Pad Kra Pao Nua, or Beef with Basil, is a flavorful and aromatic Thai dish embodying Thai street food’s essence. Known for its bold combination of savoury, spicy, and fragrant elements, it highlights minced or sliced beef stir-fried with Thai holy basil, garlic, and fresh chillies. The name “Kra Pao” comes from the Thai word for holy basil, a key ingredient that gives the dish its signature flavour, while “Nua” refers to beef.
This dish traces its origins to the bustling streets of Thailand, where it became a popular quick meal. It’s traditionally served with steamed jasmine rice and sometimes topped with a fried egg for an extra layer of richness.
While beef is a common choice, the recipe can be easily adapted to other proteins. When made with chicken, it’s called Pad Kra Pao Gai (chicken with basil); with pork, it’s Pad Kra Pao Moo (pork with basil); and with seafood, it’s Pad Kra Pao Talay (seafood with basil). Each variation retains the core flavours of the holy basil and chillies while offering a unique twist depending on the protein used.
Pad Kra Pao Nua (beef with basil)
Ingredients
300 grams ground beef (minced beef)
3 cloves garlic - minced
4 piece red chili (red chilli in British English) - smashed and sliced into 2 or 3 pieces each
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup basil - Thai- 4 piece calamansi - you may substitute lime juice to taste
Instructions
- First, sauté the garlic in vegetable oil. Add the bird’s eye chillies.
- Add the ground beef and cook on medium heat for a few minutes or until the beef changes colour.
- Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar and kalamansi (these ingredients may also be premixed in a bowl.) Adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Add the beef to the wok.
- Add the basil and let it cook for a few minutes.
- Add the basil.
- Serve with rice.
