Love how heart-warming, quick and easy Thai Khao Pad is! Grab your leftover rice, veggies and meat, and make a 15 minute weeknight meal!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• LEARN FROM AN EXPERT THAI COOKING CLASS TEACHER: A Thai cooking class instructor (aka me, Sherri! :)) will be teaching you step-by-step all my top Thai cooking secrets in this recipe!
• EASY WEEKNIGHT CROWD PLEASER DINNER: Quick, crowd pleasing, kid-friendly? Need I say more?
• USE UP THOSE LEFTOVERS: As long as you have day old rice, you can use any veggies, protein, or sauce you have on hand that needs to be used up!

Sherri’s Story

“Khao pad gai,” Ja, my Thai friend, said to me.

I repeated it, hoping my tones were right, but as soon as the words came out of my mouth, the Thai name for Thai fried rice with chicken escaped my memory as well.

Thankfully Ja wrote it on a slip of paper, so I could look at it right before I ordered. 

Ja had guided me around Bangkok my first few days there, but now I was on my own.

I had walked by a street vendor near my apartment a few times, and a crowd was always sitting in the red metal chairs to prove that this Thai street food vendor was doing something right. I decided that this would be the spot where I would order my first Thai dish by speaking Thai, all by myself.

I quickly read the now crumpled piece of paper with the magic words before approaching the cute, slender, older Thai cook. 

I said, “Khao pad gai,” to her as clearly as a week-old, ex-pat living in Bangkok could, and sat down.

I wasn’t too worried about maybe saying it wrong and getting the wrong dish, since I hadn’t found a Thai dish I didn’t like yet. 

But I wanted to feel like maybe I was fitting into my new life in Thailand by ordering lunch all by myself like a big girl.

After a few minutes, she brought me a white plastic flowered plate heaped with rice, chicken, tomatoes, green onion and egg bits all mixed together and held in a tight embrace with cilantro, lime, fish sauce, a bit of sugar and some Thai chili peppers I sprinkled on top. Cucumber slices decorated the edge along with a metal fork and spoon.

Just what I ordered. (Yup this is the actual pic of it!)

I smiled with contentment and ate every spoonful very slowly just to savor my first score in Bangkok street food.

Then when I got up to leave I asked the woman, “How much?” I expected her to say 30 baht ($1-ish) because that was what I usually paid for street food.

“20 baht,” she said in broken English and gave me a huge smile like she thought I was the cutest, clueless foreigner ever and wanted to give me a break. 

I smiled back, dropped her the 20 baht and became a regular from that day on.

And today not only can I say Khao Pad Gai without thinking, but I can cook it too.

Thai Khao Pad is simple, and perfect if you have leftover rice, veggies or meat from the night before and want to revitalize it.

I love to add some spice to it through naam plaa prik, aka my Thai Flavor Bomb Sauce, but you can have it spice free as well.

Ingredient Notes

• 2 cups of day-old, dry jasmine or white rice: The secret to perfect Thai Fried Rice is using rice that’s a day or two old. Since it’s drier, it absorbs the flavors better and doesn’t get mushy when it’s stir-fried.
• 1/2 cup of diced onion: Yellow, white, or red onions add a sweet and savory flavor.
• 4 finely chopped garlic cloves: Fresh garlic is essential for that aromatic kick.
• 2 eggs: Adding eggs provides richness and texture.
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots: Feel free to mix it up with corn, broccoli, or bell peppers—whatever you have in the freezer!
• 4 green onion stalks, chopped into 1/4 in. pieces: Green onions provide a fresh, mild onion flavor.
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly chopped into bite-size pieces: Swap with shrimp, beef, or tofu or whatever you prefer.
• 3 tsp. fish sauce or Thai white soy sauce: Fish sauce and Thai white soy sauce provide that umami, savory kick.
• 1 tsp. oyster sauce: For depth and a touch of sweetness.
• 1 tsp. sugar: A hint of sweetness balances the savory flavors.
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper powder: White pepper adds a subtle heat.
• 1 quartered lime: The citrusy kick adds a sharper, fresher flavor.
• 6 or so cucumber slices: Refreshing cucumber adds a cool, refreshing note.
• Handful of cilantro: Adds sharp, clean notes and sprinkled on each serving makes Thai Khao Pad look extra pretty!

