• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Whisk Affair
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Indian Recipes
  • Meal Type
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Appetizers
    • Main Course
    • Desserts
  • My Cookbook
    • My E-Books
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Holi Recipes
  • Buy my Cookbook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Meal Type » Main Course » Thai Fried Rice

    Published: Mar 18, 2021 | Last Updated On: Mar 19, 2021 by Neha Mathur | This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Thai Fried Rice

    5552 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This spicy Thai fried rice (Khao Pad) is super easy to make and comes together in under 30 minutes. Try this authentic recipe and serve it as a side dish or main course.

    You can also try some of my other favorite Thai recipes – Asian Pad Thai Noodles, Thai Red Chicken Curry, Thai Pineapple Fried Rice, Thai Basil Chicken, and Thai Watermelon Salad. 

    Thai fried rice served in a bowl.
    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Thai Fried Rice
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Pro Tips By Neha
    • Variations
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About This Recipe

    Thai Fried Rice popularly called ‘Khao Pad’ in the local language is a stir-fried rice recipe with lots of Thai basil, bird’s eye chilies, veggies, and sauces. It is a great one-pot dish to serve for lunch or dinner. This Thai rice dish has a beautiful balance of sweet, salty, acidic, and spicy flavors that are important in Thai cuisine.

    Thai basil fried rice comes together in under 30 minutes from start to finish and you can choose to make it vegetarian with lots of veggies or add meat of your choice like shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, etc to make a non-vegetarian version.

    The tantalizing aroma of Khao Pad lingers in the streets of Thailand as this traditional dish is very common amongst street hawkers and restaurants. Not only in Thailand, nowadays you will find this easy and delicious Thai version of fried rice on the menu of almost every Thai restaurant all over the world.

    Ingredients

    Thai fried rice sauce ingredients.
    Thai fried rice ingredients.
    Thai fried rice ingredients.

    Rice – In Thailand, Jasmine rice is the ideal choice as it has a unique sweet flavor and is the most preferred rice amongst Asians. However, feel free to use any short grain rice to make this recipe.

    You can replace rice with quinoa, couscous, or cauliflower rice to give this dish a healthy twist.

    Basil – Try to get Thai basil for that authentic taste. If it’s not available easily, use the regular basil instead.

    Sauces – You will need fish sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. To make this dish vegetarian, skip adding fish sauce and use vegetarian oyster sauce in place of regular oyster sauce.

    Thai bird’s eye chilies – Thai bird’s eye chilies give this dish a spicy kick. You can use any hot red chili if these chilies are not available.

    Shrimp – Use fresh or frozen shrimp. Make sure to clean and devein them if they are already not.

    Other Ingredients – Apart from these ingredients, you will need garlic, green onions, brown sugar, onions, salt, and pepper.

    How To Make Thai Fried Rice

    Preparation

    Start by gathering all the ingredients. Making this fried rice hardly takes any time, but you need to be quick while stir-frying it. To make the process quick and smooth, make sure all the ingredients required are prepared and kept next to the cooking counter.

    Make sure the rice is already cooked and cooled well. It is important to use cooled rice to keep the grains separate. If the rice is freshly cooked, the fried rice will turn out mushy. Check out my instant pot Jasmine rice recipe to cook perfect rice.

    Prepare the shrimp. If using frozen shrimp, thaw them to room temperature. Wash them and pat them dry using a kitchen towel. If using fresh shrimp, remove the head and tail. Remove the vein using a sharp paring knife. Wash the shrimp well and pat dry.

    If making a vegetarian version, chop the veggies and keep them ready.

    Make The Sauce

    Mix the ingredients for the sauce that are 3 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoon oyster sauce, 2 teaspoon fish sauce, and ½ teaspoon brown sugar in a small mixing bowl and keep aside.

    Note – For the vegetarian version, skip adding fish sauce and oyster sauce. You can replace soy sauce with tamari for a gluten-free version.

    Sauce ingredients mixed in a bowl.

