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Skip the takeout and cook up this stir fried Thai basil chicken in less than 20 minutes. Wonderfully fragrant with just the right amount of spice, ground chicken is cooked with fresh veggies and chilies in a sweet and savory sauce.
Thai takeout is one of my weaknesses, but lately, instead of ordering in, I’ve been making up this delicious Thai basil chicken recipe.
So fragrant and with a spicy kick, this has very quickly become a favorite in our house. I also love it because I generally have most of the ingredients to hand so I can whip it up at a moment’s notice.
If you love Thai food as much as I do, this is a must-make recipe!
Why you will love this Thai basil chicken recipe!
- One pan: All cooked in one skillet or wok, even the clean up is a breeze, which is always a blessing!
- Quick and easy: Because this is a stir-fried dish it is super quick to cook and ready to serve in less than 20 minutes, perfect after a busy day.
- Healthier: Low in saturated fat and with fewer salts, sugar, and preservatives compared to your regular takeout. Still enjoy all those delicious flavors but in a healthier way.
Ingredients
- Oil: For cooking. I like to use olive oil, but sesame, peanut, coconut, or vegetable oil will work well.
- Sauces: Oyster, soy, and fish sauce give this Thai basil sauce a salty and umami flavor. If you are gluten-free, you can use tamari in place of soy sauce.
- Honey: A little honey adds a nice sweetness to the dish that works so well with the other flavors in the sauce. Maple syrup can also be used.
- Vegetables: Red bell pepper, green beans, green onions, and a few cloves garlic.
- Chicken: Make this stir fry dish with ground chicken. It’s a great option as it cooks really quickly and is low in saturated fat. Optionally, you could also use chopped-up chicken thighs or skinless chicken breasts.
- Thai chilies: Thai chilies are pretty hot, so use as much or as little depending on your tastes.
- Thai basil leaves: Thai holy basil leaves have an aniseed type of smell and flavor and also are slightly spicy. You can find them at any Asian grocery store.
How to make Thai basil chicken stir fry
- Heat the oil in a heavy, high-walled large skillet (or a wok) over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and honey until well combined.
- Add the bell pepper and green beans to the hot wok and stir-fry for one minute. Add in the chicken and stir-fry, breaking apart as you go, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the green onions, garlic, and Thai chilies. Cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Then, pour in the prepared sauce. Continue to cook for about 1-2 more minutes.
- Stir in the Thai basil leaves and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, the basil is wilted, and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Serve warm with rice.
Can you make this dish with regular basil?
Thai basil does have a different flavor to the Italian style basil that is used for pesto and has a real punch of flavor. If you can’t get Thai basil, you can substitute it with regular Italian sweet basil, but add in a little fresh mint leaf too. Thai basil has purple stems and its leaves are much thinner.
Can you make this recipe with different meat?
This Thai basil chicken recipe can easily be adapted to use ground turkey or beef if you prefer. You could also use ready-cooked chicken and add it to the dish with the basil leaves and heat it through to serve.
Can you make it ahead of time?
This basil chicken stir fry dish is so quick and easy to cook that it’s perfect for a quick and easy dinner to enjoy straight away. If you do have leftovers, they will keep well for up to 4 days in the fridge and can be reheated on the stovetop to serve.
What do you serve it with?
I love to serve this Thai chicken with basil dish over some white Jasmine rice or cauliflower rice for a hearty, well-balanced, and delicious main meal. Rice noodles would also work great.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Recipe Notes and Tips for the best Stir Fry Chicken with Thai Basil
- Make this dish as spicy or as mild as you like by adjusting the amount of chilies used.
- You can mix up the veggies depending on what you have to hand. Matchstick carrots or peas are great additions.
- Stir the dish while cooking so that everything cooks evenly and nothing sticks.
- Use a large skillet or a wok.
- Have all your ingredients prepped before firing up the skillet/wok, things move fast!
More Chicken Recipes
Thai Basil Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 ounces green beans, cut in half
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
- 6 green onions stalks, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 minced Thai chilies, or to taste
- 1 cup very thinly sliced fresh Thai basil leaves
- Jasmine rice, to serve
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oil in a heavy, high-walled skillet (or a wok) over high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and honey until well-combined.
- Add the red bell pepper and green beans to the hot wok and stir-fry for one minute. Add in the chicken and stir-fry, breaking apart as you go, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the green onions, garlic, and Thai chilies. Cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Then, pour in the prepared sauce. Continue to cook for about 1-2 more minutes.
- Stir in the Thai basil leaves and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, the basil is wilted, and the liquid has mostly evaporated. Serve warm with rice.
TIPS & NOTES
- Make this dish as spicy or as mild as you like by adjusting the amount of chilies used.
- You can mix up the veggies depending on what you have to hand. Matchstick carrots or peas are great additions.
- Stir the dish while cooking so that everything cooks evenly and nothing sticks.
- Use a large skillet or a wok.
- Have all your ingredients prepped before firing up the skillet/wok, things move fast!
NUTRITION
Use the tag #DeliciousMeetsHealthy when posting a picture of your recipe, and make sure to follow @deliciousmeetshealthy on Instagram!
Didn’t make this yet but sounds really good. One question though – the ingredients include green onions; no mention of shallots. Yet the instructions call for adding the shallots to the mix, no mention of green onions. Which ingredient should be used?
You can use green onions. I just updated the instructions to include green onions. Thanks for pointing this out!
OK, I made this tonight, and I have to say, it was fantastic! Pretty much followed the recipe exactly – only change was, I used brown sugar instead of honey. This reminded me very much of the basil chicken I used to get from street vendors in Bangkok. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks!