Pad Krapow (Spicy Thai Basil Turkey)

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Pad Krapow (Spicy Thai Basil Turkey)

If you've never had pad krapow, here's the pitch: it's spicy, salty, funky, slightly sweet, ready in 20 minutes, and better than 90% of what you'll get at a Thai-American restaurant. This version uses ground turkey to keep things lean without losing any of the punch — the sauce is doing all the heavy lifting here anyway.

This recipe is inspired by Jet Tila's Pad Krapow — I dialed back the chili paste and fish sauce, swapped sweet soy sauce for low-sodium soy sauce plus brown sugar, added more garlic, used ground turkey instead of beef, skipped the white pepper, and adjusted the cook times.

Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes, start to finish

Why This Recipe Works

Pad krapow is a balance of five things: salty (soy sauce, fish sauce), savory (oyster sauce), sweet (brown sugar), spicy (fresh Thai chilis and chili paste), and aromatic (basil, garlic). Mixing the sauce before you touch the stove means the actual cooking takes minutes, and nothing overcooks while you're hunting for bottles in the pantry. Ground turkey keeps this lighter than the traditional pork or beef version without sacrificing the bold flavor, since the sauce carries the dish.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp fried chili paste
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 Thai chilis, for less heat remove seeds
  • 1.5 lbs ground turkey(or ground lean beef or ground chicken)
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 cup Thai basil (or holy basil, if you can find it)
  • (optional)eggs to fry and set on top

Instructions

  1. Mix your sauce first. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and chili paste until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Get the pan hot. Heat a wok or skillet to medium high heat, then add the avocado oil. 
  3. Garlic and chilis first. Add the minced garlic and Thai chilis and sauté for about 30 seconds to a minute, just until fragrant. Keep it moving so the garlic doesn't burn.
  4. Turkey goes in. Add the ground turkey and break it up as it cooks. Let it sit undisturbed for 30 seconds at a time to actually brown rather than steam — about 4-5 minutes total.
  5. Onion and bell pepper next. Add the sliced onion and red bell pepper and cook another 2 minutes, just until they soften but still have some bite.
  6. Sauce it. Pour in your sauce mixture and toss everything to coat. Let it cook down for a minute or two until glossy and slightly reduced.
  7. Basil last, off the heat. Kill the heat, add the basil, and fold it in until it just wilts.

Notes

Serve over jasmine rice. Highly recommended (but optional): fry an egg with a runny yolk and set it on top right before eating — the yolk turns into a silky sauce that ties the whole dish together.

Because skillets usually have less surface area than woks, you might need to cook the turkey and peppers a little longer and possibly at a lower temperature.

This recipe is NOT for people who are watching their sodium or on the DASH diet!

FAQs

Can I use chicken, beef or pork instead of turkey?
Yes — ground chicken or pork both work well here. Cook times stay about the same.

What if I can't find Thai basil?
Regular sweet basil works in a pinch, but Thai basil (or holy basil) has a stronger, more anise-forward flavor that holds up to the sauce better.

How spicy is this?
With the seeds removed from the Thai chilis, it's moderately spicy, not blazing. Leave the seeds in, or add an extra chili or more chili paste, for more heat.

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