If you're a fan of garlic and crave some Thai flavors, look no further than the delicious Moo Pad Kratiem (Thai garlic pork stir-fry). It's a simple, comforting dish easily made for a weeknight dinner. This comforting dish is a simple yet delicious meal that will satisfy your taste buds.
Moo Pad Kratiem is a popular Thai stir fry dish that can be easily customized with your choice of protein - pork, chicken, or beef.
For more tasty Thai recipes, try these popular recipes, Kanom Jeeb, Moo Yang Thai grilled pork neck, Gai Tod Thai fried chicken wings, authentic Thai beef laab recipe, Thai lemongrass drink, and Thai pork omelette.
Jump to:
- Here's why you're going to love Moo Pad Kratiem
- What is Moo Pad Kratiem?
- Thai Pork Stir Fry Ingredients
- How to make Stir Fry Pork
- Top Tip
- Garnishing Options
- Thai Pork Stir Fry Tips
- What to Serve with Moo Pad Kratiem Thai Garlic Pork
- Variations
- Storing leftover Thai Pork Stir Fry
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Thai Recipes You'll Love
- Pad Kratiem (Stir Fry Pork Recipe)
- More Thai Recipes You'll Love
- Pairing
Here's why you're going to love Moo Pad Kratiem
- Intense Flavor: Moo Pad Kratiem is all about the bold flavors of garlic and pepper. If you like savory and spicy dishes, this one's for you.
- Quick and Easy: It's an easy recipe perfect for a weeknight dinner. You'll have a delicious meal on the table in no time.
- It's not spicy! Add less (or more!) white pepper to adjust the heat.
- Versatile Dish: Whether you want a satisfying main meal or a delightful side dish, Moo Pad Kratiem fits the bill.
- Authentic Thai Taste: This dish captures the essence of Thai street food and comfort cuisine right in your own kitchen.
- Protein is customizable! Use pork, chicken, beef, seafood, or firm tofu as your favorite protein!
What is Moo Pad Kratiem?
Moo Kratiem is a Thai stir-fry dish featuring tender pork cooked with abundant garlic and a hint of pepper. The combination of flavors is mouthwatering, making it a must-try for Thai food lovers.
Moo Pad Kratiem is a classic Thai stir-fry dish with marinated pork, garlic cloves, and a generous amount of black and white pepper. It's cooked over high heat, producing succulent, golden brown pork pieces with a deliciously crispy garlic coating. Traditionally, it's served with jasmine rice or sticky rice for a satisfying meal.
There's also another Thai dish very similar to this one, Moo Tod Kratiem or Moo Tod Gratiem, a delicious snack food sold by Thai street vendors where the pork is deep fried. But to minimize the oil used, this stir fry version is healthier and as tasty!
Thai Pork Stir Fry Ingredients
Thai Garlic Pork Marinating Paste
- Garlic cloves. We'll use a lot of garlic for this Moo pad Kratiem recipe. I used 10 large garlic cloves, but feel free to use more or less.
- Cilantro stems. Also called coriander roots. If you can find cilantro root, use them! If not, use the largest and lower parts of the cilantro stems.
- Ground white pepper. This is where the Thai flavors kick in! Use as much as needed for your heat level preference.
Making the Crispy Garlic Oil
- Garlic cloves. The star ingredient for the recipe.
- Oil. Use neutral oil like canola, avocado, or vegetable oil. Use less if you want to, but the excess oil can be saved later. You'll only need 2 tablespoons for the stir-frying of the pork.
Pork Garlic Sauce
- Pork. I used loin chop center cut. Pork shoulder or any other leaner cut is fine, too.
- Oyster sauce. What's a stir fry without oyster sauce? You get your pork's silky, umami, savory taste here.
- Fish sauce. I used the Squid brand.
- Mushroom soy sauce. Mushroom soy sauce is much lighter than that Thai light soy sauce. It has flavors similar to Golden Mountain seasoning. Find it at your local Asian market.
- Dark soy sauce. It adds a thick, caramelized color to your pork. Skip it if you can't find and use molasses instead.
- Sugar, white, or brown. If you have sweet dark soy sauce, you can use that instead of the sugar.
- Baking soda. This is my secret to creating tender pork when stir-frying. Just a light dust is all you need.
- Water. Use it to help loosen the meat when sticking to the pan.
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
- A wok or large pan for stir-frying.
- A mixing bowl for marinating the pork.
