Thai Basil Pork

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Are you looking for a pork dish that’s ready in thirty minutes and packed with Asian flavors? Then you need to try Thai Basil Pork! Delicious ground pork, with a hint of sweet basil and chili — you’ll surely be asking for more!

An overhead shot of a plate of Thai basil and ground pork, served with a bowl of rice.

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Thai basil pork is perfect when you want something quick without skimping on flavors.

Every bite is a perfect balance of pork flavor, herb, and spice — no doubt it will become a favorite for your weeknight dinners.

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Ingredients

Ground pork – sometimes called ‘minced pork‘ in other parts of the world; make sure it’s not frozen.

Chili – I strongly suggest using a mix of red and green chili when making Thai basil with ground pork.

Garlic – at least five cloves, more, if you love garlic.

Soy sauce – I always use light soy sauce or Thai thin soy sauce.

Sugar – regular granulated sugar is all you need for this Thai basil pork recipe.

Oil – canola or sunflower oil would be excellent.

Sweet basil – note that sweet basil is different from holy basil or Italian basil.

A closer shot of a plate of ground beef with basil, highlighting the mix of herb and chili on the dish.

Preparation

Start preparing your Thai basil with ground pork by using a mortar and pestle to grind the chili and garlic cloves (photo 1).

If you want to turn it into a fine paste, it’s up to you.

Place the wok or skillet on medium heat.

First part of a collage of images showing the process of preparing sweet basil with pork at home.

Pour the oil into the wok (photo 2).

Once the oil is ready, add the chilis and garlic mix (photo 3).

Cook for at least a minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Second part of a collage of images showing the process of making Thai basil pork at home.

Add the ground pork (photo 4).

Adjust the heat to medium-high.

Mix the minced pork regularly and cook until it’s almost done — it typically takes eight to ten minutes.

Add the sugar and soy sauce (photo 5).

Last part of a collage of images showing the steps for preparing Thai basil with pork.

Add the sweet basil (photo 6).

Mix to combine and cook for about two minutes.

Transfer your minced pork with basil into plates and serve.

An overhead shot of a wok of Thai basil ground pork, ready for transferring into plates.

Helpful tips

If you have a low tolerance for chili, make sure you use less than what I have indicated for this Thai basil with ground pork — two pieces instead of four is a good start.

There is no need to tear the leaves of the sweet basil. Instead, add them directly into the ground pork, and they will shrink once cooked.

Feel free to add salt if you think the pork is not salty enough.

I typically don’t because the saltiness coming from the soy sauce is enough for my taste.

A closer shot of a bowl of steamed white rice with pork with basil on top.

Recipe variation

Bird’s eye chili. Smaller in size, but an excellent alternative to Thai chili, and sometimes, easier to find.

Food processor. Depending on how much chili and garlic you intend to use, you can use a food processor to turn them into a paste instead of a mortar and pestle.

Fish sauce. If you have fish sauce on hand, use it instead of salt to adjust the seasoning of the minced pork with basil.

FAQ

How do I serve this?

It needs to be paired with another dish that’s almost neutral in flavor.

The simpler the dish, the better match it is for this Thai pork dish because it will not overpower the flavor of the pork with basil.

When in doubt, do what I generally do —- serve it with steamed white rice.

So how about it? Give this Thai basil pork recipe a try one of these nights!