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Pad Kra Pao is one of my favorite meals when I want something packed with flavor that doesn’t take much effort to make. This version uses lean ground beef, a savory Thai-inspired sauce, fresh basil, and a fried egg served over rice. It’s simple enough for a weeknight dinner but tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant.
Watch The Pad Kra Pao Recipe Video Below!
Pad Kra Pao
This recipe checks a lot of boxes for me. It’s high in protein, comes together in about 25 minutes, and uses ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. The combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and fresh Thai basil creates a ton of flavor with very little work. Plus, the fried egg on top makes everything better. If you’re looking for a meal that’s satisfying, meal-prep friendly, and doesn’t feel like typical “fitness food,” this is a great one to add to your rotation.
Ingredients
Main
- 1 lb 93% lean ground beef
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp shallots, minced
- 15g Thai basil
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups cooked rice
Sauce
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/4 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
How to Make it
Preparation
- Mince the garlic and shallots.
- Remove the basil leaves from the stems.
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and brown sugar.
Cooking
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic and shallots until fragrant.
- Add the lean ground beef and cook until browned.
- Pour in the sauce mixture and stir to combine.
- Fold in the Thai basil and cook until wilted.
- Fry the eggs to your desired doneness.
- Divide the rice between 3 bowls, top with the beef mixture, and finish each bowl with a fried egg.
Macro Breakdown
