Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
Fragrant and savory, this Thai Basil Chicken recipe is simple, fast, and flavorful! Perfect for weeknight dinners or an easy delicious lunch. Ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
How to Make the Best Thai Basil Chicken
Thai Basil Chicken, known as Pad Krapow Gai in Thailand, is one of the most beloved street food dishes in Thai cuisine. This aromatic stir-fry combines tender ground chicken with the distinctive anise-like flavor of Thai basil, creating a dish that’s both comforting and exciting. The combination of savory fish sauce, sweet coconut sugar, and spicy chilies creates the perfect balance that Thai food is famous for.
What makes this recipe so perfect for busy weeknights is its simplicity—everything comes together in under 30 minutes. The key to success is having all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking, as the stir-frying happens quickly over high heat. Don’t skip the step of cooking the aromatics first and setting them aside; this technique ensures they don’t burn while allowing the chicken to get that beautiful caramelized exterior.
Serve this fragrant dish over steaming jasmine rice to soak up all the delicious sauce. For an authentic Thai street food experience, top it with a crispy fried egg. The runny yolk mixing with the savory chicken and rice is absolutely irresistible.
Thai Basil Chicken
Fragrant and savory, this Thai Basil Chicken recipe is simple, fast, and flavorful! Perfect for weeknight dinners or an easy delicious lunch. Ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Aromatics
Chicken
Sauce
Vegetables and Herbs
Instructions
Preparation
- If serving with rice, start that first.
- Heat up a pan or wok to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and the shallots, stir for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and hot peppers, stir for 2 minutes more until shallots are lightly brown on the edges. Scoop out into a bowl and set aside.
Cooking the Chicken
- Without cleaning out the pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil, turn the heat to high, add ground chicken, black pepper, and salt. Stir fry a couple of minutes until the chicken is cooked and starting to brown.
- Sprinkle coconut sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce over the chicken and stir until incorporated.
Finishing
- Add the red bell pepper strips and the shallot mixture. Cook for about a minute, just enough to warm, keeping the peppers tender crisp.
- Add basil leaves and turn the heat off.
- Serve over jasmine rice. Season with more soy sauce if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or crumbled extra firm tofu for the ground chicken.
- Thai chilies are spicier than Fresno chilies - adjust to your heat preference.
- Holy Basil (Tulsi) is the traditional choice, but Thai basil or regular basil work well too.
- If using regular basil, add a pinch of ground anise seeds for a more authentic flavor.
