Green Curry Fried Rice

Can't decide between Thai green curry and Thai fried rice? Well now you don't have to! This Green Curry Fried Rice combines the best of these two Thai dishes into one ultra-flavorful and satisfying dish.

This Green Curry Fried Rice is the perfect dish for those who love bold flavors. You make it by creating a concentrated green curry sauce, then stir frying jasmine rice into it. This way, each grain of rice soaks up the intensely spicy and fragrant flavors of green curry.

Whenever I make this dish, I'm reminded of when I first met my Thai husband. He would often order Green Curry and Crab Fried Rice at Thai restaurants and eat them together, ladling spoonfuls of curry onto his fried rice. I took notice because it always seemed like too many different flavors in a single bite for me! But after becoming more accustomed to Thai food and his need for bold flavors, I can understand it. And now, when he's craving a ton of flavor in a single dish, we just make this Green Curry Fried Rice instead!

How Do You Say Green Curry Fried Rice in Thai?

In Thai, Green Curry is known as "Gang Keow Wan". Gang is the Thai word for curries or spicy soups, Keow is the Thai word for green, and Wan is the Thai word for sweet. Therefore, Gang Keow Wan literally translates to Sweet Green Curry, although the sweetness of this curry is meant to be extremely subtle.

Fried Rice is known as "Khao Pad". Khao is the Thai word for rice, and Pad is the Thai word for stir fry. Put together, Green Curry Fried Rice is Khao Pad Gang Keow Wan. If you're interested in learning more Thai culinary words, here's a handy infographic about How to Interpret a Thai Menu.

The Main Ingredient: Green Curry Paste

Most of the flavor of this dish comes from the green curry paste, so it's important to choose a good one. We performed a Green Curry Taste Test of some of the most popular brands in the U.S. and found that Mae Anong, Mae Ploy, and Maesri were our favorites. This recipe calls for one tablespoon of curry paste, which will result in a fairly spicy fried rice. You can increase or decrease the amount of curry paste to your taste preference.

The Other Ingredients

• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs work well in this recipe. Cut the meat against the grain into bite-sized pieces.
• Coconut milk: The coconut milk is used to make the curry sauce, providing a richness to the dish to help balance out the spice from the curry paste.
• Fish sauce: Fish sauce is used to season the curry. Different curry pastes have different levels of saltiness, so the amount you use may vary.
• Sugar: Sugar is used to add a subtle sweetness to the dish and offset the spiciness slightly.
• Makrut lime leaves: These lime leaves add a wonderful limey flavor and fragrance to the green curry. If you don't have a tree to grow your own, makrut (kaffir) lime leaves can often be found at Southeast Asian grocery stores. Once you find them, be sure to stock up as they freeze well.
• Chinese long beans and bamboo shoots: You can really use any vegetable in this green curry fried rice, but long beans and bamboo shoots work particularly well. Cut both vegetables into 1 inch long segments. If you substitute green beans for long beans, they'll require a longer cooking time.
• Cooked jasmine rice: The key to making fried rice is to use leftover jasmine rice that's been refrigerated for at least 2 hours. This dries out the rice so that the grains don't become soggy or clump together when being cooked again.
• Thai basil leaves: Basil leaves should be added right at the end of the cooking process, so that they stay fresh and vibrant green.
• Red jalapeno pepper (optional): A red jalapeno pepper adds a pop of color and a little additional spice to this dish.

How to Make Green Curry Fried Rice

You start making Green Curry Fried Rice just like you make Thai green curry, with a good quality curry paste and coconut milk. Then you add the chicken and vegetables and allow them to simmer in this fragrant sauce. Instead of adding additional coconut milk or water and making a curry, you add cooked jasmine rice. The rice soaks up all of the curry sauce so that each grain is infused with rich, spicy green curry.

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients by cutting the Chinese long beans and bamboo shoots into 1" long segments. Slice the red pepper into rounds. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Step 2: Heat a tablespoon of mild-flavored oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the curry paste and chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

Step 3: Add coconut milk and torn makrut lime leaves and let simmer for a few more minutes. Then add the fish sauce and sugar to season the curry.

Step 4: Next add the long beans and bamboo shoots. Stir into the curry sauce and cook for several more minutes, until the vegetables are done, but still firm.

Step 5: Add the cooked jasmine rice and mix into the curry sauce until all rice grains are evenly coated.

Step 6: Add the Thai basil leaves and red pepper slices and mix everything together. Serve with a sprig of Thai basil on top.

Storage

This fried rice dish saves quite well in the refrigerator for up to a week. The basil may wilt or turn slightly brown during this time, but will still be good to eat. When you're ready to serve it again, simply reheat in the microwave.

FAQs

This Green Curry Fried Rice is a great dish to make when you're craving a ton of Thai flavor. With protein, veggies, and rice combined with a spicy green curry and fragrant herbs, this is an all-in-one dish that you don't want to miss!

More Fried Rice Recipes

This Green Curry Fried Rice is just one of many delicious Thai fried rice recipes. Here are some additional options if you're craving something a little less bold.

Recipe

Green Curry Fried Rice

Every bite of this fried rice dish is permeated with the delicious flavors of Thai green curry.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Rice Dishes

Cuisine: Thai

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Rachel

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 Tablespoon green curry paste
• ▢ 1 cup boneless skinless chicken
• ▢ ½ cup coconut milk
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
• ▢ ½ Tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 2 makrut lime leaves
• ▢ ½ cup Chinese long beans
• ▢ ½ cup bamboo shoots, canned
• ▢ 3 cups cooked jasmine rice refrigerated for at least 2 hours
• ▢ ¼ cup Thai basil leaves
• ▢ 1 red jalapeno pepper

Instructions

• Prepare the Ingredients: Wash the fresh vegetables and herbs. Cut the Chinese long beans and bamboo shoots into 1" long segments. Pluck the Thai basil leaves from their stems. Devein and tear the makrut lime leaves into small pieces. Slice the red pepper into rounds. Finally, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Make the Curry Sauce: Heat a tablespoon of mild-flavored oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the curry paste and the chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Next add the coconut milk and torn makrut lime leaves and let simmer for a few minutes. Then season with fish sauce and sugar.
• Add the Vegetables: Next add the long beans and bamboo shoots. Stir into the curry sauce and then allow to cook for several minutes, until the vegetables are done, but still firm.¹
• Add the Rice: Add the cooked jasmine rice and mix into the curry sauce until all rice grains are coated. Then add the Thai basil leaves and red pepper slices and mix everything together. Take off the heat and serve with a sprig of Thai basil on top.

Notes

1. If you are using green beans instead of Chinese long beans, you may need to cook them for longer.  The coconut milk will continue to evaporate as you cook, so you may need to add up to ¼ cup of water at this point to help them cook. 

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 413mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 819IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg

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