Rice Meals · Thailand

How Many Calories in Khao Pad (Thai Fried Rice)?

Also known as ข้าวผัด, ข้าวผัดหมูใส่ไข่, Khao Phat, Kao Pad Moo, Thai Fried Rice.

Jasmine rice stir fried with egg, pork or chicken, onion, tomato and a little soy and fish sauce, served with cucumber, spring onion and a wedge of lime. The plate every aharn tam sang shop can make in ninety seconds.

557kcal / 1 plate
A plate of khao pad moo sai kai (pork fried rice with egg) is 557 calories for 315g, per the Thai Department of Health. The rice is about 285, the pork and egg together about 185, and the wok oil about 100. Thai fried rice is lighter than most Malaysian or Indonesian versions because it uses less oil and no sambal.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 plate (315g)AmountPer 100g
Calories557 kcal177 kcal
Protein20 g6 g
Carbs72 g23 g
Fat20 g6 g

Where the calories come from

Jasmine rice220g
285 kcal
Pork60g
110 kcal
Egg50g
75 kcal
Cooking oil11g
100 kcal
Onion, tomato, sauces40g
15 kcal

The real talk

Thai khao pad is one of the lighter fried rices in the region. Nasi goreng kampung is around 630 and mamak nasi goreng is 660, because they start with a lot of oil and chili paste. Thai fried rice is cooked fast with about a tablespoon of oil, soy sauce and fish sauce, and the tomato and onion add bulk without calories. That is how a full 315g plate stays at 557.

The protein changes things. Pork at 60g is about 110 calories. Shrimp for the same weight is 60. Crab fried rice is a different order entirely, since shops use double the oil to get the fluffy texture, which is why khao pad poo comes in at 680. Chicken fried rice sits right at the 557 mark. Khao pad American, with fried chicken, ham, hot dog and a fried egg on top, is 650 and higher.

The condiments are free but the extras are not. The cucumber, spring onion and lime add nothing. Prik nam pla (chili in fish sauce) is zero calories. A fried egg on top is another 110. Kao piset (extra rice) is another 130. The base plate is fine; the upgrades are where 557 becomes 800.

How the portions compare

450 kcal
Small plate
557 kcal
Standard plate with pork and egg
720 kcal
Large with fried egg on top

Khao Pad (Thai Fried Rice) variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Khao pad goong (shrimp)500 kcalShrimp is leaner than pork
Khao pad moo sai kai (pork, egg)557 kcalThai Department of Health figure
Khao pad American650 kcalFried chicken, ham, hot dog, fried egg
Khao pad poo (crab)680 kcalDouble oil for the fluffy texture

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

Is Thai fried rice healthy?
It is a reasonable one plate meal at 557 calories with 20g of protein. It is lighter than nasi goreng because Thai cooks use less oil. The weak point is that it is mostly rice, 72g of carbs a plate.
How many calories in khao pad without egg?
About 480 for a standard plate. The egg is 75 calories and a good chunk of the protein, so keeping it is usually the better trade.
Which Thai fried rice has the fewest calories?
Shrimp fried rice at around 500. Crab fried rice is the heaviest of the common ones at 680 because of the oil, and khao pad American is 650 plus.

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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 Thai Department of Health (กรมอนามัย) via health.kapook.com: khao pad moo sai kai 315g = 557 kcal. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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