Thai Fried Rice (Khao Pad or Khao Phat) doesn’t need much introduction. It’s simple, delicious food at its finest. Every time I order it, I savor the subtle differences to our family’s Chinese fried rice dishes that make it so unique and satisfying.
Seasoned with Thai soy sauce, fish sauce, maybe some chili, and often served with a wedge of lime, this fried rice brings out some of the elemental flavors of Thai cuisine. Make it with pork, chicken, beef, or shrimp!
What Sets Thai Fried Rice APART?
So what makes Thai fried rice Thai? We’re a Chinese family, so maybe a more pointed question is, what sets this Thai fried rice apart from the Chinese fried rice recipes we’ve shared in the past?
In our observation (and taste experience, from eating fried rice at Thai restaurants), it seems like khao pad is distinguished by its use of fish sauce, a staple condiment and cooking ingredient in Thai cuisine, and additional aromatics like chilies, Thai basil, and additional garlic.
You may also see the addition of sugar or palm sugar (which adds a touch more sweetness than Chinese fried rice). The rice may also be served alongside fresh ingredients like lime, tomato, and cucumber.
Note:
Fish sauce is also used in certain regional Chinese cuisines, particularly from coastal regions in Southern China. That said, it is a ubiquitous ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine!
More On Ingredients
Here’s more information on some of the ingredients we’re using here:
- Fish sauce is pungent, but it may just be the most important ingredient that sets a Thai-style fried rice apart from most Chinese fried rice recipes. It adds a significant boost of umami. A good fish sauce, plus well-executed wok hei gives a uniquely smokey depth of flavor that makes Thai fried rice so enjoyable.
- Thai Black Soy Sauce: Thai black soy sauce is similar to Chinese dark soy sauce. It gives this fried rice a rich amber color. If you can’t find it, you can substitute it with 2 teaspoons of Chinese dark soy sauce. Read more about Thai soy sauces here.
- Palm sugar balances the salty and savory flavors of the dish, but does make our Thai fried rice recipe distinctly sweeter than our Chinese fried rice dishes. Light or dark brown sugar is a good substitute for palm sugar if you can’t find it; it’s what we used in this recipe!
- Thai basil can be found in Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. It’s not a vital ingredient for Thai-style fried rice, but it is a significant—and delicious—variation. We love its distinct, slightly sweet and spicy herbal flavor, so we’ve included it here!
- Garlic may be found in Chinese fried rice, but not always. It is a common addition to Thai fried rice, however!
- Lime wedges can be served with your Thai fried rice, for a refreshing acidity that marks another big difference from Chinese fried rice!
You may notice that we also velvet the meat here, which is a borrowed technique from Chinese cooking. We included it here, because we prefer to have that silky tender texture! You can substitute chicken, beef, or shrimp for the pork we use here! (See velveting instructions for each of these proteins below.)
Preparing Rice for Fried Rice
Jasmine rice is preferred for this Thai Fried Rice. In fact, we use premium imported Jasmine rice from Thailand for all our Chinese rice dishes as well. Jasmine rice is grown primarily in Thailand, as well as Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It’s a key ingredient here!
You can make fresh jasmine rice and let it cool, or use cooled leftover jasmine rice that has sat in the refrigerator overnight. We have instructions for both options in the recipe!
*Try Judy’s Method on how to steam rice*
It makes the perfect rice for fried rice!
Is a wok absolutely necessary to cook fried rice?
Using a carbon steel wok to cook fried rice definitely has its advantages. You can super-heat it and have a greater chance of achieving wok hei, a smoky flavor produced from searing ingredients at high temperature.
A wok is also larger and deeper than a regular frying pan, and you can comfortably cook fried rice with plenty of room to stir.
That said, you can also use a large cast iron, carbon steel, or non-stick skillet. Just be sure to follow our preheating instructions to avoid sticking.
Thai Fried Rice Recipe Instructions
Tip for Success!
When embarking on any wok cooking adventure, it’s important to prepare all your ingredients before you fire up the wok. Velvet your protein, cut all of the vegetables and aromatics, mix up your sauce, break up the rice, and put everything within reach before starting. Following this method ensures a stress-free, easy cooking process.
Velvet the Pork:
In a medium bowl, combine the pork, water, cornstarch, neutral oil, and oyster sauce. Let the pork marinate while you’re preparing your other ingredients, or overnight in the refrigerator.
(For more tips and advice on preparing pork for fried rice and stir-fries, see our post on How to Velvet Pork.)
Prepare the Rice:
If you’re cooking raw rice, rinse the rice to remove surface starch and pour off the starchy water. This will reduce stickiness. It takes about 1¾ US cups (or about 1⅔ rice cooker cups, if you’re using the plastic measuring cup that came with your rice cooker) of uncooked rice to make 5 cups of cooked rice.
Use your rice cooker, or follow our instructions for steaming rice, or cooking rice in a pot on the stove. Allow the rice to cool.
If using cold leftover rice, run your hand quickly under cold water, and then use your fingers to break up any clumps of rice. (Wetting your hand prevents the rice from sticking to it.)
