Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe: Crispy, Juicy Mexican Pork

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Slow cooker pork carnitas is the easiest path to the best tacos of your life: a pork shoulder rubbed with cumin and oregano, slow-cooked in orange and lime juice until it falls apart, then crisped in a hot pan until the edges turn golden and crackly. Juicy inside, crispy outside — that contrast is the whole point. The slow cooker does the hard work. Eight hours on low turns a tough shoulder meltingly tender, and the citrus in the cooking liquid keeps the pork bright instead of heavy. The real magic happens at the end: shred the pork, spread it in a screaming-hot skillet with a splash of its own cooking liquid, and let it sit undisturbed until the edges char. Do not skip that step — crisping is what makes carnitas carnitas. Crispy edges, juicy center — carnitas night done right. Recipe Info Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 8 hours (slow cooker, low) Total time: 8 hours 30 minutes Servings: 8 Calories: ~520 kcal per serving Pork, citrus and spice — carnitas starts h...
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Thai Basil Chicken Recipe: Spicy Pad Krapow Gai in 20 Minutes

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Real-deal pad krapow gai — Thai holy-basil chicken — is street-food fast food: salty, savory, fiery, with a runny fried egg that turns the whole plate into a sauce. This 20-minute home version gets you remarkably close to the Bangkok wok.

The non-negotiables: fish sauce, oyster sauce, and basil added last, off the heat. Everything else is flexible — ground turkey, pork, or mushrooms all work.

Thai basil chicken pad krapow gai over jasmine rice in a white bowl, crispy fried egg on top

Spicy, fragrant, ready in 20.

Recipe Info

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Servings: 2–3 (with rice)
  • Calories: ~520 kcal per serving

Ingredients

  • 500 g / 1 lb ground chicken (or pork)
  • 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 5–10 Thai bird's eye chilies, stems removed (about 15 g) — to taste
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml neutral oil (avocado or vegetable)
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp / 15 ml fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp / 12 g granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml water
  • 2 cups packed / 30 g fresh holy basil leaves (Thai basil works)
  • 2 large eggs, for frying
  • Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
  • Sliced cucumber and lime wedges (optional)
Close-up of pad krapow gai, ground chicken with wilted Thai basil, chilies, and garlic over steamed rice

Basil wilts in at the very end.

Instructions

  1. Mix the sauce: Stir the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and water in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Keep it by the stove — stir-fries wait for no one.
  2. Pound the paste: Pound the garlic and chilies into a rough paste with a mortar and pestle (or chop finely together). The bruised chili oils are the flavor backbone.
  3. Heat the wok: Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until shimmering and just starting to smoke.
  4. Fry the paste: Add the chili-garlic paste; stir-fry 20–30 seconds until intensely fragrant.
  5. Sear the chicken: Add the ground chicken. Break it up and stir-fry 4–5 minutes, letting it sit undisturbed in patches to brown, until cooked through and lightly caramelized.
  6. Add the sauce: Pour in the sauce and toss 1–2 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the chicken glistens with a light glaze.
  7. Wilt the basil: Kill the heat, fold in the basil leaves, and toss 30 seconds until just wilted — basil added too early turns black and bitter.
  8. Fry the eggs: In a separate small pan, fry the eggs in hot oil over medium-high heat, 2–3 minutes, until the edges are crisp and lacy and the yolks still runny.
  9. Plate: Serve the basil chicken over jasmine rice, crowned with the fried egg. Add cucumber and lime on the side if you like.
Pad krapow gai ingredients flat lay, ground chicken, Thai basil, bird's eye chilies, garlic, eggs, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, jasmine rice

Chilies, basil, and the holy trinity of sauces.

Tips & Variations

  • Go hot. You won't get wok hei at home, but ripping heat gives the browning that matters.
  • Holy basil vs. Thai basil. Holy basil (bai krapow) is the authentic, peppery one; sweet Thai basil is a fine substitute and far easier to find.
  • Brown, don't steam. Spread the chicken in an even layer and let it sit a minute before stirring — color equals flavor.
  • Make the sauce first. Once the wok is lit, there is no time to measure.
  • Basil goes in last, off the heat. Thirty seconds of residual heat is all it needs.
  • Hot oil, runny yolk. Lacy crispy egg edges are the signature move.
  • Leftovers keep 3 days. Re-crisp in a hot skillet with a fresh handful of basil.

Nutrition Note

About 520 calories per serving with rice and a fried egg — a high-protein bowl. Sodium runs moderate-high from the sauces, so use low-sodium soy if it matters to you.

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FAQ

Is pad krapow gai supposed to be this spicy?
Traditionally yes — 5–10 bird's eye chilies. Use 2–3 for gentle heat, or de-seed them for flavor without fire.

Can I use regular basil?
Thai sweet basil is the closest common substitute; Italian basil works in a pinch but lacks the anise kick.

What protein can I use instead?
Ground pork is the other classic; ground turkey, minced beef, or chopped mushrooms all work.

Why did my basil turn black?
It went in too early or the pan was still on full heat — always fold it in after the heat is off.

How do I store leftovers?
Cool quickly and refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat in a hot pan and add a fresh handful of basil to wake it up.

Cook this pad krapow gai once and it joins the weekly rotation — then tell us how many chilies you dared to use. Save this recipe for a fellow Thai-food lover.


 

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