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Thai Basil Ground Beef Stir-Fry (Pad Kra Pao Neua)

Thai Basil Ground Beef Stir-Fry (Pad Kra Pao Neua) reads umami 8.4, funk & ferment 5.8 and salinity 5.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Thai main, about 18 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 10.0 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.4 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.1 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.4 · Funk & Ferment 5.8 · Salinity 5.8 · Richness 5.3 · Marine & Briny 4.6 · Herbaceous 4.2 · Sweetness 3.9 · Allium 3.3 · Heat 3.2 · Floral 2.0 · Fruity 1.8 · Sourness 1.6 · Citrus 1.5 · Earthy 1.3 · Warm Spice 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0 · Nutty 0.9

What's in it (13)

• vegetable oil — 41 g
• eggs — 400 g
• garlic — 12 g
• serrano peppers — 200 g
• beef — 454 g
• red bell pepper — 100 g
• fish sauce — 44 g
• oyster sauce — 15 g
• soy sauce — 15 g
• brown sugar — 13 g
• water — 59 g
• basil — 59 g
• steamed jasmine rice — 355 g

Time & effort: about 18 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 126.4 kcal, 9.6 g protein, 5.7 g fat, 9.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and water until the sugar dissolves. Set the sauce aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Crack in the eggs and fry undisturbed until the whites are set and the edges are deeply crisp and lacy but the yolks are still runny, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same skillet, keeping the heat at medium-high. Add the garlic and serrano peppers and stir-fry until fragrant and the garlic just turns golden at the edges, 30-45 seconds.
4. Add the ground beef, breaking it into small crumbles with a spatula. Stir-fry until deeply browned with no pink remaining, 5-6 minutes.
5. Add the bell pepper and stir-fry until just crisp-tender and still bright, about 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the reserved sauce and stir-fry until the beef is glazed and most of the liquid has cooked down, 2-3 minutes, until the beef reaches 160F on an instant-read thermometer.
7. Remove the skillet from the heat and fold in the basil and mint just until wilted and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
8. Spoon the beef over warm jasmine rice and top each portion with a crispy fried egg. Serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai) — Thai
• Thai Basil Shrimp (Pad Kra Pao Goong) — Thai
• Pad Krapow Moo (Thai Basil Stir-Fry) — Thai
• Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) — Thai
• Thai Basil Pork (Pad Kra Pao Moo) — Thai

Keep reading: what umami, funk & ferment, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.