This flavorful Thai Fried Rice Recipe (Khao Pad) is made with fragrant jasmine rice, tender shrimp, crisp vegetables, and a savory, umami-rich sauce. Fresh Thai basil, cilantro, and lime bring it all together! An easy, customizable weeknight dinner. Video included.
The secret to delicious Thai Fried Rice is all in the sauce and the technique! Cold jasmine rice is stir-fried over high heat with garlic, shallots, tender shrimp, and a savory blend of fish sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. The result is fragrant, flavorful rice with beautifully separate grains and just a hint of smokiness.
This is my vegetable-packed take on Thai Fried Rice, with crisp bok choy, red bell pepper, lemongrass, and fresh Thai basil. It’s easy to customize with chicken or tofu, and a wonderful way to transform leftover rice into a satisfying dinner.
I’ll walk you through my favorite tips for getting the rice just right, keeping the shrimp tender, and balancing those delicious Thai flavors.
Sherri’s 5-star review
This was my first time cooking Thai food. 10/10. This meal is bursting with flavor. My husband and I wanted to share it at work with our staff and with our adult kids but, he couldn't stay out of it! Will definitely make again.
Why you’ll love this Thai Fried Rice recipe!
Bold, aromatic Thai flavor! Lemongrass, garlic, Thai basil, and cilantro make this version especially fragrant, while fish sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce create a delicious savory-sweet balance.
Fresh and colorful! Unlike simpler versions, this Thai Fried Rice is loaded with crisp bok choy, red bell pepper, and fresh herbs, making it a satisfying, vegetable-packed meal.
Perfect texture, every time. Stir-frying the shrimp, vegetables, eggs, and rice separately keeps the shrimp tender, the vegetables crisp, and the jasmine rice beautifully fluffy with a hint of smoky wok flavor.
Thai Fried Rice Ingredients
- Jasmine rice - Cold, day-old rice gives the best texture, with beautifully separate grains.
- Shrimp - Peeled and deveined. Substitute chicken or tofu if preferred.
- Garlic, shallot, and lemongrass - Create a fragrant, savory base.
- Vegetables - Baby bok choy, red bell pepper, green onions, and fresh chilies add color, crunch, and heat.
- Eggs - Add richness and protein.
- Thai basil and cilantro - Bring fresh, aromatic flavor.
- Coconut oil - For stir-frying. Substitute avocado or peanut oil.
- Thai fried rice sauce - Oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, maple syrup or brown sugar, and lime juice create a savory-sweet balance.
- Garnishes - Fresh cucumber, tomatoes, and lime wedges for serving.
How to Make Thai Basil Fried Rice
1. Prep all ingredients & whisk the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, maple syrup, and lime juice.
2. Prep the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
3. Fry the shrimp. Preheat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil, shrimp, a sprinkle of salt, and half of the minced garlic. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until shrimp starts to curl in and become opaque. Remove and set aside.
4. Stir-fry the veggies. Add more oil to the wok or pan if needed. Then add the shallot and lemongrass and stir-fry for one minute. Add the pepper, bok choy, remaining garlic, white parts of the scallions, and chilies. Stir-fry 2-3 minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.
5. Scramble the eggs. Add more oil to the skillet, then scramble the eggs in the work. Set aside with the veggies.
6. Stir-fry the rice and assemble. With a little more oil, add the Jasmine rice and stir-fry 4-5 minutes. Add the sauce and veggies back and stir-fry a few minutes until thoroughly coated and warmed through. Add shrimp and green tops of scallions, then stir for an additional minute. Remove from the heat and mix in the cilantro and Thai basil.
7. Taste and adjust. Taste and adjust, adding more lime juice, fish sauce, or soy sauce as desired. Serve with fresh cucumber, fresh tomato slices, and lime wedges.
Thai Fried Rice Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Try Other Veggies– snap peas, asparagus, mushrooms, or any quick-cooking veggie.
- Oyster Sauce: I like to use vegan oyster sauce for clean ingredients and flavor.
- Make it less fishy: Use 1 T fish sauce and 2 T soy sauce for less of a fishy taste. Keep in mind, using 2 T of fish sauce really adds to the umami flavor!
- Protein: Instead of shrimp, sub thinly sliced chicken breast, or make our crispy tofu.
- Chilies: Add larger pieces of chilies for more infused spice and less heat, then remove them before serving. For spicy bites, dice the chilies.
- Oil: Coconut oil adds a complementary flavor, but you can use avocado oil or peanut oil if desired.
- Make it gluten-free: Substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce, and check that your oyster sauce and fish sauce are certified gluten-free.
Chef’s Tips
- Use day-old Jasmine rice for the best texture. Fresh rice can turn mushy when stir-fried.
- Prep everything first. And place them by the stove. This dish moves fast once the wok is hot!
- Pat the shrimp dry so they sear instead of steaming.
- Stir-fry in stages. This avoids over-cooking, particularly for shrimp and veggies. And it prevents overcrowding in the pan.
- Use high heat. For that perfect wok flavor and slight char! Turn your hood on.
- Add chilies to taste. Whole chilies for subtle heat that can be removed, or chopped for spicy bites.
- Make it gluten-free: Substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce, and check that your oyster sauce and fish sauce are certified gluten-free.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop. You can also store this dish in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This Thai Fried Rice makes a meal on its own, but to serve fun and colorful side dishes along with it, here are some of our favorites!
