Kai Pad Med Mamuang
This classic stir-fry combines juicy chicken, sweet onion, fragrant garlic, roasted cashews, and dried chilies in a glossy oyster-based sauce. It is fast, deeply savory, and full of contrasting textures, with crisp nuts and tender meat in every bite.
Ingredients
Stir-fry sauce
- 25 goyster sauce
- 10 glight soy sauce
- 5 gfish sauce
- 5 gsugar
- 15 gwater
Chicken and aromatics
- 250 gboneless skinless chicken thigh, thinly sliced
- 10 ggarlic, thinly sliced
- 4 gsmall dried red chilies
- 80 gonion, cut into wedges
- 30 gspring onion, cut into 4 cm lengths
Nuts and frying
- 60 groasted unsalted cashews
- 20 gneutral oil
Instructions
- 1
Mix the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and water in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Slice the chicken thinly, slice the garlic, cut the onion into wedges, and cut the spring onion into short lengths so everything is ready before the wok goes on; this stir-fry moves very fast.
- 2
Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add 10 g of the neutral oil, swirl, then add the cashews and dried chilies. Stir-fry for 20-30 seconds just until fragrant and the chilies darken slightly; do not let the garlic in later burn. Remove the cashews and chilies to a plate so the cashews stay crisp.
- 3
Add the remaining 10 g oil to the hot wok. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear for about 1 minute without moving too much, then stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until nearly cooked through and lightly browned at the edges. If the pan looks dry, keep the heat high rather than adding more oil.
- 4
Add the garlic and onion. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the garlic smells sweet and aromatic and the onion is just tender but still has some bite.
- 5
Give the sauce a quick stir and pour it into the wok. Toss for 30-60 seconds until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce lightly glazes the meat rather than pooling; the internal temperature should reach 74 C.
- 6
Return the cashews and chilies to the wok, add the spring onion, and toss for 20-30 seconds just to combine. Serve immediately while the chicken is glossy and the cashews remain crunchy.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For a true 15-minute finish, buy pre-roasted cashews and slice the chicken before heating the pan.
- •Chicken thigh stays juicier than breast in a very hot stir-fry, but breast can be used if sliced thinly and cooked slightly less.
- •Serve with steamed jasmine rice; for 2 people, about 180-200 g cooked rice each is a good match.
- •If you prefer milder heat, leave the dried chilies whole so they perfume the oil without releasing as much spice.
Background
Kai Pad Med Mamuang is a popular Thai stir-fry known for its contrast of savory sauce, tender chicken, smoky dried chilies, and crunchy cashews. While cashews are strongly associated with southern Thailand, the dish became widely loved across Thai restaurants for its quick cooking and balanced sweet-salty-spicy flavor profile.
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