Pad Prik King - Thai Red Curry Stir Fry with Chicken

Name: Pad Prik King - Thai Red Curry Stir Fry with Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces; 2 tsp fish sauce, for marinating; 1 salted duck egg, hard-cooked; 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil (vegetable or canola); 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste; 2 tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped (or brown sugar); 1 tsp fish sauce, for stir fry; 0.5 cup chicken stock or water; 1.5 cup Chinese long beans, trimmed and cut into 1.5-inch pieces; 7 makrut lime leaves, 5 torn, 2 julienned for garnish; jasmine rice, for serving

Pad Prik King with Chicken and Long Beans

Red curry paste does the heavy lifting in this vibrant stir-fry, coating tender chicken and crisp long beans in a sauce that's both fiery and fragrant. The makrut lime leaves add an unmistakable citrus perfume that makes this dish distinctly Thai.

ThaiAsianDinnerQuick MealsStir FryChicken

Prep15 min

Cook15 min

Total30 min

Servings4

Difficultymedium

Ingredients

1 lbboneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tspfish sauce, for marinating
1 salted duck egg, hard-cooked(optional)
3 tbspneutral cooking oil (vegetable or canola)
3 tbspThai red curry paste
2 tbsppalm sugar, finely chopped (or brown sugar)
1 tspfish sauce, for stir fry
½ cupchicken stock or water
1½ cupChinese long beans, trimmed and cut into 1.5-inch pieces
7 makrut lime leaves, 5 torn, 2 julienned for garnish
jasmine rice, for serving

Instructions

Toss the chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons fish sauce and let them marinate while you prep everything else. This brief seasoning time helps the meat absorb flavor and stay tender during the high-heat cooking ahead.
⏱ 15 min
If using salted duck egg, carefully crack it in half through the shell and scoop out the contents with a spoon. Cut the firm egg into chunky wedges or bite-sized pieces. The rich, salty egg adds an authentic touch to this dish.
Get your wok screaming hot over high heat, then add the oil. When it shimmers, add half the marinated chicken in a single layer. Let it sear undisturbed for 1 minute — you want real browning here for depth of flavor.
⏱ 1 min
Give the chicken a quick stir to cook the other sides briefly, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Don't worry about cooking it through completely — it'll finish in the sauce.
Turn off the heat and let the wok cool slightly. Add more oil if the pan looks dry, then add the curry paste. Stir it around to loosen, then turn heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. The paste should darken and become very fragrant without burning.
⏱ 2 min
Stir in the palm sugar, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, and 1/4 cup of stock. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture forms a cohesive sauce. Add more stock if it starts to stick or looks too thick.
Drop in the torn lime leaves and stir constantly for 30 seconds. You'll smell their intense citrus aroma bloom as they hit the hot sauce — that's exactly what you want.
⏱ 30 sec
Return the chicken to the wok and toss to coat in the aromatic sauce. Add the long beans and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce clings to everything nicely. Fold in the duck egg pieces if using them.
Kill the heat and transfer everything to a serving platter. Scatter the julienned lime leaves on top along with any remaining duck egg wedges. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice to balance all that bold flavor.