Thai Minced Pork or Pad Kra Pao

Thai minced pork, my take on a relatively modern dish from Thailand known as pad kra pao, featuring ground meat stir-fried with Thai basil.

This super quick dish is packed full of Thai, hot, sour, sweet and salty flavours and will go from your fridge to your table in well under 30 minutes.

Quick and Easy Pad Kra Pao… kinda!

I use minced meat in quite a lot of my recipes. beef features in my classic British cottage pie, I use minced venison to make a venison burger and lamb features in the classic Indian keema matar.

Here I play with a relatively modern and incredibly popular Thai minced pork dish called pad kra pao.

It is quick, delicious and so easy it hurts, when I say quick I mean 20 minutes kinda quick! That includes chopping the ingredients.

The main “adaptation” that I have made will prove controversial with “purists”. This dish is classically made with holy basil, which is glorious but incredibly difficult to find here in the UK.

As a result, I make this Thai basil, which is a little sweeter and has more of an anise flavour.

Which is not a problem for me because I love the stuff!

It appears in lots of my Thai inspired dishes like my Thai green fish curry and Thai red duck curry.

If you like that whole sweet, sour, salty, sour vibe of South East Asian cuisine and you like it quick, you will love this dish!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of meat?

Yes, but for me, pork is the best meat to use in this recipe. However, it will work with beef, chicken or even turkey.

Is Thai basil the same as normal basil?

No, it has a very different flavour and it really is the best to use in this recipe.

If you cannot get it you can get a pleasing approximation by using a combination of mint and regular basil. Use around 25% of mint to 75% regular basil, it is not the same but still delicious.

Can I use soy sauce instead of fish sauce?

You could, again it will not be a like-for-like substitution, soy sauce doesn’t carry the same “weight” of flavour that fish sauce does.

If you are planning to cook a bit of Thai food, grab a little bottle, it will last for ages and it really makes a big difference.

How spicy is this?

Well, that kinda depends on how much tolerance you have to capsaicin.

It uses Thai bird’s eye chillies which are right up there on the heat scale, not quite scotch bonnet level but not far off.

So if you are worried about heat, start with fewer chillies, or even swap them for a milder variety.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve my Thai minced pork with some jasmine rice dressed up with fresh coriander (cilantro for those from CONUS) and lime juice.

Coconut rice works just as well if you wanted to give it a little more “pzazz”.

I also add a fried egg that has a liberal squeeze of sriracha sauce on it… because as far as I am concerned you can’t have too much spice.

For me, the perfect fired egg needs that frilly skirt but you cook yours to your liking!

This is also great wrapped in lettuce leaves as part of a multi-course meal, this would make a great starter.

Equipment Used

I only recommend specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Stovetop.
• Wok, I use a large carbon steel wok.
• Chopping board.
• Sharp kitchen knife.
• Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.