Name: Thai Fried Rice | Khao Pad | ข้าวผัด
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons shallot (chopped); 2 cloves garlic (chopped); 3 cups cooked jasmine rice (refrigerated for at least 2 hours); 2 eggs; 1 Tablespoon fish sauce; 1 Tablespoon thin soy sauce; 3 Tablespoons green onions (chopped); 3 Tablespoons cilantro (chopped); 1 dash of ground white pepper; lime wedges

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Thai Fried Rice, known as Khao Pad, is as delicious as it is simple to make. It's the perfect beginner recipe for those who are just getting started in the Thai kitchen.

Not long after my Thai husband and I started dating, we realized that we both enjoyed cooking. So we started cooking together, teaching each other different recipes from our respective backgrounds. Not knowing whether he could trust me in the kitchen, one of the first "Thai meals" that he taught me was instant noodles. After I had mastered that dish, he moved on to Thai fried rice.

I tell this story only to emphasize how easy Thai fried rice is to make – literally a step above instant noodles! It takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and you don’t need any special cooking tools or skills. It’s the perfect recipe for a beginner Thai cook.

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What is Thai Fried Rice?
What Does Khao Pad mean?
Ingredients
Instructions
How is Thai fried rice served?
Recipe

What is Thai Fried Rice?

Thai fried rice, known as khao pad, is Thailand's version of fried rice. It is made from cooked jasmine rice that is stir fried together with eggs, your choice of protein, and various herbs and seasonings.

Although the herbs and seasonings vary among different regional or family recipes, most Thai fried rice includes garlic, shallots or onions, green onion, and cilantro. Peas, carrots, and other vegetables are notably absent from most traditional Thai fried rice recipes. The dish is seasoned with fish sauce or thin soy sauce as well as ground white pepper, and a squeeze of lime, resulting in a flavor profile that's primarily salty, with pops of lime, cilantro, and white pepper.

What Does Khao Pad mean?

Khao Pad is the Thai phrase for Fried Rice. Khao means rice, and Pad means to stir fry. Put together, it literally translates to Stir Fried Rice. You can add various protein sources on the end of the phrase to specify what type of Fried Rice you'd like. Khao Pad Gai is Chicken Fried Rice whereas Khao Pad Bu is Crab Fried Rice. For more Thai culinary words, see How to Interpret a Thai Menu.

Ingredients

Garlic and Shallots: These aromatic herbs add so much flavor to Thai fried rice. They should be chopped finely and sauteed until soft and translucent. If you don't have shallots, white onion can be used instead.
Jasmine Rice: Cooked jasmine rice is the foundation of this dish. It should be cooked as usual, then put in the refrigerator to allow the rice grains to dry out slightly. Skipping this step may result in soggy or clumpy fried rice.
Eggs: Eggs provide protein, color, and flavor to Khao Pad. Once the rice has been seasoned, it can be pushed to the side of the pan. Additional oil can be added and the egg can be scrambled in that space before being mixed into the rice.
Fish Sauce: Fish sauce adds a lot of salty umami to this Fried Rice. If you are allergic to fish or avoiding fish-containing products, you could substitute it for Thai thin soy sauce.
Thin Soy Sauce: This seasoning sauce adds a milder, less pungent salty flavor than fish sauce. The original version or mushroom version of Thai thin soy sauce both work.
Green Onion and Cilantro: These herbs provide some of the main flavors in Khao Pad. Slice the green onion finely and coarsely chop the cilantro. Add them at the end of the cooking process so that they don't wilt.
Ground White Pepper: White pepper provides a welcome mild spice to the dish.
Lime: Freshly squeezed lime juice adds a pop of tart citrus flavor to the Fried Rice.

Instructions

Just like other versions of fried rice, Thai fried rice starts with leftover cooked rice. It's important to use pre-cooked rice that's been refrigerated for a while. This is because the rice grains will have had time to separate so that they don't stick together or become clumpy when stir fried. Then you just follow these steps to make a delicious Thai fried rice:

Prepare the Ingredients: Chop the garlic and shallots finely. Slice the green onions into small rounds and coarsely chop the cilantro leaves. Have all other ingredients nearby so that they can be added quickly.

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.

Add the rice and season with fish sauce, soy sauce

Stir Fry the Rice: Add the cooked jasmine rice to the pan. Stir to mix the garlic and shallots 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 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 Fried Rice and serve with a side of Nam Pla Prik, Lime Wedges, and Ground White Pepper. Cucumbers or other crunchy vegetables would also be great accompaniments.

How is Thai fried rice served?

Thai fried rice is usually served with lime wedges, white ground pepper, and a dipping sauce called Nam Pla Prik. This is so you can customize the rice to your exact tastes once it's on the table. Nam Pla means fish sauce and Prik means chili. And the dipping sauce is just that – a bowl with fish sauce and sliced Thai chilis. Some people will add a little lime juice, garlic, or shallots to this sauce, but the namesake ingredients are the only two necessary.

Many Thai people, my husband included, also prefer their Thai fried rice topped with a fried egg. Fry the egg over high heat with a generous amount of oil. This results in the outside being extremely crispy while the yolk is still runny. Once served, the yolk can be broken open and Nam Pla Prik spooned right inside for instant seasoning.

This basic Thai fried rice recipe is as easy to make as it is delicious. Salty with pops of white pepper, lime, and cilantro, it's enjoyable on its own or served with other Thai dishes such as Yellow Curry, Thai Fried Chicken, or Tom Kha Gai.

Recipe