    Pound The Chilies and Garlic

    Add 2-3 bird’s eye chilies, 3-4 peeled cloves of garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt to a mortar and pestle and pound to make a coarse paste.

    Thai red chilies, garlic and salt pounded in a  mortar.

    Stir Fry the Rice

    Heat 3 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or a large pan on high heat.

    Once the oil is very hot, add the crushed garlic and red chilies and saute for 8-10 seconds.

    Chili paste added to hot oil.

    Add ½ cup thinly sliced onion and fry for 4-5 seconds.

    Onions added to the pan.

    Add 10-12 shrimp and cook until they turn pink in color, 2-3 minutes.

    Shrimp added to the pan.

    Now add the sauce mixture and 3 cups of cooked and cooled rice and mix everything well.

    Sauce and rice added to the pan.

    Add salt and pepper to taste, ¼ cup chopped green onion, and 1 cup packed Thai basil (roughly torn), and mix well.

    Salt, pepper and green onions added to the pan.

    Serve hot with sliced tomato, cucumber, and lime wedges.

    Ready Thai Fried Rice.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Thai Fried Rice vs Chinese Fried Rice

    Khao Pad literally translates to stir-fried rice and is a classic dish of Thailand. Unlike Chinese fried rice that contains a lot of vegetables, Thai rice is a blend of green onions, shrimps, green onion, and a few sauces that bring in tanginess in the recipe.

    Fish sauce is the main ingredient that differentiates Thai from Chinese fried rice. Thai version also has lots of Thai basil added to it which adds a very unique taste.

    Chinese fried rice is prepared using any short grain rice while Thai-style fried rice is mostly made using Jasmine rice.

    How to make vegan Thai fried rice?

    For a vegan version, you can skip shrimp and add in vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, green onions, beans, mushrooms, etc. You can also use tofu instead of shrimp for the protein in the dish.

    When it comes to fish sauce, you can use an equal amount of soy sauce instead. And you can opt for vegetarian oyster sauce, which is a little thinner than the regular oyster sauce.

    Is Thai Fried Rice healthy?

    No, this dish is a little high in fat content and calories, therefore it cannot be considered healthy. You can enjoy it once in a while for your cheat meals. To make it healthy-ish, you can substitute rice with quinoa or couscous.

    Pro Tips By Neha

    Use day-old rice. If you are cooking it fresh, then make sure you cool down the rice fully and then use it to make the dish.

    You can also add vegetables along with shrimp to make it filling and wholesome.

    Prep all the ingredients beforehand and then start this dish. As it is cooked on high heat, you will need ingredients one by one and there will be no time left to prep.

    Variations

    With Pineapple – Add ½ cup of cubed pineapple pieces in the rice while stir-frying. Check out my Thai Pineapple Fried Rice recipe here.

    With Mango – Cut a ripe mango into small cubes and add it to the rice. Use firm mango for this recipe.

    Cauliflower Rice – Use cauliflower rice in place of regular rice for a low carb Keto version of this dish.

    With Sausages – Add chopped sausages in the rice.

    With Chicken – Cut boneless chicken breast into thin slices against the grains. It’s easy to slice the chicken if you freeze it for a few hours. Then saute chicken slices until almost cooked before adding the remaining ingredients.

    With Eggs – You can add scrambled eggs to this rice.

    Serving Suggestions

    This Thai-style fried rice is full of flavor on its own and thus can be served as a weekday dinner. You can serve it along with some Thai curries such as Thai Red Chicken Curry, Thai Basil Chicken, or Thai Green Curry. 

    Some salad on the side like Thai Watermelon Salad or soups such as Tom Kha Soup and Thai Pumpkin Noodle Soup also works great.

    Sometimes I even like to serve a simple Thai flavored grilled chicken or fish on the side. 

    Storage Suggestions

    This rice recipe stays good in the refrigerator for about 2 days. Store it in an airtight container. Heat it in the pan or in the microwave for a few minutes, before serving.

