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Thai Fried Rice (Khao Pad)

Fried rice shaped like a dome on a plate with cucumber slices and a scallion stalk.
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Make Thai Fried Rice the authentic way like they do in Thailand and at Thai restaurants! It’s quick and easy to make in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients, high in protein and full the BEST spicy, savory and sweet flavors! 

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken:

  • 300 grams / 10.58 ounces Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – thinly sliced
  • ¼ TSP Fine Sea Salt
  • ¼ TSP ground White Pepper
  • ½ TSP Corn Starch
  • 1 TSP Fish Sauce
  • 1 TSP Light Soy Sauce (preferably a Thai one, or use any low sodium light soy sauce)
  • 1 TSP Canola Oil (or any neutral flavored cooking oil with a high smoke point)

For the Sauce:

  • 1.5 TBLS Oyster Sauce
  • 1 TSP Light Soy Sauce
  • 1 TSP Fish Sauce
  • ½ TSP granulated Sugar-Free Sweetener (I used Wholesome Zero Sugar – note 1)

For the Fried Rice:

  • 100 grams / ½ small Yellow Onion – thinly sliced, then sliced into thirds
  • 25 grams / 6-7 Garlic cloves – minced
  • 35 grams / 9-10 fresh Red Chilies (Thai Bird’s Eye or any other small hot red chilies), to taste (note 2)* – destemmed, finely chopped
  • 20 grams / 1 medium Spring Onion (Scallion/Green Onion) – chopped, white and light green parts separated from dark green parts
  • 66 grams / about 6-8 small Cherry Tomatoes – halved
  • 2 Eggs – lightly beaten
  • ½ TBLS Canola Oil
  • 240 grams / 1.5 cups cooked Thai Jasmine Brown Rice, day-old, chilled (100 grams / 3.5 ounces uncooked weight – note 3)
  • ⅛ TSP ground White Pepper, to taste
  • ⅛ TSP Fine Sea Salt, to taste
  • To Serve (optional): Sliced cucumber, spring onion stalks, lime wedge for squeezing, ‘prik nam pla’ (chopped chilies mixed with fish sauce)

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Marinate the chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to a medium bowl, followed by the fine seal salt, ground white pepper, corn starch, fish sauce and light soy sauce. Mix well to combine and set aside.
  2. Make the sauce: In a small measuring cup (for easier pouring) or a bowl, mix together the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce and granulated sugar-free sweetener until thoroughly combined.
  3. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop/slice the yellow onion, garlic, red chilies, spring onion and cherry tomatoes as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and lightly beat.

For the Thai Fried Rice:

  1. Cook the chicken: Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large nonstick wok or deep heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and immediately spread the pieces out in the wok. Allow to sear for 40 seconds, then stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the chicken is just cooked and slightly browned. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
  2. Stir-fry the aromatics: Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil to the wok and heat over high heat. Add the yellow onion and spring onion white and light green parts. Stir-fry for 20 seconds until just starting to soften. Add the garlic and chilies and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. (Pro-tip: It can get quite smoky and pungent when stir-frying spicy chilies in a hot wok – open a window or switch on the exhaust fan if needed.)
  3. Add the cherry tomatoes: Add the cherry tomatoes and stir-fry to 10-15 seconds to combine.
  4. Cook the eggs: Push everything to the side of the wok and pour in the lightly beaten eggs. Allow to set for 15-20 seconds, then gently scramble and toss to combine with everything else.
  5. Add the chicken: Add the cooked chicken back into the wok and stir-fry briefly to combine.
  6. Add the rice and sauce: Add the rice and pour the sauce on top. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.
  7. Season and toss through the spring onion: Season with ground white pepper and fine sea salt to taste. Toss through the spring onion dark green parts and switch off the heat.
  8. To Serve: Divide evenly onto plate or in bowls. Alternatively, for fancier Thai restaurant style plating, fill a bowl with the fried rice and flatten the top with the back of a spoon. Tip onto a plate and repeat for the remaining serving. Serve immediately with cucumber slices, a small spring onion stalk, and prik nam pla if desired.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Fresh Red Chilies. Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies are known to be quite spicy. They are available in Thai grocery stores, Asian supermarkets and some mainstream supermarkets depending on your location. Feel free to use any other hot red chilies that are easily available to you. Adjust the quantity to taste based on your heat level preference. Omit if you prefer to make this fried rice traditional and without the chilies.
  2. Granulated Sugar-Free Sweetener. I used Wholesome Zero Sugar to balance out the savory and spicy flavors. It’s a sugar-free and calorie-free erythritol based sweetener. Use any other sugar-free sweeteners made from monk fruit, stevia, etc. Or you could use regular granulated white sugar or any other sweetener of choice.
  3. Thai Jasmine Brown Rice. Thai Jasmine rice is aromatic and traditionally used in Thailand for fried rice recipes. I prefer to use brown jasmine rice, but white jasmine rice or any any type of long grain white or brown rice you prefer will work.
  4. Meal prep option: Double the ingredients and cook in a large enough wok or pan that can handle all the ingredients without getting overcrowded. If you don’t have a large enough wok or pan, cook in two batches. Divide into 4 meal prep containers and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave and enjoy as an easy lunch or dinner during the week.
  5. Storing and Reheating Leftovers. Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in a sealed airtight container in the fridge. Reheat on high in the microwave for 1.5 to 2 minutes, stirring halfway, until hot throughout.
  6. See the ‘Variations’ section above if you’d like to customize this Thai fried rice recipe.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/thai-fried-rice-khao-pad/