Pad Prik Gaeng Chicken

Name: Pad Prik Gaeng Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai Menu
Ingredients: Chicken — 500 g; Fish Sauce — ½ tbsp; Vegetable Oil — 1 tsp; Red Curry Paste — 3 tbsp; Vegetable Oil — 2 tbsp; Palm Sugar — 1 tbsp; Chicken Stock — 60 ml; Kaffir Lime Leaves — 4; Fish Sauce — 1 tbsp; Long Beans — 200 g; Cooked Salted Duck Egg — 2

This Thai Pad Prik King is a bold, savoury, and perfectly balanced stir-fry featuring tender chicken and crisp long beans coated in a rich, aromatic red curry paste. Known for its strong, distinctive flavour profile, this quick and popular dish is elevated by the addition of creamy, umami-rich salted duck egg. It is a simple yet sophisticated weeknight favourite that delivers authentic Thai street food intensity in minutes.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 to 4

Notes:

Pad Prik King translates to 'ginger stir-fry' but traditionally contains no ginger; the name references the spicy heat level, which is meant to mimic the sensation of ginger.

The dish is purposefully sweeter and saltier than a standard stir-fry, creating a unique, well-balanced flavour profile.

Salted duck eggs, which are cooked before being sold, add a delightful, creamy, and salty richness that perfectly complements the spicy, savoury chicken and beans.

Tearing or thinly julienning kaffir lime leaves is essential for releasing their iconic, fragrant citrus oils, which are crucial to the authentic taste of this stir-fry.

Long beans should be cooked only briefly—about 1 minute—to ensure they retain their essential, refreshing crunch.

Prepare Chicken
Slice chicken into 1 cm thick pieces, marinate briefly with fish sauce and a splash of vegetable oil, and sear in batches in a hot pan until lightly browned.

Prepare Aromatics
Tear larger kaffir lime leaves into chunks, removing the central rib, and finely julienne the remaining leaves for a garnish.

Prepare Salted Egg
Cut the cooked salted duck eggs in half and scoop out the yolk and white, serving as a rich, flavourful accompaniment.

Sauté Paste
Heat vegetable oil in a pan, add red curry paste, and sauté over medium heat until fragrant, adding sugar and a splash of stock to prevent clumping.

Combine
Add the kaffir lime leaves to the paste, return the chicken to the pan, and add enough stock to ensure the curry paste clings to the ingredients without becoming saucy.

Finish Stir-fry
Add the long beans, cooking for 1 minute until crisp-tender, and remove from the heat while the sauce remains coated to the ingredients.

Serve
Plate the stir-fry alongside steamed jasmine rice, garnished with julienned kaffir lime leaves and served with halves of salted duck egg.