    You Might Also Like

    • This spicy Schezwan Fried Rice is an easy and delicious rice stir fry dish where cooked rice is tossed with spicy sauces and veggies. Here is how to make it.
      Schezwan Fried Rice
    • Make this delicious restaurant-style Easy Mushroom Fried Rice recipe using a few simple ingredients in under 15 minutes (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).
      Easy Chinese Mushroom Fried Rice
    • Bacon fried rice served in a bowl.
      Bacon Fried Rice
    • Chicken Fried rice served in a bowl.
      Chicken Fried Rice

    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    This spicy Thai fried rice (Khao Pad) is super easy to make and comes together in under 30 minutes. Try this authentic recipe and serve it as a side dish or main course.

    Thai Fried Rice Recipe

    This spicy Thai fried rice (Khao Pad) is super easy to make and comes together in under 30 minutes. Try this authentic recipe and serve it as a side dish or main course.
    3.90 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Thai
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 645kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    For the sauce

    • 3 teaspoons soy sauce
    • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
    • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
    • ½ teaspoon brown sugar

    For the stir Fry

    • 2-3 Thai bird's eye chilies
    • 3-4 peeled whole garlic cloves
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • ½ cup thinly sliced onions
    • 10-12 shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
    • 3 cups cooked Jasmine rice (cooled completely)
    • ¼ cup chopped green onions
    • salt & pepper (to taste)
    • 1 cup packed Thai basil (roughly torn)
    US Customary or Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Make The Sauce

    • Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl and keep aside.

    Pound the Chilies and Garlic

    • Add bird’s eye chilies, garlic cloves, and salt to a mortar and pestle and pound to make a coarse paste.

    Stir Fry The Rice

    • Heat vegetable oil in a wok or a large pan over high heat.
    • Once the oil is very hot, add the crushed garlic and red chilies and saute for 8-10 seconds.
    • Add onions and fry for 4-5 seconds.
    • Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink in color, 2-3 minutes.
    • Now add the sauce mixture and cooked rice and mix everything well.
    • Add salt and pepper, green onions, and Thai basil and mix well.
    • Serve hot with sliced tomato, cucumber, and lime wedges.

    Notes

    Use day-old rice. If you are making it fresh too, make sure you cool down the rice fully and then use it to make the dish.
    You can also add vegetables along with shrimp to make it filling and wholesome.
    Prep all the ingredients beforehand and then start this dish. As it is cooked on high heat, you will need ingredients one by one and there will be no time left to prep.
    For the vegetarian version, skip adding fish sauce and oyster sauce. You can replace soy sauce with tamari for a gluten-free version.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 2542mg | Potassium: 470mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 758IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 3mg
    Pin this recipe for later use!I LOVE to see your creations so pin and mention @WhiskAffair!
    Sign up for regular updates?I would love to have you as part of my journey. Click to sign up!

    More Main Course Recipes

    • This Homemade Teriyaki Chicken Fried Rice will remind you of your favorite Japanese takeout. Make it quickly using a few simple ingredients.
      Homemade Teriyaki Chicken Fried Rice
    • Spicy Baked Basa With Lemon And Garlic is a 30 minutes quick dinner made with Basa fish fillets and a few other simple ingredients. It's low-carb, keto-friendly and bursting with flavors.
      Spicy Baked Basa Fillets With Lemon And Garlic
    • This Easy Cajun Jambalaya Pasta (Pastalaya) is bursting with deep Louisiana flavors and comes together in just 30 minutes. This pasta dish is loaded with shrimp, sausages, veggies, and a pre-made cajun spice mix. Try it!
      Easy Cajun Jambalaya Pasta (Pastalaya)
    • Make this sweet & savory Pan Seared Japanese Teriyaki Tilapia in under 20 minutes using a few simple ingredients. It's low-carb, keto-friendly and bursting with flavours.
      Pan Seared Japanese Teriyaki Tilapia

