If you’re a fan of zing and spice, you will like Thai Ginger Chicken (Gai Pad King). All the authentic Thai flavors in every bite of this stir-fried dish, and it’s ready in a flash!
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Before you proceed, I need to warn you that the ginger and the chili in this ginger chicken recipe are really ‘amped’ up.
So, if you have a low tolerance for either (or both), make sure you use less than what I have indicated in the recipe card. These would be a good starting point:
- 1 ounce of fresh ginger
- half of red chili
But if you like — and you’re used to ‘in-your-face’ spice and zing, then you will love this authentic Thai ginger chicken stir fry. Simply delicious.
Oh, and don’t forget to serve it with steamed white rice. 🙂
IF YOU WANT MORE TRADITIONAL THAI RECIPES, THEN YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Oil – please don’t use olive oil; any other neutral-tasting vegetable oil like canola or sunflower oil would be perfect.
Peanut oil would also be excellent for this ginger chicken recipe.
- Garlic – fresh garlic that’s chopped thinly or minced.
- Chicken – skinless, boneless chicken breast, roughly sliced into bite-size.
- Dried ear mushrooms – thin, black, ear-like mushrooms that you can generally buy in any Asian store.
Like any dried mushroom, make sure you soak it first in water, then drain it before chopping.
- Oyster sauce – just use your favorite brand.
- Soy sauce – light soy sauce is excellent for this gai pad king recipe, not the dark (or sweeter) soy sauce.
- Ginger – fresh ginger and julienned.
- Chili – fresh red Thai chili (also known as ‘spur chili’), cut into thin strips.
- Spring onions – use only the white and light green parts.
- Sugar – you only need regular, granulated sugar for preparing this ginger chicken stir fry.
- Pepper – ground black pepper for additional seasoning.
Preparation
Start preparing your ginger chicken by placing a wok (or skillet) over medium-high heat.
Add the oil.
Once the oil is ready, add the garlic (photo 1).
Cook until the garlic turns slightly darker in color.
Add the chicken (photo 2).
Cook until the chicken is no longer pink — and almost cooked.
Add the sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and pepper (photo 3).
Add the chopped mushrooms (photo 4).
Mix to combine everything and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked.
Add the ginger, chili, and spring onions (photo 5).
Mix to combine evenly (photo 6).
Take the wok off the heat.
Transfer your ginger chicken into plates.
Garnish with more spring-onions, if desired — then serve.
Helpful tips
- Try to chop the ginger, chili, and spring onions in the same shape, not necessarily the same width.
- If you don’t have a wok, you can use any skillet or regular frying pan to make this Thai ginger chicken — the result would be just as great.
- Another way of toning down the heat is by scraping the seeds from the chilies. So, you can do this or just use less (or do both).
Recipe variation
- Salt or Fish sauce. You will notice there is no salt listed as part of the ingredients.
It’s because the soy sauce and the oyster sauce are generally providing enough salt, but if you need more, then you can add salt or fish sauce as well.
FAQs
You can give it a try.
But traditionally, the locals only use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for making gai pad king.
Please don’t use powdered ginger as an alternative.
The flavor of the fresh ginger is way more intense than the powdered one — and that intensity is exactly what this dish needs to balance the spice from the chili while complementing the two different kinds of sauce.
Are you finally convinced to give it a try? Do it tonight, and let me know how it goes! 🙂
Thai Ginger Chicken Recipe (Gai Pad King)
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Kitchen Knife
- Pyrex Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Wok
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 10 ounces chicken breast (about 300 grams), chopped into about 1/4-inch thick
- 1/2 ounce dried ear mushrooms (14 grams), soaked, drained, and chopped roughly
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 to 2 ounces ginger (25 to 50 grams), peeled and juilenned
- 1 to 1 & 1/2 pcs red chili
- handful of spring onions, only the white and light green parts
- pepper, for additional seasoning
Instructions
- Heat the oil on a wok (or skillet) over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is ready, add the garlic.
- Cook until the garlic turns slightly brown.
- Add the pieces of chicken.
- Cook until the chicken is no longer pink — and almost cooked.
- Add the sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and pepper.
- Add the mushrooms.
- Mix to combine everything and continue cooking until the chicken is completely cooked.
- Add the ginger, chili, and spring onions.
- Mix to combine, then remove the wok from the heat.
- Transfer into plates, then serve — garnish with more spring-onions, if desired.
Notes
- Cook’s Tip #1: Try to chop the ginger, chili, and spring onions in the same shape, not necessarily the same width.
- Cook’s Tip #2: Do not hesitate to use any skillet or regular frying pan if you don’t have a wok — the result would be just as good.
- Cook’s Tip #3: If you don’t want it to be too hot, scrape the seeds from the chilies; or just cut the amount of chili in half.
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