How to Make Thai Khao Pad: Step by Step

1. Add a few teaspoons of cooking oil to your wok.
2. Saute diced onion and chopped garlic until soft, releasing a delectable aroma.
3. Introduce eggs to the wok, allowing them to set and then scrambling them.
4. Add chicken, stir-frying until it’s almost cooked through.
5. Toss in frozen peas, carrots, or your chosen veggies, stir-frying until everything is cooked to perfection.
6. Set aside the contents on a plate, leaving the wok for the rice.
7. Add a few more teaspoons of oil to your wok. Break up the rice and stir-fry until warmed through and slightly crisped.
8. Mix in fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar to taste, along with the chicken and veggies.
9. Turn off the heat, add green onions and a dash of white pepper powder.
10. Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges, and cucumber slices on each plate.
11. Savor the delightful flavors of your homemade Thai Khao Pad!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

One of my most helpful posts for fried rice is 5 Tips on How to Make Perfect Fried Rice! Here are the tips, but go to the post to see the full explanations:

1. Keep the rice grains separate after making the rice to use for fried rice.
2. Start with a day or even better a few days old rice.
3. Don’t add much sauce.
4. Chop your ingredients into uniform, bite-sized pieces.
5. Figure out what ratio of rice to other ingredients you like.

Want more details? Check out my full post on tips for making fried rice here!

Additions and Substitutions

Uh-oh! Missing a few ingredients? No worries! Here are some easy swaps!

• Day-old, dry rice substitute: If you don’t have day-old rice, make some and put it on a baking sheet to dry out on the counter for at least 30 minutes.
• Diced onion substitute: Shallots or green onions.
• Garlic clove substitute: Fresh garlic adds depth, but garlic powder can be a quick substitute.
• Eggs substitute: Skip the eggs or replace them with tofu.
• Frozen peas and carrots: Use any veggies you have on hand you need to use up.
• Green onion substitute: Leave them out or use chives for a similar mild onion flavor.
• Chicken substitute: Swap with shrimp, beef, or tofu.
• Fish sauce or Thai white soy sauce substitute: Kikoman soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos.
• Oyster sauce substitute: Add extra soy sauce or a splash of mushroom soy sauce for depth.
• White sugar substitute: Palm sugar or brown sugar.
• White pepper powder substitute: Black pepper.
• Lime substitute: Lemon or even rice vinegar.
• Cucumber slices substitute: Leave them out.
• Cilantro substitute: Parsley or leave it out.

Your Questions Answered

Can I make Thai Khao Pad vegetarian?

Absolutely! Skip the meat and add tofu or just veggies and eggs. Use mushroom soy sauce or tamari instead of fish sauce.

What makes Thai Khao Pad taste different from Chinese fried rice?

Thai Khao Pad is known for using fish sauce and jasmine rice, and Chinese Fried Rice uses soy sauce and long grain white rice instead of jasmine rice.

What’s the secret to keeping Thai fried rice dry and flavorful?

If the rice needs more savory flavor, add a pinch of salt instead of extra sauce. This helps maintain the rice’s dry texture, preventing clumping.

Can I use brown rice instead of jasmine rice?

While jasmine rice is traditional, you can use brown rice for a healthier alternative. Keep in mind that the texture and flavor may vary slightly.

Any tips for an extra kick of spice?

To eat it the way Thais do in Thailand, serve it with Naam Pla Prik, which is my fav Thai flavor bomb sauce made of fish sauce, lime, garlic and diced Thai chilis.

What is Thai Khao Pad made of?

Thai Khao Pad is made of jasmine rice, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and whatever veggies and protein you want to use up from your fridge!

How do you pronounce Khao Pad in Thai?

Khao Pad is pronounced like “kow pat” in English.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• 5 Tips on How to Make Perfect Fried Rice
• Green Curry Fried Rice
• Tom Yum Fried Rice
• Thai Fried Rice Omelette

If you make it, I want to see! Take a pic and tag us on Instagram @thaifoodie.

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