Quick, easy, and delicious, Thai chicken fried rice known as Khao Pad Gai is a great choice for a stand-alone dinner or a side dish to accompany a Thai meal. It features chicken, eggs, and rice cooked with salty seasoning sauces, sprinkled with herbs, and topped with pops of white pepper and lime.
Thai chicken fried rice known as Khao Pad Gai is a delicious variation of Thai fried rice (Khao Pad). Both dishes start with cooked jasmine rice that's flavored with salty umami-rich seasoning sauces and topped with green onion, cilantro, white pepper, and a squeeze of lime. This combination of flavors is just so delicious - salty, sour, and fresh, with just a hint of spice. Khao Pad Gai adds tender chicken thighs to the mix, supplying more protein to make an ultra satisfying and filling fried rice dish.
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What does Khao Pad Gai mean?
Khao Pad Gai is the Thai phrase for Chicken Fried Rice. In Thai, khao means rice and pad refers to dishes that are stir fried. Therefore, Khao Pad translates to "Stir Fried Rice" AKA Fried Rice. Gai is the Thai word for chicken, so Khao Pad Gai is Fried Rice with Chicken. For more Thai culinary words, see HOW TO: Interpret a Thai menu.
Ingredients
- Jasmine Rice: To make fried rice, you want to start with cooked jasmine rice. It's best to use leftover rice that's been refrigerated as it is drier and won't become soggy when you stir fry it. If you only have freshly cooked rice, spread it on a sheet pan and allow it to dry out a bit while you're preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Chicken: Chicken thighs are preferred for this dish, as they'll be more tender than chicken breast.
- Garlic and Shallots: Garlic and shallots provide a base layer of aromatic flavor for this fried rice. Chop the garlic finely and cut the shallots into small pieces. If you don't have shallots, you can substitute onion.
- Green Onion and Cilantro: Green onion and cilantro are added at the end of the cooking process. You don't want to cook them too long or they will wilt and turn brown.
- Eggs: Eggs are scrambled and then mixed into the rice as it cooks.
- Fish Sauce: A good quality Thai fish sauce is preferred to add that salty umami flavor. See the linked article for more information about Thai fish sauce.
- Thin Soy Sauce: Similarly, a Thai brand of thin soy sauce will give you the correct flavor in this dish. See the linked article for more information.
- Ground White Pepper: Ground white pepper known as Prik Thai adds a subtle spice to this fried rice.
- Lime: A wedge of lime is often served with fried rice. Dinner guests can squeeze as much or as little as they prefer on their dish.
Instructions
Although the flavors are deliciously complex, the actual making of Thai chicken fried rice is quite easy. Simply follow these six steps below:
1. Heat a tablespoon of mild-flavored oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and shallots. Stir fry until the garlic is golden and shallots are translucent.
2. Add the chicken pieces and stir fry with the aromatics until they are almost cooked. They will have a few more minutes to cook while the rice cooks.
3. Add the cooked rice and the seasoning sauces. Stir fry together until the rice is uniformly seasoned with the sauces.
4. Push the rice to the side of the dish. Crack the eggs into the middle and allow to cook. Once they're slightly set, scramble and mix into the rice.
5. Allow the rice to sit for several seconds at a time, without stir frying, so that it can get toasted / crispy. Then add the green onions, cilantro, and white pepper powder.
6. Take the pan off the heat. Serve the fried rice with slices of cucumber, wedges of lime, and Prik Nam Pla (fish sauce with chilis).
Serving Suggestions
Khao Pad Gai is often served with wedges of lime, slices of cucumber, and the condiment known as Prik Nam Pla (fish sauce with chilis). Your dinner guests can use these accompaniments to adjust the flavor of their fried rice according to their taste preferences. A squeeze of lime provides a burst of fresh tartness while Prik Nam Pla provides a pop of spicy saltiness to the dish. The cucumbers are meant to be eaten between bites of fried rice to provide a nice vegetal crunch to the otherwise soft dish.
Khao Pad Gai can be eaten on its own, but it also makes a great side dish for a more complete Thai meal. The fried rice could be served with stir fried vegetables, steamed fish or fried tofu, or perhaps a soup or curry.
Variations
Thai fried rice is known as Khao Pad. This base recipe can be altered by the addition of any protein you like to make a different variation. When this recipe is made with chicken, it is known as Khao Pad Gai, presented here. If this recipe is made with crab, it is known as Khao Pad Boo. If it's made with pork, it's known as Khao Pad Moo and if it's made with shrimp, it's known as Khao Pad Goong. There are so many different options, depending on what you feel like or have in your refrigerator on a given night!
Storage
If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to a week. When you're ready to reheat, just microwave the rice without the lime and cucumber slices. Just be aware that the cilantro leaves and green onion pieces may wilt and turn brown with the heat.
Thai chicken fried rice, or Khao Pad Gai, is one of my favorite go-to dinner options. I love how quick and easy it is to make, and the resulting flavors are just so delicious. So if you're looking for a flavorful dinner or side dish, Khao Pad Gai is a great choice!
Recipe
Chicken Fried Rice | Khao Pad Gai | ข้าวผัดไก่
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup chicken1
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice2
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon thin soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons green onions
- 3 Tablespoons cilantro
- dash ground white pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients: Chop the garlic and shallots finely. Slice the green onions into small rounds and coarsely chop the cilantro leaves. Trim excess fat off the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Saute the Aromatics: Heat a wok or pan over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon or so of mild-flavored oil. Then saute the garlic and shallots until they are aromatic, and the shallots have become translucent.
- Cook the Chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the hot pan and stir fry with the aromatics until they are almost done. Be sure not to overcook them, as they will cook for another few minutes in this stir fry.
- Stir Fry the Rice: Add the cooked jasmine rice to the pan. Stir to mix the chicken and aromatics into the rice. Then add your fish sauce and Thai thin soy sauce and continue to mix everything together.
- Add the Eggs: Move the seasoned rice to the sides of the pan. Add a little more oil to the middle of the pan and allow it to heat. Then add your eggs and scramble them. Once cooked, mix into the rice.
- Add the Herbs: Add the white pepper powder, green onion, and cilantro. Mix to combine these herbs with the rice, then immediately take off the heat. If left on the heat for too long, the herbs will turn brown and wilt.
- Serve: Plate your Chicken Fried Rice and serve with a side of Prik Nam Pla, Lime Wedges, and Cucumber slices. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken thighs will be the most tender in this recipe. Chicken breast will also work, however, you should be sure to cook it until it is *almost* done, then stir fry the rice quickly to avoid overcooking the chicken breast.
- The cooked jasmine rice is best when it's had time to dry out a little bit. Day old rice that's been stored in the refrigerator works perfectly. If you only have fresh rice, you can spread it in a thin layer on a sheet pan to allow it to dry out while you're preparing the other ingredients.
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