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Anahita Gilder

      March 03, 2021 at 2:43 pm

      Hey Neha. Just made this for dinner tonight and happy to say it disappeared within 15 minutes between the four of us 😊

      I’ve tried a few other recipes you’ve posted on Instagram and absolutely love them. I’m a baker by profession and when it comes to cooking for the family I’m always on the lookout for quick easy and yummy recipes. I’m so happy I found you ! Thank you 😊

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        March 04, 2021 at 3:12 pm

        Happy to hear 🙂

        Reply
    2. Kylie

      June 14, 2022 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      My husband and I LOVE this!! I end up adding mushrooms but there are never any leftovers! Incredible recipe!!!!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hey! Nice to meet you

    Neha Mathur, Founder & Recipe Expert at Whisk Affair

    Hi! I'm Neha, Blogger & Recipe Expert behind Whisk Affair. I've nurtured Whisk Affair since 2012 by trying & testing every recipe published. Be sure that it will turn out good each time! Read More about me…

    Stay Connected

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    My Cookbook

    Neha's Cookbook Cover

    Click to Buy Now on Amazon

    Most Popular Recipes

    • Make this delicious restaurant-style Hibachi Fried Rice (Japanese Style Fried Rice) for a quick Asian-inspired meal. Serve it with Hibachi chicken and Yum Yum sauce and get transported to a Japanese Steakhouse.
      Best Hibachi Fried Rice (Japanese Style Fried Rice)
    • This oven-baked lemon garlic baked tilapia is super easy to make and comes together in under 20 minutes. It's low carb, gluten-free, keto-friendly, and very flavorful. Here is how to make it.
      Spicy Lemon Garlic Baked Tilapia
    • Creamy Garlic Parmesan sauce served in a bowl.
      Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce
    • Lemon tea served in cups.
      Lemon Tea
    • Light, hearty and delicious, Chicken Clear Soup is super easy to make at home. It is made using simple ingredients and comes together in under 30 minutes. This soul-soothing soup is gluten-free and low carb too.
      Chicken Clear Soup
    • Egg White Scramble is a healthy, fluffy, and delicious option for breakfast. Serve it with some toast and fruits and milk on the side. Here is how to make the best fluffy scrambled egg white recipe at home!
      Scrambled Egg Whites

    Best Holi Recipes

    • Shahi Tukda (Shahi Toast) is a Mughlai dessert made using deep-fried bread slices, reduced saffron flavored milk (rabdi), and sugar syrup. It is a perfect dessert for festivals and special occasions (vegetarian).
      Mughlai Shahi Tukda
    • Murmura Namkeen is a sweet spicy mixture prepared with murmura (puffed rice), nuts, curry leaves, and spices. Serve it with a hot cup of tea or coffee (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).
      Murmura Namkeen
    • Rajbhog Shrikhand is nothing but your classic shrikhand flavored with saffron, slivered nuts, and tutti frutti. Try my easy recipe here.
      Rajbhog Shrikhand
    • These Gulab Jamun Truffles is a super easy-to-make Indian fusion dessert where juicy Gulab jamuns are coated with dark chocolate. Make it this festive season and impress your guests.
      Gulab Jamun Truffles
    • Rasmalai Tiramisu is an Indian fusion version of the classic Italian Tiramisu recipe. Make it for Holi, Diwali, or other festivals or special occasions (vegetarian).
      Rasmalai Tiramisu
    • Motichoor Rolls is a delicious fusion dessert where crumbled motichoor ladoo (or boondi) is wrapped inside spring roll sheets and the rolls are deep fried until crispy. Try these this festive season (vegetarian).
      Motichoor Rolls

    Footer


    ^ back to top

    About

    About Neha

    Diwali E-Book

    My Cookbook

    Stay Connected

    Sign up! for emails and updates

    Contact Me

    Policies

    Privacy Policy

    Terms & Conditions

    Accessibility Policy

    Whiskaffair has been featured in leading media including the huffington post, bloomberg quint, buzz feed, your story and many more

    Copyright © 2022 WhiskAffair Food LLP