Hope you enjoy this Thai Fried Rice Recipe! Let us know in the comments below.
More Favorite Asian Recipes
Watch how to make Thai Fried Rice
Thai Fried Rice Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: dinner idea, easy dinner, Thai recipes
- Method: stir-fried
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
This easy Thai Fried Rice recipe (Khao Pad) features tender shrimp, jasmine rice, crisp vegetables, and a savory Thai sauce. Better than takeout!
Ingredients
- Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (see notes)
- 1–2 tablespoons fish sauce (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Fried Rice
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or peanut oil (divided, more if needed)
- 8 ounces shrimp, thawed, deveined, tails on or off
- 4 cloves garlic, minced & divided
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemongrass
- 2 cups baby bok choy, chopped small
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped small
- 4 green onions, chopped- separating whites and green parts
- 1–2 red thai chilies (very spicy!) or red Fresno chilies (less spicy), see notes.
- 2 eggs, whisked in a small bowl
- 3 cups Jasmine rice, cooked, cold, and day old is best
- 1/3 cup Thai basil leaves and cilantro mixed ( or use regular basil)
- Optional Garnishes: 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes, 1 cup sliced cucumbers, lime wedges
Instructions
- Make the stir-fry sauce. In a small bowl ,whisk together oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, maple syrup and lime juice.
- Prep your ingredients. Chop garlic, shallots, lemongrass and veggies and set them by the stove. Whisk the eggs.
- Prep shrimp. Pat your shrimp dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.
- Stir fry shrimp. Preheat the wok or large frying pan on high heat. Add 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil, shrimp, a sprinkle of salt, and 1/2 of the minced garlic. Stir-fry the shrimp for 1-2 minutes, until they start to curl in and turn opaque. Set aside.
- Stir fry veggies. Add more oil as needed, lower heat to medium, add the shallot and lemongrass and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add in red pepper and bok choy, remaining garlic, white part of scallions, and chilies- if using. Stir fry 2-3 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.
- Eggs. Add more coconut oil and scramble the eggs in the wok. Set aside with the veggies.
- Rice. Add a little more oil and the Jasmine rice. Stir fry 4-5 minutes.
- Combine. Add the stir-fry sauce and veggies back into the wok with the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes until thoroughly coated and warm through. Add shrimp and green tops of onions, stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat and add cilantro and Thai basil.
- Season. Adjust to taste with more lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce. Serve with fresh cucumber, fresh tomato slices, and lime wedges.
Notes
We used Vegan Oyster Sauce for clean ingredients and flavor.
Fish Sauce- for a less “fishy” version, reduce to 1 tablespoon fish sauce and add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. But it really adds umami. For vegan use Vegan Fish Sauce.
Chilies- Add whole or large chunks of chilies for more infused spice, but less “heat”, and remove before serving. Or finely dice or slice the chilies for more spicy bites.
Coconut oil really adds a complementary flavor, or you can use avocado oil or peanut oil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 384
- Sugar: 7.2 g
- Sodium: 843.8 mg
- Fat: 10.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 52.6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20.1 g
- Cholesterol: 184.2 mg
This was my first time cooking Thai food. 10/10. This meal is bursting with flavor. My husband and I wanted to share it at work with our staff and with our adult kids but, he couldn’t stay out of it! Will definitely make again.
Glad you gave it a try Sheri!
Amazing recipe!! Easy to make and very flavourful. I added extra veggies and used Basmati rice because that is what I had left over. It was also great the next day for lunch.
Glad to hear you enjoyed Anne!
This is a great fried rice recipe! Our all time favorite is FAH’s Pineapple Fried Rice. But sometimes you don’t necessarily want the intensity of curry. This is a great, “original” back-up still with tons of great flavors!
Glad you gave it a try!
Perfect and delicious! I added some julienned broccoli and carrots to mine. The Thai basil is so good! Would def make again, thank you for the recipe! 🩷✨
Thanks for giving it a try Angeli! So appreciate you and your helpful reviews.:)
Made this with broccoli, mushrooms and red pepper and it was delicious. Very easy and will definitely make again.
Sounds yummy Nicola! Glad you gave it a try and really appreciate you reviewing.
I have been meaning to try a fried rice recipe for years, and finally, this recipe caught my eye. The difference was the addition of the fresh ingredients, which gave it some textural differences. The sauce was perfect. I forgot to buy the bok choy so I substituted Napa Cabbage, and also used Shishito peppers. It is customizable. A keeper.
Perfect! So glad you gave it a try. Thanks for taking time to leave us a review!
Fantastic, family loved it.
Great to hear this Gabrielle!
j’ai fait la recette comme indiqué…je n avais pas ajouter le piment thai dans la cuisson pour les gens qui n aime pas le piquant mais j’en ai fait cuire ds une poêle pour l’ajouter a mon assiette .Woww nous avons bien aimé cest a refaire. Un gros merci pour un autre excellente recette🫶
“I made the recipe as indicated…I didn’t add the Thai chili in the cooking for people who don’t like spicy but I cooked some in a pan to add it to my plate. Wow we really liked it, I’ll do it again. A big thank you for another excellent recipe.”
So happy to hear! Thank you for letting us know.
I love this rice, and the shrimp makes it extra special.
Great to hear Mimi!