Stir-Fried Red Holy Basil with Minced Pork & Crispy Fried Egg
Servings: 3
Prep & Cook Time: ~20 minutes
Ingredients:
200g minced pork
A generous handful of red holy basil leaves
10 red chilies (adjust to taste)
7–10 garlic cloves
1–1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
1–2 tsp dark soy sauce (for color)
½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1–1.5 tbsp water
Cooking oil
For serving: Fried egg (sunny side up with crispy edges)
Instructions:
Prep your ingredients:
Lightly smash the garlic and chilies (you can slice the chilies at a slant for more texture). Set aside.
Start the stir-fry:
Heat a bit of cooking oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the garlic and chilies, stir-frying until fragrant and spicy in the air.
Add the pork:
Turn up the heat slightly and add the minced pork. Stir-fry until it’s just about cooked.
Season:
Add the fish sauce and dark soy sauce for that classic savory and slightly rich color. Mix well.
Balance the flavor:
Sprinkle in the sugar and add the water to keep the dish from drying out—you want a little sauce.
Oyster sauce goes in:
Stir everything together, taste, and adjust:
Too bland? Add a dash more fish sauce.
Not sweet enough? A pinch more sugar.
Finish with basil:
Add the red holy basil leaves, stir just until wilted, then immediately turn off the heat to keep the flavor and color fresh.
The Perfect Fried Egg 🍳
In our home, we like it with crispy edges and soft yolk. Heat a generous amount of oil on high heat. Once the oil’s hot, crack the egg in—it’ll bubble and puff up nicely. The outside will be golden and crunchy, and the inside tender. We usually go for a runny yolk!
Plating
Scoop your stir-fried pork and basil onto a plate, top it with your perfect fried egg, and you’ve got a satisfying, spicy, home-cooked meal that beats takeout any day.
(P.S. The full batch made more than shown—we just plated one serving for the photo 😄)
Pad Kra Pao is one of my all-time favorite go-to dishes. Normally, I’d just order it from a local food stall—but you always have to prepare yourself. If you forget to “warn” the cook, chances are you’ll get the version with long beans instead of real holy basil… sigh.
So today, I decided to make it myself—with the help of my big sis (who’s amazing in the kitchen). She coached me through it while we took turns cooking and snapping photos for the site, haha.
What made this time extra special was the fresh red holy basil I got from my aunt’s garden across the street. It’s completely organic—grew wild on its own—and totally free! Love it.
Of course, no Pad Kra Pao is complete without a crispy fried egg. I like mine with crunchy, bubbly edges but still soft inside—and it has to be hot. There’s nothing more disappointing than a pre-fried egg that’s been sitting around… especially if you also get the long bean version of the dish. Double disappointment! Or let’s be honest—borderline rage 😂
Anyway, nothing beats making it yourself. You get as much pork as you want, real holy basil, and a freshly fried egg just the way you like it. So if you’re a little picky like me (or a total food snob, lol), give it a try. It’s way more satisfying, trust me!
