Dinner

Pad Prik King Recipe (Thai Red Curry Stir-Fry)

Praew August 2, 2023 0 Comments

Enjoy a flavorful and spicy Thai meal with homemade red chili paste and a protein of your choice.

Jump To Recipe Print Recipe

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Pad prik king with pork, green beans, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai eggplants in a white dish. Behind it is another blurred out portion of the same dish.

Pad prik king recipe makes a fiery Thai red curry stir-fry featuring Thai eggplants, long beans, and red curry paste. Pair it with white rice to tone down the spiciness, and customize with your favorite choice of meat such as chicken or beef. Whether you love spicy food or prefer it mild, this dish is a must-try that will keep you coming back for more.

Close-up of stir-fried yard-long beans, Thai eggplants, pork, and red chilies, coated in sauce.

Table of Contents

What is pad prik king

This stir-fry is made in a sizzling wok with a base of red curry paste stir-fried with meat such as tender pork or juicy chicken, and green beans.

Yard-long beans are the traditional choice of vegetable, but I like to add some Thai eggplants for extra crunch and nutrition. Additionally, kaffir lime leaves flavor everything with a delicious citrusy aroma.

2 Portions of red curry stir-fry with green beans in a white dish, and a portion of sticky rice in a bamboo rice pot.

Everything gets infused with delicious Thai flavors of fish sauce, oyster sauce, and light soy, resulting in an umami-rich meal.

Why you’ll love this recipe

This quick, easy, and authentic recipe makes a Thai restaurant and street food market quality stir-fry. It comes together in just under 20 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a cozy weekend night in.

Stir-fried red curry with vegetables, lime leaves, and pork in 2 white dishes, and a portion of sticky rice.

This stir-fried red curry with eggplant is easy to customize. You can get creative with your choice of protein – whether you like pork, beef, chicken, seafood, or others, this Thai meal is so easy to adjust.
No time to prepare red curry paste from scratch? No worries! Use high-quality store-bought versions like Mae Ploy or Maesri, and you’ll still enjoy an authentic and flavorful dish.
This Thai meal is perfect for all spice lovers out there. If that’s not you, fear not, you can adjust the spiciness by lowering the amount of curry paste or removing the extra chili peppers.
The best part? This red curry stir-fry is not just tasty, but also healthy and totally balanced. Protein, vegetables, and carbs, this Thai meal has it all.

Left side of white dish with stir-fries green beans, chilies, pork, and more, coated in a sticky sauce.

Ingredients

For the exact measurements, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Sliced pork, red curry paste, sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce, in glass cups on a wooden background. There's also bite-sized pieces of Thai eggplants, green beans, chilies, and kaffir lime leaves in a bamboo place mat.

Bacon – Everything tastes better with bacon, doesn’t it?! This week, I tried making pad prik king with bacon for the first time, inspired by the delicious flavors of my stir-fried Thai sweet pork. And let me tell you, it came out amazing! Alternatively, you can use chicken, beef, or any kind of seafood.
Yardlong beans – Juicy and crunchy yard-long beans or Thai long beans are the key ingredient. If you can’t find them, just swap them with any other type of green bean.
Thai eggplants (optional) – Toss in your favorite veggies and make this dish your own, this one is my favorite and totally optional. Feel free to add more veggies to make it even healthier such as bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, snow peas, bamboo shoots, baby corn, etc.
Kaffir lime leaves – These aromatic leaves are an essential to get authentic Thai flavor. The leftovers can be frozen for future use, as they often come in a larger package.
Oyster sauce, fish sauce, light soy sauce – A carefully selected blend of Thai seasonings and sauces ensure the right amount of umami and salty flavor.
White sugar – Sweetness is one of Thai foods flavor profiles.
Thai red curry paste – My recipe for curry paste is flavorful and traditional. It uses aromatic ingredients such as kaffir lime skin, lemongrass, shrimp paste, and turmeric. Prepare it with a mortar and pestle or use a food processor for convenience. You can also use it to prepare my red shrimp curry or other coconut milk curries.

A clay cup with Thai red curry paste surrounded by herbs and spices.

Water (optional) – If you prefer a sauce, you can add a few tablespoons of water at the end of cooking. If you prefer a dry stir-fry, just follow the recipe.
Red chilies (optional) – For an extra spicy flavor, add red chili peppers. I mostly use Thai jinda or bird’s eye chilies, which are rather spicy. You can choose a milder type or remove the seeds if you wish.

Step-by-step instructions

Total Time: 20 minutes

Prep the veggies. Cut yard-long beans into bite-sized pieces, Thai eggplants in 2 or 4 pieces, and red chilies in thin slices. Tear the kaffir lime leaves in half using your hands.

Cut the bacon or protein of your choice in bite-sized pieces.
Heat a large wok pan or skillet over medium heat. Add oil, then add red curry paste. Fry off the curry paste for 30 seconds.
Add bacon and stir-fry until the meat is fully cooked through.
Add all flavoring ingredients and sauces. (fish sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white sugar) Stir-fry for 1 minute, or until all ingredients are well mixed.
Add the vegetables: long beans, Thai eggplants, kaffir lime leaves, kaffir lime leaves, and red chilies.
Stir-fry and mix well until vegetables are soft enough to your liking. Serve immediately.

How to serve

Pad prik gaeng is served with a side of white rice. A scoop of white jasmine rice can help cool down the heat, and it completes this amazing meal.

In Isan, we prefer sticky rice over steamed rice, so that’s how I often enjoy it.

How to store

Let any leftovers cool down before transferring them to an airtight container. Store in your fridge for a maximum of 2–3 days.

To reheat: Heat in a wok or skillet and stir-fry until hot and thoroughly cooked. Alternatively, you can use a microwave.

More stir-fry recipes you’ll love

Authentic chicken pad Thai – My mother’s recipe for this noodle stir-fry is deliciously made from scratch.
Pad kra pao – Spicy Thai street food with minced pork and Thai holy basil.
Easy fried rice – Easy to customize with your choice of veggies and meat.
Chili garlic noodles – Perfect for those moments when you crave a quick and easy spicy dish on the table.

Did you fall in love with this pad prik king recipe? I’d be thrilled if you would leave a star rating and/or a comment below! And if you’re craving more Thai recipes like this one, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter.

Print Recipe