How Many Calories in Khao Kha Moo?

Also known as ข้าวขาหมู, Khao Ka Moo, Thai Braised Pork Leg Rice, Stewed Pork Leg on Rice.

Pork leg braised for hours in soy, palm sugar and five spice until the skin turns to jelly, sliced over rice with a half braised egg, pickled mustard greens, blanched kale and a ladle of the sweet gravy. A 50 to 70 baht plate at every Thai market and night bazaar.

690kcal / 1 plate with braised egg

A standard 350g plate of khao kha moo with half a braised egg is about 690 calories. The Thai Department of Health lists a smaller 289g plate without egg at 438 calories, and Thai nutrition sites put a normal plate with skin and gravy at 600 to 800. The difference between those numbers is the skin, the egg and how heavy the gravy ladle is.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 plate with braised egg (350g)	Amount	Per 100g
Calories	690 kcal	197 kcal
Protein	28 g	8 g
Carbs	78 g	22 g
Fat	30 g	9 g

Where the calories come from

Steamed rice220g

290 kcal

Braised pork leg with skin and fat100g

280 kcal

Half braised egg30g

45 kcal

Sweet braising gravy45g

55 kcal

Pickled mustard greens and blanched kale40g

12 kcal

The real talk

Two numbers get quoted for this dish and both are right. The Department of Health figure is 438 calories for 289g, which is a modest plate of rice, lean pork leg and a little gravy with no egg. The common street figure is 690, which is what you actually get at a market stall: 220g of rice, 100g of pork including skin and fat, half a braised egg and a generous ladle of gravy. Order nueng ping (skin and fat included) and you are on the 690 plate, not the 438 one.

The skin is where it moves. Pork leg meat alone is about 200 calories per 100g. With the jelly skin and the fat layer attached it is closer to 300. Thai nutrition sites note that leaving out the skin and fat drops a plate from 600 to 800 down to 450 to 550, which matches the components: about 100 calories of skin and fat, another 40 for the half egg.

The gravy matters more than people think. It is the braising liquid reduced with palm sugar and soy, and a stall ladle is 40 to 50g and 50 to 60 calories, plus a lot of sodium. Some stalls sell a khao kha moo piset (special) with extra pork, a whole egg and a few pieces of intestine or sam chan belly, which lands at 850 or more. That is a dinner, not a lunch.

How the portions compare

438 kcal

Small plate, no egg (Department of Health, 289g)

690 kcal

Standard plate with half egg

850 kcal

Piset with extra pork, whole egg and skin

Khao Kha Moo variants, ranked by calories

Variant	Calories	Notes
Kha moo only, no rice (100g with skin)	300 kcal	Meat and gravy as a side
Khao kha moo, lean meat only, no egg	440 kcal	Ask for mai ao nang
Khao kha moo with half egg	690 kcal	The standard market plate
Khao kha moo piset	850 kcal	Extra pork, whole egg, often sam chan or intestine

How to eat it lighter

Order it mai ao nang, mai ao man (no skin, no fat); the plate drops by around 150 calories and the meat is still tender.
Ask for nam rad noi (little gravy); each ladle is about 55 calories and a lot of salt.
Take the full portion of pickled mustard greens and blanched kale; they are under 20 calories and cut the richness.
Skip the egg if you had one for breakfast, or skip the extra 10 baht piset upgrade, which is mostly skin.

Common questions

Why do khao kha moo calorie figures vary so much?

Because the skin, the egg and the gravy are optional. The Department of Health figure of 438 is a 289g plate with lean meat and no egg. A real stall plate with skin, half an egg and a full ladle of gravy is closer to 690.

How many calories in kha moo without rice?

About 300 for 100g of pork leg with skin and gravy, or around 200 for lean meat only. The rice under it is another 290.

Is khao kha moo or khao man gai higher in calories?

Khao man gai is 596 for a 300g plate in the Department of Health table. A standard khao kha moo with egg at 690 is higher, but a lean, no skin khao kha moo at 438 is lower.

Related foods

Khao Man Gai

596 kcal per 1 plate

Moo Krob

560 kcal per 1 plate

Khao Pad (Thai Fried Rice)

557 kcal per 1 plate

Khau Yuk

490 kcal per 1 serving (3-4 slices pork belly with mui choy and gravy)

Khao Niao

250 kcal per 1 bag (about 150g)

Khao Pad Poo

560 kcal per 1 plate

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Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical street stall or food court serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on hdmall.co.th khao kha moo 1 plate = 690 kcal; Thai Department of Health via health.kapook.com 289g plate = 438 kcal; joomyak.com 600 to 800 kcal for a normal plate with skin and gravy. Picked 690 for a 350g plate with half a braised egg. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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