Thai Basil Chicken · i am a food blog
If you’re looking for a super tasty quick and easy dinner, this Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry is for you.
I LOVE Thai Basil Chicken. It gets my heart rate up not only because it’s perfectly spicy, but also because it’s delicious. This is a super easy stir-fry that delivers incredible flavor with minimal prep. Goodbye delivery and hello home-cooked meals!
What is Thai Basil Chicken?
Thai Basil Chicken is a very popular Thai stir-fry dish that is eaten at home, in restaurants and at street food stalls. The main ingredients are chicken, Thai basil, garlic, Thai chili peppers and sauce. Sometimes it is served with a crispy fried egg. It’s one of our go-tos when we’re craving Thai food.
How to Make Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry
1. Prepare all the ingredients: Prepare the sauce by combining the oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar in a small bowl. Chop the garlic (a garlic press is your friend!), chop the chili peppers, wash and dry the basil and cut your chicken pieces into equal pieces.
2. Fry the aromatics: Heat a little oil in a wok or frying pan then brown the garlic and chili peppers very briefly.
3. Fry the chicken: add chicken and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked.
4. Sauces: stir in the sauce and reduce.
5. Basil: remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil. Appreciate!
Faster than receiving your delivery slip, right?!
What You Need to Make Thai Basil Chicken
Sugar, oil, garlic, chicken thighs – you can also substitute chicken breast, but chicken thighs are juicier and tastier.
Oyster sauce
Oyster sauce is a thick, flavorful brown sauce that can be found in the Asian section of any grocery store. If you see the bottle of Lee Kum Kee with the two people in boats, go for that one. This is the premium oyster sauce that lists oysters as the first ingredient, unlike the one with the red panda label that lists oysters further down the list.
Dark soy sauce
You need both soy sauce and dark soy sauce for this dish – regular soy sauce adds salt and umami soy flavor; black adds a touch of caramel and color. If you don’t have dark soy sauce at home, you can avoid it – your stir-fry just won’t be as dark brown and shiny – but you should try it too. You can buy dark soy sauce easily onlineand it will take your Asian/Chinese cooking to the next level. Once you purchase a bottle, you can also use it for: Chow mein with soy sauce, Zha Jiang MianAnd Taiwanese chicken 3 cups.
Thai chili peppers
Thai red chili peppers are very, very spicy. Frying them softens the spices a bit, but if you’re not a fan of spice, deseed your peppers (use gloves!) or reduce the quantity.
Thai Basil
The right type of basil to use for pad krapow gai is Thai holy basil. It can be incredibly difficult to purchase outside of Thailand, so the best sub you can use is regular Thai basil. Thai basil has a very light licorice/fennel flavor that is very distinct. They sell Thai basil in most Asian grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, you can substitute regular sweet basil.
Ground chicken vs. chicken thighs vs. chicken breasts
You’ll see Thai basil chicken made with ground chicken or cut pieces of chicken thighs or breasts. In Thailand, the meat is cut into fairly small pieces, which is why you think of ground/minced chicken as the most commonly used protein for Thai Basil Chicken in North America. I’ve done it with both and it’s really whichever you prefer.
If you don’t want to take out your knife to chop your chicken, using ground chicken is not only acceptable, it’s actually the norm everywhere, including Thailand. And if you like your chicken chopped into larger or smaller pieces, that’s okay too! I tend to like my chicken pieces heartier and Mike likes ground chicken, so we make it both ways.
What to eat it with
This recipe makes just enough sauce to coat the chicken and a little extra to pour over your fluffy white rice. It’s quite tasty (and by that I mean salty), so don’t be tempted to increase the sauce quantities, it will be enough!
Speaking of sauce, it’s supposed to be eaten with soft white rice! The sauce and chicken pair perfectly with the virgin rice cloth provided. Of course, if you want, you can have it on your cereal of choice or even noodles. Add some cucumbers for a little freshness and crunch or a crispy fried egg for a little extra goodness.
Like all stir-fries, once you get started it goes quickly, so make sure you have all your ingredients prepared and your sauces measured before you even turn on the heat.
Is it spicy?
Yes, this is traditionally the case, but it is not required. If you’re not a fan of spice, feel free to reduce the amount of pepper, deseed the peppers, or leave them out completely.
chicken and rice forever,
xoxo steph
Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
This quick and easy Thai classic is an incredible flavor win for minimal work.
Serves 2
- 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon I am willow
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 5 cloves garlic ax
- 3-4 Thai chili pepper as the crow flies seeded and finely choppedsee note
- 1/2 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
- 20-30 leaves thai basil
- crispy fried egg if desired
- rice serve
-
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons water with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar.
-
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. When hot and shimmering, add the garlic and chilli, stirring for about 10-30 seconds – you don’t want them to burn or brown.
-
Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through.
-
Add the sauce and cook until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the chicken.
-
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil.
-
Enjoy immediately with fluffy white rice and a crispy egg, if desired.
Estimated nutrition does not include rice or eggs.
Nutrition Facts
Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
Amount per serving
Calories 306
Calories from fat 137
% daily value*
Fat 15.2g23%
Saturated fat 3.2 g20%
Cholesterol 101mg34%
Sodium 690mg30%
Potassium 312mg9%
Carbohydrates 6.8g2%
Fiber 0.2g1%
Sugar 3.6g4%
Protein 3.5g7%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Post Comment