Prepare the Vegetables, Aromatics, and Sauce:
Prepare your Thai chilies, onion, peppers, and Chinese broccoli, keeping the stems and leaves separated. Also prepare your garlic, Thai basil, and scallions. Set aside.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the hot water, sugar, fish sauce, Thai black soy sauce, and white pepper, until the sugar is dissolved.
Scramble the Eggs:
Heat your wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add 1½ tablespoons of oil, and swirl it around so it coats the wok. Pour the beaten eggs into the center of the wok. Use a wok spatula to stir and scramble until the eggs are just cooked and a little runny around the edges.
Scoop them back into the bowl and set aside (the eggs will cook again when you add them back to the wok later).
Sear the Pork:
Heat your wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke again. Spread the remaining tablespoon of oil around the perimeter, and then add the pork to the wok in a single layer. Sear until browned on one side, about 30 seconds. Turn and sear for another 30 seconds until browned. Stir-fry to evenly cook the pork on all sides. Remove from the wok, leaving any fat behind, and set aside.
Bring It All Together:
Reduce the heat to low. Add the Thai chilies. Toast them in the oily wok on all sides. Then add the onions, and stir-fry for 20 seconds.
Increase the heat to high, and add the red peppers and Chinese broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Next, stir in the chopped garlic. (Adding it later in the cooking process gives the fried rice a spicier garlicky kick!)
Then add the cooked rice to the wok. Mix everything together to combine, using your wok spatula in a scooping motion to toss and stir-fry the rice for 30-60 seconds, breaking up any clumps if necessary.
Next, pour the prepared sauce evenly over the rice, and add the Chinese broccoli leaves. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
Stir in the seared pork, along with any juices. Then stir in the scrambled eggs.
At this point, do a taste test. You can add more of any of the seasonings we used to make the sauce to suit your tastes. If you were shy about adding the full amount of fish sauce and need more, now is a good time to add it.
Next, add the Thai Basil leaves and chopped scallions.
Stir fry until the Thai basil leaves are wilted. Serve with lime wedges if desired, and enjoy!
Thai Fried Rice
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 8 ounces boneless pork shoulder or pork butt cut into small ½- to ¾-inch or 1.5cm chunks
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
For the rest of the dish:
- 5 cups cooked Thai jasmine rice
- 3 whole Thai bird's eye chilies (for extra spice, chop one or more of them up to release the seeds)
- 1/2 cup onion (diced)
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper (or other sweet red pepper, diced)
- 1 cup Chinese broccoli (gai lan) (washed and roughly chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup Thai basil leaves
- 1 scallion chopped)
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- 1 teaspoon palm sugar (or dark brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Thai black soy sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons neutral oil (divided)
- 1 lime (cut into wedges, for serving; optional)
Instructions
Preparation:
- In a medium bowl, combine the pork, water, cornstarch, neutral oil, and oyster sauce. Let the pork marinate while you’re preparing your other ingredients, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- If you’re cooking raw rice, rinse the rice to remove surface starch and pour off the starchy water. This will reduce stickiness. It takes about 1¾ US cups (or about 1⅔ rice cooker cups, if you’re using the plastic measuring cup that came with your rice cooker) of uncooked rice to make 5 cups of cooked rice. Use your rice cooker, or follow our instructions for steaming rice, or cooking rice in a pot on the stove. Allow the rice to cool. If using cold leftover rice, run your hand quickly under cold water, and then use your fingers to break up any clumps of rice. (Wetting your hand prevents the rice from sticking to it.)
- Prepare your Thai chilies, onion, peppers, and Chinese broccoli, keeping the stems and leaves separated. Also prepare your garlic, Thai basil, and scallions. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the hot water, sugar, fish sauce, Thai black soy sauce, and white pepper, until the sugar is dissolved.
Pre-cook the eggs and pork:
- Heat your wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add 1½ tablespoons of oil, and swirl it around so it coats the wok. Pour the beaten eggs into the center of the wok. Use a wok spatula to stir and scramble until the eggs are just cooked and a little runny around the edges. Scoop them back into the bowl and set aside (the eggs will cook again when you add them back to the wok later).
- Heat your wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke again. Spread the remaining tablespoon of oil around the perimeter, and then add the pork to the wok in a single layer. Sear until browned on one side, about 30 seconds. Turn and sear for another 30 seconds until browned. Stir-fry to evenly cook the pork on all sides. Remove from the wok, leaving any fat behind, and set aside.
Bring It All Together:
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the Thai chilies. Toast them in the oily wok on all sides. Then add the onions, and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Increase the heat to high, and add the red peppers and Chinese broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Next, stir in the chopped garlic. (Adding it later in the cooking process gives the fried rice a spicier garlicky kick!) Then add the cooked rice to the wok. Mix everything together to combine, using your wok spatula in a scooping motion to toss and stir-fry the rice for 30-60 seconds, breaking up any clumps if necessary.
- Next, pour the prepared sauce evenly over the rice, and add the Chinese broccoli leaves. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the seared pork, along with any juices. Then stir in the scrambled eggs.
- At this point, do a taste test. You can add more of any of the seasonings we used to make the sauce to suit your tastes.
- Next, add the Thai Basil leaves and chopped scallions. Stir fry until the Thai basil leaves are wilted. Serve with lime wedges if desired, and enjoy!
