High-Protein Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai) — 49g Protein in 20 Minutes

If you’ve ever stared into the fridge at 7pm wondering how to hit your protein without another sad chicken-and-rice bowl, this is the answer. Thai Basil Chicken — known as Pad Krapow Gai in Thailand — is fast, fiery, and genuinely crave-worthy. This version is built to be macro-friendly without losing an ounce of the flavor that makes the original a street-food legend.

It comes together in about 20 minutes with a handful of pantry sauces, lean ground chicken, and a crispy-edged fried egg on top. One pan, 49 grams of protein, and better than takeout — both faster and a lot less greasy.

Why you’ll make this on repeat

Beyond the speed, it checks every box for anyone eating with their macros in mind: high in protein, low in fuss, and endlessly adaptable. Swap the chicken for turkey, tofu, or lean beef and it still sings. Because it leans on bold aromatics instead of heavy oils, you get huge flavor for a reasonable calorie cost.

The 20-minute game plan

The secret to keeping this fast is prep order: get your rice going first, chop the aromatics while the pan heats, and have every sauce measured before the chicken hits the wok. Once you start cooking, it moves quickly — so your mise en place is your best friend.

Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)

Per serving: 470 cal · 49g protein · 34g carbs · 14g fat

A high-protein take on the Thai street-food classic. Lean ground chicken in aglossy garlic-chili sauce, finished with Thai basil and a crispy fried egg —ready in 20 minutes with 49g of protein per serving.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Calories: 470

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb lean ground chicken
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 3-4 Thai chilies chopped
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup Thai basil leaves
• 2 eggs
• 100 g cooked jasmine rice per serving *see note

Method

 

1. Start your rice first so it’s ready when the stir-fry is. Prep all
2. aromatics and measure the sauces before you begin — this dish moves fast.
3. Heat a little oil in a wok over high heat. Fry the garlic and chilies for
4. about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
5. Add the ground chicken. Break it apart and stir-fry until browned, about
6. 3–4 minutes.
7. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry another
8. 2 minutes until glossy.
9. Turn off the heat and fold in the Thai basil until just wilted.
10. In a separate pan, fry the eggs until the edges are crispy and the yolk
11. is still runny.
12. Plate the chicken over rice, top with a fried egg, and serve immediately.

Notes

Cook your jasmine rice in chicken bone broth instead of water to push the
protein even higher. No Thai basil? Regular basil works — you’ll lose a little
of the anise note but it’s still delicious. For more heat, leave the chili
seeds in. Meal-prep: the chicken keeps 3–4 days; fry a fresh egg when you
reheat so it stays crispy.