- Splash guard
- Wiremesh strainer
How to make Stir Fry Pork
Step 1: Make the marinating paste: Make the Thai classic paste using the 3 amigos of Thai traditional paste. In a small stone mortar and pestle, pound garlic, cilantro stems (or root), and white peppercorn until you have a smooth paste.
Step 2: Marinating the Pork. Add the paste to a mixing bowl, then add all the sauces-soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, black pepper, white pepper, and sugar. Stir and mix well.
Add the pork, baking soda water, and the thinly sliced pork. Mix well and let the pork marinate for 20-30 minutes while you prep and make the garlic oil next.
Step 3: Make the Crispy Fried Garlic: Chop the rest of the garlic cloves into small pieces. Do not minced or make a paste out of them. You want some chunks in the pork when eating.
On medium heat, Add the oil to a warm wok or skillet. Once hot, add the garlic and fry until lightly golden brown. Depending on your pan and range, it takes about 3-4 minutes.
Make sure NOT to overcook the garlic, or you will get a very bitter garlic oil. Not good. Once the garlic starts to brown, remove from the hot oil to a small bowl. Strain the garlic from the oil to have your garlic ready to add to the pork later.
Step 4: Stir-fry the Pork. Turn the heat high in the same pan with the remaining garlic-infused oil. Add 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and let it heat up slightly.
Stir the marinated pork again to “wake it up” slightly before frying it in the pan. Add the marinated pork. Stir-fry the pork until it's cooked and the edges turn golden brown.
Allow the pork to cook untouched for 2-3 minutes. Then, stir a couple of times to flip the meat and allow the meat to sear on all sides. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if the meat sticks to the pan.
Step 5: Add the crispy garlic. Turn the heat off. Sprinkle the crispy fried garlic over the stir-fried pork and give it a final toss to combine.
Step 6: Plate the garlic pork and serve over jasmine rice. Garnish with more fried garlic, ground white pepper, and some cucumber or tomato slices, and enjoy!
Serve your Moo Pad Kratiem hot alongside steamed jasmine rice or sticky rice. The combination of flavors and textures will transport you to the bustling streets of Thailand.
Top Tip
- Use a splatter guard when frying garlic to prevent oil from splattering.
Garnishing Options
- Fresh coriander leaves and sliced fresh chilis make excellent garnishes to add freshness and heat to your Thai garlic pepper pork.
Thai Pork Stir Fry Tips
- Make sure to heat enough oil in the pan. It should be hot before you start cooking.
- If you have cilantro roots, use them! Take 3 roots, wash them well, and chop them into small pieces. Then, pound them.
- When frying the garlic, use a small fine mesh wire strainer to separate the garlic from the oil. This will help you use less oil for the stir fry.
- Don't throw away the extra garlic oil. It's valuable, so save it for later use.
- Feel free to add more garlic if you like. I personally added about 2 tablespoons extra because I love garlic a lot!
- Cooking over high heat is key to achieving the pork's golden brown, crispy texture.
What to Serve with Moo Pad Kratiem Thai Garlic Pork
- This dish is delicious but pairs perfectly with steamed jasmine or sticky rice.
- Add a few sliced vegetables to make it a bit healthier. Use sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, or sliced carrots.
Variations
- You can also prepare Moo Pad Kratiem with chicken instead of pork, known as "Gai Pad Kratiem."
- Use firm tofu for your protein for a vegetarian version. Be careful not to stir the tofu too much to prevent it from breaking.
Storing leftover Thai Pork Stir Fry
- While Moo Pad Kratiem is best enjoyed fresh, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Its simple yet explosive flavor profile and quick preparation have made it a favorite dish among Thai street food vendors and home cooks.
Absolutely! Adjust the amount of black and white pepper to suit your spice tolerance.
While both dishes are stir-fried and share some ingredients, Pad Kee Mao typically includes wide rice noodles and a different sauce.
Opt for lean pork cuts like pork loin or tenderloin for the best results.
Fresh garlic is recommended for its aromatic flavor. Garlic powder is not recommended.
"Kratiem" refers to garlic in Thai, highlighting the star ingredient of this dish.
More Thai Recipes You'll Love
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Pad Kratiem (Stir Fry Pork Recipe)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
If you're a fan of garlic and crave some Thai flavors, look no further than the delicious Moo Pad Kratiem (Thai garlic pork stir-fry). It's a simple, comforting dish easily made for a weeknight dinner. This comforting dish is a simple yet delicious meal that will satisfy your taste buds.
