Thai Minced Pork
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Thai Minced Pork – also known as Pad Kra Pao – is a quick and healthy lunch you can have ready in 15 minutes! Plus – serve it in lettuce wraps, with rice or ramen – it’s all delicious!
What You Will ❤️ About Thai Basil Pork Recipe
- Flavor!! Thai food packs such a punch – especially if you use the Thai basil.
- Versatile – This yummy dish can be eaten over rice, with ramen or as little lettuce tacos!
- Quick! You can have this meal on the table in 15 minutes!
Thai Minced Pork Ingredients
Ground pork is such a great option for any meal! It’s just as delicious as ground beef but 1/3 the price!!! How can you pass that up?
You might need to add a couple items to your pantry for this recipe – but you’ll use them more than you think!
- 1.5 lb ground pork
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2/3 cup diced bell pepper – and yes – I used my vegetable chopper!!!!
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 2 dried red peppers (OPTIONAL)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped – Thai basil or holy basil if you can but regular sweet basil is fine. You might need to go to an Asian supermarket to find Thai basil.
- 1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce – you could also use hoisin sauce or oyster sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce – dark soy sauce is fine as well
- 1 tsp sugar
- half a lime
- Lettuce leaves – I used the mini artisan lettuce bunches – perfect handheld size
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Serve with Rice – Serve a big spoonful of this stir-fried minced pork over a scoop of jasmine rice and garnish with diced spring onion
- Add Veggies – frozen green beans to the peppers and onions
- Noodles – this pork would be delicious over ramen with sauteed broccoli and a runny fried egg on top. You might want to 2-3x the sauce so you have more juice for the ramen.
- Swap Protein – you could always use ground chicken or ground beef in this recipe as well
- Spicier – Want more of a kick? You can also use the dried chillies but grind them with a mortar and pestle.
How to make Thai Basil Minced Pork
- Heat oil (1 TBSP) in a skillet over high heat, add in the ground pork and break up and fry for 4-5 minutes or until pink is mostly gone from ground pork – just slightly UNDER done. Remove ground pork from pan and set aside.
- Turn heat down slightly to medium-high heat and Add 2 tbsp oil into pan, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add in peppers and onion, stir fry for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add pork back into the pan with peppers and onions. Add basil leaves, Thai curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar, turn to medium heat and stir fry for a minute until combined.
- Drizzle with lime juice and fresh basil. Serve in lettuce leaves like tacos.
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Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can freeze up to three months. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes.
The main difference is taste. Italian basil is sweet with a slight pepper aroma. Thai basil has a more licorice aroma – when you smell it – it smacks of every Thai restaurant you’ve been to. Holy basil smells a little more like cloves than licorice but is often used interchangeably with Thai Basil.
Nah – just use a big skillet so you can spread the pork and veggies out over the whole pan.
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More Thai Inspired Recipes
More Asian Inspired Recipes
Thai Minced Pork
Equipment
- Hex-Clad 12" skillet
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground pork
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2/3 cup bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 2 dried red chili pepper OPTIONAL
- 1/2 cup sweet onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 10 leaves Thai basil sweet or holy basil will work as well
- 1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 lime
- Lettuce Leaves baby artisan lettuce works great
Instructions
- Heat oil (1 TBSP) in a skillet over high heat, add in the ground pork and break up and fry for 4-5 minutes or until pink is mostly gone from ground pork – just slightly UNDER done. Remove ground pork from pan and set aside.1.5 lb ground pork, 3 tbsp olive oil
- Turn heat down slightly to medium-high heat and Add 2 tbsp oil into pan, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add in peppers and onion, stir fry for 3-4 minutes until softened.2/3 cup bell pepper, 1 jalapeno, 2 dried red chili pepper, 1/2 cup sweet onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Add pork back into the pan with peppers and onions. Add basil leaves, Thai curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar, turn to medium heat and stir fry for a minute until combined.10 leaves Thai basil, 1 tbsp red Thai curry paste, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar
- Drizzle with lime juice and fresh basil. Serve in lettuce leaves like tacos.1 lime, Lettuce Leaves
