Restaurant-style spicy Thai fried rice, Khao Pad recipe made with Thai jasmine rice, prawns/shrimp, eggs, chillies, garlic and delicious seasoning sauce. It's so easy to make and packed with authentic flavour. Quick and delicious meal ready in 15 minutes!
This simple Khao Pad, Tom Yum Fried Rice and Khao Pad Kra Pao ( Thai Basil Fried Rice ) are my favourite Thai rice dishes and I order them whenever I go to Thai restaurants. Tom Yum Soup, Thai Chicken Spring Rolls, or Spicy Thai Wings are a great combination with Thai fried rice if you want to create a complete Thai dinner.
What is Khao Pad?
Khao Pad, ข้าวผัด ( Kao Phat or Kow Pad ) is a stir-fried rice with a Thai twist, very similar to Chinese prawn fried rice but Thai fried rice is more salty, garlicky, and spicy in flavour. It has a unique sweetness from Thai fish sauce, loaded with fresh garlic, and hot bird-eye chilli.
There is no exact recipe to create this dish. Every restaurant and family has their own recipe and it can be made with any of your favourite proteins. Chicken, prawns/shrimp, and crab meat are popular protein choices. You can also make it with sausage, bacon, pork, tofu, minced meat, etc. And the seasonings can be adjusted to your preference when you make it at home.
You can have this fried rice at any time of the day, for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner. If you have any leftover rice from yesterday, turn this into Khao Pad!
Essential Ingredients
Following is a quick explanation with step-by-step photos and the detailed measurement is on the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Cooked rice - Thai jasmine rice is ideal for making Khao Pad but you can also add your choice of long-grain cooked rice. Use a day-old, cooled rice for the best result. Do not add freshly cooked rice as it can be mushy when you stir fry it.
Prawns - Use peeled and deveined king prawns, tiger prawns, white prawns, shrimps, crab meat, scallops, squids, or a choice of seafood.
Protein choice - You can also add chicken, minced meat, sausage, tofu, or vegan meat, as a prawn substitute.
Fish sauce - The fish sauce has a salty rich umami flavour which is ideal for making Thai stir-fries. Instead of fish sauce, you can add oyster sauce, Thai Healthy Boy seasoning sauce, or vegetarian stir-fry sauce ( mushroom sauce ).
Chillies - Use hot Thai bird-eye chillies or your favourite mild/hot chillies. If you cannot eat chillies, you can reduce the amount or omit it to your preference.
Vegetables - You can add small dice of carrots, sweetcorn, green peas, etc.
How To Make It
- Add the sauce ingredients fish sauce, light soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk it well until the sugar dissolved. ( You can heat it up in the microwave for 4-5 seconds to melt the sugar. )
- Heat the large wok or pan over medium heat, drizzle 2 tbsp of oil and stir fry the shallots and garlic for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the prawns and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Then, push the prawns to one side of the wok, drizzle 1 tbsp of oil and add 2 eggs inside the wok. Let it set for a few seconds then break them into small pieces.
- Add chillies and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
- Next, add the cooked rice and pour the sauce mixture over the rice. Bring the heat to a high and stir fry for about 2 mins or until the sauce is combined well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add spring onions, and toss everything well for another 1-2 mins.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with, cucumber, lime wedges, and coriander. Serve immediately.
Common Questions & Answers
Do not recommend freezing khao pad but you can keep it in the fridge if you have leftovers. Place the leftover fried rice in the air-tight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat it in the microwave or stir fry it in the pan until hot just before serving.
If you are cooking for a crowd, prepare the ingredients ahead but do not dump all ingredients in the wok at once. Fry with batches and do not overcrowd the wok/pan to distribute enough heat to all ingredients. This recipe is for 2-3 servings and you can double or triple the ingredients.
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📖 Recipe
Khao Pad ( Thai Fried Rice )
Equipment
- Large wok/pan
Ingredients
- 3 cup Cooked jasmine rice Or 2 servings cooked long grain rice ( About 350 gram ) see details in note.
- 250 grams Prawns Peeled and deveined prawns, chicken or choice of protein, see details in note.
- 2-3 cloves Garlic Finely chopped
- 1 Shallot onion Or small onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 Bird eye chilli Or hot chillies, cut thin slices
- 2-3 Spring onion Green onions/scallion, Cut thin slices
- 2 Eggs
- 2-3 tbsp Oil Vegetable, sunflower, canola, peanut oil, etc.
- Salt & pepper to taste
Khao Pad Sauce
- 1 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar or regular white sugar
Garnish
- Cucumber slices
- Lime wedges
- Coriander
Instructions
- Add the sauce ingredients fish sauce, light soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk it well until sugar dissolved. ( You can heat up in microwave for 4-5 seconds to melt the sugar. )
- Heat the large wok or pan over medium heat, drizzle 2 tbsp of oil and stir fry the shallots and garlic for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the prawns and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Then, push the prawns to one side of the wok, drizzle 1 tbsp of oil and add 2 eggs inside the wok. Let it set for a few seconds then break them into small pieces. Add chillies and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
- Next, add the cooked rice and pour the sauce mixture over the rice. Bring the heat to a high and stir fry for about 2 mins or until the sauce is combined well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add spring onions, toss everything well for another 1-2 mins. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with, cucumber, lime wedges, and coriander.
Notes
- Cooked rice - Thai jasmine rice is ideal for making Khao Pad but you can also add your choice of long-grain cooked rice. Use a day-old, cooled rice for the best result. Do not add freshly cooked rice as it can be mushy when you stir fry it.
- Prawns - Use peeled and deveined king prawns, tiger prawns, white prawns, shrimps, crab meat, scallops, squids, or a choice of seafood.
- Protein choice - You can also add chicken, minced meat, sausage, tofu, or vegan meat, as a prawn substitute.
- Fish sauce - Fish sauce has a salty rich umami flavour which is ideal for making Thai stir-fries. Instead of fish sauce, you can add oyster sauce, Thai Healthy Boy seasoning sauce, or vegetarian stir-fry sauce ( mushroom sauce ).
- Vegetables - You can add small dice of carrots, sweetcorn, green peas, etc.
- Freezing and reheating option - Do not recommend freezing khao pad but you can keep it in the fridge if you have leftovers. Place the leftover fried rice in the air-tight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat it in the microwave or stir fry it in the pan until hot just before serving.
- Cooking for a crowd - If you are cooking for a crowd, fry the rice in batches. Do not overcrowd the wok/pan to spread enough heat to all ingredients. This recipe is for 2-3 servings and you can double or triple the ingredients.
- Nutritional fact is calculated approximately per serving and it can be varied by the number of different products used.
Sydney says
I have tried 12 different fried rice recipes for my husband and this is his favorite BY FAR! It has become a staple in our house and I make it about twice a week😊
Anne says
My husband want it with mild chili, still so good.
Khin says
I also use mild chillies for my friends who can't eat spicy food. Glad that you tried our this recipe. Thank you for your feedback, Anne.
Lauren says
Made it yesterday and it was amazing. I will definitely cook it again with both prawns and chicken. Thanks Khin!
Khin says
Sounds delicious with extra chicken. Thanks for trying it out and sharing your feedback, Lauren.