Ingredients
For the marinating paste
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons cilantro stems, sliced into 1-inch pieces.
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper, add more as preferred for your taste buds.
For the garlic oil
- 10 garlic cloves, 3 for the paste, and the rest for frying in oil
- ¼ cup oil
For the meat and sauce
- 1 pound pork. Slice into long, thin pieces around ⅓ inches pieces by 3 inches long. I used loin chop center cut. Any lean cut of pork is fine
- 1 ½ tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, Squid brand
- 1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar, white or brown
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Make the marinating paste: Make the Thai classic paste using the 3 amigos of Thai traditional paste. In a small stone mortar and pestle, pound garlic, cilantro stems (or root), and white peppercorn until you have a smooth paste.
- Marinating the Pork. Add the paste to a mixing bowl, then add all the sauces-soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, black pepper, white pepper, and sugar. Stir and mix well. Add the pork, baking soda water, and the thinly sliced pork. Mix well and let the pork marinate for 20-30 minutes while you prep and make the garlic oil next.
- Make the Crispy Fried Garlic: Chop the rest of the garlic cloves into small pieces. Do not minced or make a paste out of them. You want some chunks in the pork when eating. On medium heat, Add the oil to a warm wok or skillet. Once hot, add the garlic and fry until lightly golden brown. Depending on your pan and range, it takes about 3-4 minutes. *Do not overcook the garlic; you will get bitter garlic oil. Not good. Once the garlic starts to brown, remove from the hot oil to a small bowl. Strain the garlic from the oil to have your garlic ready to add to the pork later.
- Stir-fry the Pork. Turn the heat high in the same pan with the remaining garlic-infused oil. Add 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and let it heat up slightly. Stir the marinated pork again to “wake it up” slightly before frying it in the pan. Add the marinated pork. Stir-fry the pork until it's cooked and the edges turn golden brown. Allow the pork to cook untouched for 2-3 minutes. Then, stir a couple of times to flip the meat and allow the meat to sear on all sides. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if the meat sticks to the pan.
- Add the crispy garlic. Turn the heat off. Sprinkle the crispy fried garlic over the stir-fried pork and give it a final toss to combine. Plate the garlic pork and serve over jasmine rice. Garnish with more fried garlic, ground white pepper, and some cucumber or tomato slices, and enjoy!
Serve your Moo Pad Kratiem hot alongside steamed jasmine rice or sticky rice. The combination of flavors and textures will transport you to the bustling streets of Thailand.
Garnishing options. Fresh coriander leaves and sliced fresh chilis make excellent garnishes to add freshness and heat to your Thai garlic pepper pork.
Notes
- Make sure to heat enough oil in the pan. It should be hot before you start cooking.
- If you have cilantro roots, use them! Take 3 roots, wash them well, and chop them into small pieces. Then, pound them.
- When frying the garlic, use a small fine mesh wire strainer to separate the garlic from the oil. This will help you use less oil for the stir fry.
- Don't throw away the extra garlic oil. It's valuable, so save it for later use.
- Feel free to add more garlic if you like. I personally added about 2 tablespoons extra because I love garlic a lot!
- Cooking over high heat is key to achieving the pork's golden brown, crispy texture.
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- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Pork recipe
- Method: stir fry
- Cuisine: Thai
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Moo Pad Kratiem:
Suwanee says
I'm so happy to hear, Cynthia! Enjoy!
Cynthia Guilford says
I love this recipe. Ì've made it using wild hog,chicken and shrimp. It's definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing
Suwanee says
So happy to hear it, Lin! I love extra garlic too, so perfect together!
Lin says
Loved this garlic chicken! Very easy and very tasty. I doubled up on the garlic and loved it still! ☺️ thanks to much!
Suwanee says
THank you so much, Thomas!
Suwanee says
Opps, sorry about that, JBoz, it was definitely a typo. Just one time for the fishsfauce. Fixed it now. Thank you for the catch!
JBoz says
Why Fish sauce twice? I don't see in the direction or pictures of more then one fish sauce. Its listed as squid brand and just fish sauce.
Thomas says
Wow, the flavours! The pork tenderising tip was top notch and the meat was tender and delicious. Thank you for such a lovely recipe.
Suwanee says
Happy to hear this, Nitta!
Nitta says
Very ready to make and the meat is extra tender. Our new favorite. Next time will try using chicken. Thank you, Suwanee!