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This Thai basil chicken is a fast and easy Thai stir fry made with chicken, Thai basil, and vegetables! Add chilis peppers for extra spice and serve with rice and a fried egg!
Thai basil chicken is a delicious Thai dish made with chicken, Thai basil, spicy chili peppers, and other vegetables! It’s known as ‘pad krapow gai’ in Thailand and is a popular dish that’s found in many Thai restaurants.
The chicken and vegetables are stir fried together with a sweet and savory sauce made of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce. Lastly a generous amount of Thai basil is added at the end to gently wilt and flavor the dish.
The taste is sweet, salty, and umami accented with bright basil flavor. It’s one of the best Thai stir fries you can make at home!
Ingredients
- Chicken – Both dark or white meat chicken works great. You can also use ground chicken.
- Thai basil – Found in most Asian grocery stores next to the fresh herbs. Substitute with other basil if Thai basil is unavailable.
- Chili peppers – For spicy Thai basil chicken, use serrano peppers, Thai chilis (bird’s eye chilis), or jalapeno peppers.
- Vegetables – I recommend using onions, bell peppers, green onions, green beans, or mushrooms.
How to Make Thai Basil Chicken
- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
- Stir fry the chicken over high heat. When the chicken is almost cooked, add the minced chilis.
- Add the vegetables and stir fry until tender but still crisp.
- Add the sauce and stir fry until the sauce has reduced and coats the chicken well. Be careful not to burn the sauce as it contains sugar.
- Turn off the heat and add the Thai basil leaves. Mix until the leaves have wilted then garnish with fresh slices of chili peppers and more basil leaves. Serve with rice and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- For the best stir fry results, keep the heat high to avoid steaming the ingredients which can create a soggy dish.
- Turn off the heat once you add the Thai basil. Overcooking herbs like basil can subdue their flavor. To keep the intensity and flavor of the basil, gently toss it with the chicken and allow it to wilt from the residual heat.
- For a spicy version, add Thai chilis to the dish (also called bird’s eye chili).
- The best way to store leftover basil is to wrap it in a damp paper towel and place it in a ziplock bag in the fridge.
FAQ
Thai basil can be found in most Asian or Thai grocery stores next to the fresh herb section.
Though Thai basil tastes best in this dish, you can substitute with any basil if it’s unavailable in your area.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please share, rate, or comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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Thanks so much for stopping by! ? -Jamie
More Thai recipes:
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Main Dishes
15 Minute Vegan Thai Peanut Noodles
Asian Recipes
5 Minute Thai Peanut Sauce Recipe
15 Minute Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken, cut into bite size pieces; about 1 lb
- 1 ¼ cup Thai basil, see Note 1
- 1 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup vegetables, chopped (onions, peppers, green beans)
- 2 stalk green onions
- red and green chili peppers, (optional for spice); minced
Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 ½ Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
Make Sauce
- Sauce: Add all the ingredients for the sauce together in a small bowl and set aside.1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 ½ Tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, 4 cloves garlic
Stir Fry
- Cook chicken: Heat your pan or wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil and the chicken. Stir fry until the chicken is almost cooked.
- Add vegetables: Next add the minced chili peppers (if using) and vegetables. Stir fry until fork tender but still crisp.
- Add sauce: Add the sauce and stir fry until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken. If you prefer less sauce, start with half.
- Add basil: Turn off the heat and toss in the basil, reserving a few leaves for garnish. The heat will soften and wilt the basil leaves. Garnish with fresh leaves and sliced peppers. Serve immediately with rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Thai basil – This recipe tastes best with Thai basil but you can substitute any basil if you can’t find it. It’s sold in most Asian grocery stores in the fresh herb section.
- Chicken – You can substitute with ground chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Great recipe and very easy. I served it with Costco Yakisoba noodles mixed in. I used ground chicken and added in onions, peppers, carrots and zucchini (kitchen clean-out!). Used a mix of Thai and regular basil plus parsley and some ginger. Very flavourful.