Crispy Fried Egg Salad (Yum Kai Dao)

Picking a favourite dish is usually hard, but not this time ... this is easily my favourite Thai salad of all time. The tart and refreshing dressing together with the creamy egg yolks make for an incredible combination that's unlike any other salad. In this recipe you'll also learn how to fry an egg the Thai way; that is with bubbly crispy edges. It's all gluten-free and comes together in less than 30 minutes!

Yum Kai Dao in Thailand

This is a very basic dish in Thailand; the kind you'd find in any food court or made at home, but not in nice sit-down restaurants. I had this often in my school cafeteria and it was always a treat whenever it was offered. So if you make it less spicy, it can be a very kid-friendly dish as well.

Even though it is a salad, as with all salads in Thai cuisine it's not served as an appetizer or a side dish, but served together with the rest of the meal (if there are other dishes), and always with jasmine rice. The dressing is tart, spicy, and very flavourful, and definitely needs the jasmine rice to absorb and mellow out the flavour.

What You'll Need

Here's what you'll need. Simple, straight forward ingredients - and you might already have everything right now without making a special trip!

How to Make Fried Egg Salad Step-By-Step

Be sure to check out the detailed recipe and full video tutorial in the recipe card below - but here's a bird's eye view of what you'll need to do.

The Secrets to Crispy, Bubbly Fried Eggs

The hardest part of this recipe is making the perfect fried eggs. And no, this recipe is totally NOT the same if you were to use Western-style fried eggs. Trust me on this. Below are some tips to ensure success.

PS. If you have extra eggs to fry, try Pad Gapro - Thai Holy Basil Stir-Fry which is another dish that it traditionally served with crispy fried eggs.

• Use older eggs if possible. Older eggs have looser, thinner whites which spread out more and create more bubbly, lacy edges. Not a deal breaker, but this is a great recipe for those eggs you've had around for a few weeks.
• Don't use cold eggs. If you put cold eggs into the oil, the oil temp will drop quickly and you won't get those bubbles. If you keep eggs in the fridge, then simply let them sit in a big bowl of hot tap water while you prep (though not so hot that they will cook!) and that should do it.
• Don't skimp on the oil. You might look at the amount of oil and think "too much!" But you really need the egg to "float" in the oil in order to get those crispy edges. If you have a rounded wok, you will need even less oil to get that depth. And no, the eggs will not become oily. Eggs do not absorb oil as much as people think they do.
• Make sure the oil is hot but not smoking. To get those bubbles, the oil needs to be hot enough. To test oil temp, drop in a piece of onion or any vegetable scraps, and it should bubble vigorously in the oil.
• To prevent the eggs from sticking. If you have a non-stick pan, use it. If you are using a stainless steel pan, however, here are some pro-tips to prevent sticking: get the pan hot BEFORE you add the oil. To test, sprinkle a few drops of water into the pan and they should roll around instantly.
• What if the egg still sticks?? Don't attempt to move it until it's done or you might break the yolk. It might even release by itself eventually, and if not, the yolk will be firm enough that it won't break while you pry it off with a spatula.

Some Ingredient Notes:

This is one of the few recipes where I do not recommend substitutions because it's such a simple dish, and every ingredient plays an important role. But there is SOME wiggle room.

Chinese celery. We only have Chinese celery in Thailand, which is the skinny, leafy cousin of the Western celery, but with similar flavour. I don't like to buy Chinese celery from my Asian market because they sell them in such large amounts, so I just use regular celery plus some leaves from the center. If you have extra Chinese celery, try using them in: Steamed Fish with Garlic and Lime and Stir-Fried "Sukiyaki".

Palm sugar. If you don't have palm sugar, you can sub an equal amount of light brown sugar. To learn more about palm sugar and how to choose a good quality one, watch my Ultimate Guide to Palm Sugar video!

Fish sauce. If you have premium fish sauce, this would be a good time to use it. Definitely don't use low quality fish sauce for this one! To learn more about the differences between fish sauce quality and how you can tell which one to buy, watch my Fish Sauce Tasting & FAQ video!

Frequently Asked Questions About Fried Egg Salad

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