something to do with it - thanks John. Shared the recipe on FB with my friends.

mmm! we love thai and this is spot on ??

We all liked this, including the kids. Made it pretty much the way it was written. Have saved it and will make again.

This had wonderful flavor! It was a little salty but that was my error, I added wrong amount of fish sauce. I served it along with cauliflower rice - went great together! Thanks for a great recipe.

This is the nicest meal I’ve made in a long time. I didn’t make any changes and it was delicious!

Addictive! I like that I was able to substitute some of the main “specialty” ingredients with typical grocery items. I used 4 Serrano and 1 jalapeño pepper, but diced them up so they wouldn’t be too crunchy. I used regular fresh basil instead of holy basil and also used the white/brown sugar combo instead of coconut sugar. I had 1.2 lbs. of chicken thighs and since many people recommended doubling the sauce, I did as well but will not do that next time. I let my refrigerated oyster sauce reach room temp before creating the sauce, but I still had an issue with the sauce not being a glaze. It was definitely watery. When I make this again (and I will!), I will back off the fish sauce by 1 tsp because it was a tad fishy. It took me 15 min to cut up the chicken since I don’t have a cleaver so might have to invest in one. I ended up with 2 large servings & very sad not to have leftovers. Be sure to watch Chef John’s video because you can see what everything is supposed to look like, plus he’s very entertaining!

Easy and delicious. There was extra sauce left over so I would say can increase the chicken ratio.

We loved this!!! Only substitution was to use some sweet basil from our garden and supplemented with basil paste because that’s what we had on hand. (Apparently, everyone was making this dish because 2 nearby stores were strangely out of basil.) we found Chef John hit homerun again!! A new favorite for us and I can’t wait to make it for friends. Delish! Thanks again, Chef John!! You can never retire:)

No, no changes but will make again. GREAT!!!!!

As typical for Chef John recipe, won’t disappoint! Only Asian recipe I’ve made at home I liked as well or better than restaurant version; saying a lot!!!

Followed the recipe exactly. It was delicious! I like spice so I used red Thai chilies. There was a ton of flavour in this, I will be making it again. Next time I will add some more veggies but that’s all I would change!

Followed the recipe as best as I could, but because they were out of fresh basil at my grocery store, I used about three tablespoons of basil paste instead. I also used three chopped dried chili de arbol, since I had some at home. Added some fresh mushrooms and using the advice of another reviewer, I sauteed them first in my cast iron skillet and then added them later along with some bamboo shoots with the remaining sauce. Absolutely fantastic, but no surprise here....every recipe I have tried from Chef John has been a keeper!

Made this last night, and it was super good. However, I didn't have shallots so substituted a sliced onion. I found that my chicken thighs (organic free-range) really got quite soupy, so I had to remove quite a bit of liquid. Might have been using too small a pan (but it was a wok instead of a cast iron pan; that might have made the difference). Husband and I loved it! Thanks Chef John for another great meal.

This was crazy delicious with an authentic oriental flavor. Watch out for the Thai chilies, they are sneaky hot!

Made the recipe as written, and it was very good. Next time I would add some grated carrot at the very end of cook time.

I had a bunch of Thai basil leftover from a week of sushi making and this seemed like the perfect place to use it up. I will admit I didn't think the recipe seemed like anything special, but wow the way everything comes together is just spectacular. Wouldn't change a thing!

Made this per the recipe, but I don't really measure anything precisely. Couldn't find Thai Basil so I had to use regular and it turned out great. Key is to chop the chicken into very small pieces and really brown it with the sauce. If you don't get crusty pieces on the bottom of the pan, it won't be the same. Recommend you vary the peppers and amount of peppers based on the amount of heat you want. I used one serrano and the heat was about right for everyone.

I used only 2 Serrano peppers with half of the seeds removed. It was spicy enough but next time will use 1 Serrano and 1 Habanero for just a bit more kick. One problem I had was I cooked it about 20 seconds too long in the end. Once it caramelizes it can burn very quickly at such a high heat setting. So it came out almost a bit crunchy but very taste non the less. I was amazed at how much it was restaurant quality. (minus the over cooking)

I’ve made this recipe several times. I usually add eggplant and sliced onions, which I did this time as well but

First time ever using fish sauce and oyster sauce. I was very skeptical that it wouldn’t taste like fish but it didn’t! I made the recipe exactly as it says but used ground chicken breast instead (personal preference) and served it with jasmine rice. Husband wants it again very soon.

it was great! I used two serrano peppers and doubled the sauce recipe.

Just made this for the 10th time or so. Simply perfect!

No changes

Very tasty and easy to make.

Good dish

Absolutely Delicioso

Fantastic! This will officially join the regular rotation at our house. The only change I made was to cut the fish sauce down to one teaspoon. I loved how I didn't have to pre-marinate the chicken, but it was still so flavorful. I used kitchen shears to cut the chicken (I used chicken tenderloins) into small pieces, which is key. We like our Pad Krapow a bit more saucy, so I may play around to increase the liquid in this next time. Thank you for a great recipe!

This was amazing! I mad zero modifications and it came out absolutely perfect. My husband loved it and I’ll definitely be making this again. Adding this one to my list of frequent dinners.

Delicious! Makes large amount to serve a crowd

Delicious! Doubled recipe and turned out fantastic! Great flavor, easy to make, even my kids liked it! Next time may add some zucchini slices to get a little veggie in.

I added green bell pepper, onion, and peas to make it a little closer to the recipe used at my local Thai restaurant. It was a little mild for my taste, next time I'm adding more spice, but the flavor was perfect.

Double the sauce. Add some veggies like bell peppers for a bit of bite. Dialing in the heat can be tough. I've been using Sriracha to supplement the peppers. Make sure to wash your rice before cooking.

the whole family enjoyed it. They requested a repeat. Even my daughter who does not care for spicy foods wants me to make it again.

Will definitely be making this again! Flavorful, easy, healthy and quick! I seeded the peppers and was expecting it to be a little spicier, so next time I might leave the jalapeño seeds in. Also, didn’t have boneless, skinless thighs so used boneless, skinless breasts. It was still flavorful and since it cooked fast, did not dry out. Will probably do that again! Watching the video is nice because it makes it seem like you’ve done it before.

Fantastic and EASY to make. Very flavorful!

Chef John did it again! This was excellent. The only change I made was substituting clam sauce for oyster sauce, as that is what I had on hand. I rarely use oyster/clam sauce, so I'll probably freeze the extra in ice cube trays for the next time I make this recipe.

This was easy to prepare and came out very flavorful. I had to make with less heat since Mom can not eat spicy/heat foods, but it was still delish! Highly recommend. I love Thai food but didn't think I would be able to make it myself! Thanks Chef John!

Easy to do You do need to use Thai Basil that is the secret ingredient

This was a really great meal and I followed the recipe pretty much to a T (I used chicken breast instead). One thing I did do was after I cooked the chicken I ran it in the food processor for a 2-3 seconds to shred it and that worked out really well. I will definitely be making this again with no edits!

This was very delicious and I will be making it again!

My wife told me that this was the best dish I had ever made for her.

I did not put in enough basil. Loved it.

I used Hoisin sauce instead of Oyster because I didn't have any. This was amazing simply as is. I chopped the chicken very small, bite sized pieces. This will now go in our monthly rotation.

FANTASTIC!!!