Spice up your meal with Pad Ped Gai (Pad Ped Chicken), an enticing Thai Stir-Fried Chicken with Red Curry. This simple yet scrumptious dish is a fantastic companion to steamed rice, making your mealtime a breeze.
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What is Pad Ped Gai?
Pad Ped Gai (also spelled Phat Phet Gai, Pad Phet Gai, or Pad Phet Chicken) is a mouthwatering Thai dish that translates to “Stir-fried Spicy Chicken.” To me, it’s like a drier version of Kang Ped Gai, the classic Thai Red Chicken Curry.
It shares some similarities with Vietnam’s Gà Xào Sả Ớt (stir-fried chicken with lemongrass and chili), but Pad Ped Gai stands out for its bold and fiery flavors.
With its quick and easy preparation and perfect pairing with steamed rice, Pad Ped Gai is my go-to when I’m craving a fast, satisfying, and flavorful dinner.
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(Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Lemongrass Beef)
Ingredients
- Chicken: Thai people typically use bone-in chicken pieces. I opted for chicken wings since I just love them. Feel free to use boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast (chicken breast could dry out easily, remember to adjust the time of cooking).
- High-quality red curry paste: homemade red curry paste is always the best. A decent store-bought version still works wonders for lazy home cooks like me. Thai branded red curry paste tends to yield the best results (as Western branded ones may not be as authentic).
- Holy Basil (Or Thai Basil): The original recipe calls for Holy Basil, but as I can’t find it in Germany, I substitute with Thai Basil.
- Kaffir leaves: A well-known herb in Thai cuisine that adds a distinct flavor.
- Finger root: Also known as Chinese ginger, Krachai in Thai, or Ngải Bún in Vietnamese. It’s a popular ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisines, particularly Thai and Khmer ones. Skip it if you don’t have.
- Yardlong beans: These beans contribute to both the texture and color of the dish. They are commonly used in stir-fried dishes across Southeast Asia. If not available, you can substitute with green beans or snap peas.
- Chilies (Thai, Jalapeno or Goat’s horn): The choice of chili depends on your preferred level of spiciness.
- For seasonings, you’ll also need fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and a bit of MSG (optional).
Instructions for Pad Ped Chicken
- Separate the drumettes and wingettes of wings. Prick them with a knife or fork to enhance their flavor while cooking. If you’re using boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Remove the strings of yardlong beans and trim both ends. Cut the beans into 5-cm (2-inch) pieces.
- Heat a pan and add 3 tbsp of cooking oil. Put in the red curry paste, julienned finger roots, and sliced chili. Stir-fry the mixture until they release their fragrant aroma.
- Add the chicken to the pan and stir-fry it with the red curry paste for about 3 minutes, allowing it to absorb the flavors. Then, add the yardlong beans and stir-fry for an additional minute.
- Pour 1 cup (240ml) of water into the pan and season the mixture with fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and MSG (optional).
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer the chicken until the sauce thickens.
- Once the sauce has thickened, add the holy basil (or Thai basil) and julienned Kaffir leaves. Mix everything well.
- Serve the dish hot alongside steamed rice.
Helpful Tips
- Finger root is optional but highly recommended for this recipe.
- Yardlong beans could be substituted with green beans or snap peas.
- Use Thai-branded red curry paste instead of Western branded one.
- Thai dishes pair best with jasmine rice. For a quick option, try my 15-minute microwave jasmine rice recipe.
- Taste your dish at the final step as the flavor of each curry paste varies.
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Pad Ped Gai (Thai Chicken & Red Curry Stir-fry)
Spice up dining with Pad Ped Chicken, Thai Stir-Fried Chicken with Red Curry. Simple and delicious, pairs perfectly with steamed rice for a delightful mealtime.
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs chicken wings (or boneless chicken thighs) (670g)
- ½ cup yardlong beans (60g)
- ¼ cup finger roots (20g) (julienned, optional)
- 1 handful holy basil (or Thai Basil)
- 3 kaffir leaves (stems removed, julienned)
- red chili (Thai,Jalapeno or Goat’s horn) (thinly sliced)
- 3 tbsp red curry paste (to your taste)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (to your taste)
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (to your taste)
- 1½ tbsp sugar (to your taste)
- 1/4 tsp MSG (optional)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 cup water (240ml)
Instructions
- Separate drumettes and wingettes of chicken wings. Prick them with a knife or fork to enhance flavor. For boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Remove the strings and trim both ends of yardlong beans. Then, cut them into 5-cm (2-inch) pieces.
- Heat 3 tbsp cooking oil in a pan. Stir-fry red curry paste, julienned finger roots, and sliced chili until fragrant.
- Add chicken and stir-fry for 3 minutes to absorb flavors. Then, add yardlong beans and stir-fry for 1 more minute.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the pan, season with fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and MSG (optional).
- Cover the pan with lid and simmer until sauce thickens.
- Add holy basil (or Thai basil) and julienned Kaffir leaves. Mix well.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
Notes
- Finger root is optional but I highly recommend it for this recipe.
- Yardlong beans can be replaced with green beans or snap peas.
- Opt for Thai-branded red curry paste over Western ones.
- Taste your dish at the end as the flavor of each curry paste varies.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
