One Pan Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
, Updated May 27, 2025
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This Thai Basil Chicken recipe is packed with flavor and cooks in less than 30 minutes. Tender chicken in a salty, sweet and spicy sauce that will have you hooked at first bite. This beloved Thai dish is easy to make at home and will taste even better than takeout!
Love Thai Flavors? Try my addicting Crispy Rice Salad recipe!
Thai Basil Chicken used to be my fave dish when visiting my local Thai restaurant or ordering takeout. Then I foolishly had some at 39 weeks pregnant and let’s just say the combination of spice and pregnancy didn’t work so well! It took me a looooong time to come round to loving this stir-fried chicken with basil again.
But LOVE it I do and I am sure you will fall for its charms as well. This dish will grab you from the get-go – the aroma of the stir fry is so captivating that my entire family, including three dogs and cat, came to the kitchen to salivate. And yet for something so ridiculously delicious it is surprisingly easy to make.
What’s Pad Krapow Gai?
The Thai name for this dish is very descriptive. “Pad” means “stir-fried,” “krapow” means “holy basil,” and “gai” means “chicken.” So, chicken krapow translates as “stir-fried holy basil chicken.”
This dish is made with minced or diced chicken and includes garlic, Thai chilies, oyster, soy and fish sauce, with holy basil, or Thai basil, taking center stage.
Holy basil is THE key ingredient in authentic Thai chicken krapow recipes. It has a strong flavor, similar to liquorice and cloves. Thai Basil meanwhile has more of an aniseed flavor with a hint of spice.
Here’s what you will need
This Thai-inspired recipe uses a handful of specialty ingredients. Most are readily available at large supermarkets or Asian grocery stores but I have provided substitutions just in case!
- The sauce uses light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Thai fish sauce (nam pla), oyster sauce, brown sugar and a little cornstarch slurry. The intense salty umami / flavors of the sauces are balanced by the sugar.
- Chicken – skinless and boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces. You can also use minced or ground chicken thighs.
- The aromatics – garlic, onion, scallions / green onions and green or red Thai chilies (also known as Bird’s Eye chilies). If you can’t find Thai chilies you can use serrano peppers or even scotch bonnets.
- Vegetables – some recipes include vegetables and others do not. I always add some to sneak some veggies into my kids 😉 Bell peppers, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, snow peas and zucchini all work well.
- Holy basil – the star ingredient but also the hardest to source… Using holy basil ensures an authentic taste. Thai Basil is the next best substitute and failing that you can use regular sweet basil. Although it has a milder flavor it still creates one dynamite basil chicken!
How to make Thai Basil Chicken
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir well so as to dissolve the sugar. Dice the chicken into small cubes and trim any fat. Prepare all remaining ingredients as this dish cooks quickly!
- Heat the oil in a wok, large skillet or chef’s pan over high heat. Add the sliced onion, garlic and chili and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the diced chicken and cook for 3 minutes, stirring.
- Stir in the white parts of the scallions, pepper and green beans, and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
- Add the sauce and dark green parts of the scallions and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, just until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Stir in the chopped basil at the end until it starts to wilt and release its intoxicating aroma. Serve over rice or noodles.
Thai Basil Stir Fry Variations
The classic Thai basil chicken recipe can be endlessly customized to suit your individual preferences. Here are some suggestions:
- Vary the protein: Use ground turkey, beef or shrimp instead of the chicken. Make sure not to overcook the shrimp if using, they only need about 3 minutes to cook, just as soon as they turn pink.
- For a low-carb variation, simply replace the sugar with a keto sweetener like Sukrin and serve over cauliflower rice or zero noodles.
- Vegan / vegetarian variation: Use crumbled tofu, tempeh, or plant-based mince alternative and omit the fish sauce or use a vegan fish sauce.
Recipe notes
- You can substitute the light and dark soy sauce with Japanese soy sauce or Tamari / coconut aminos. Do not use just dark soy sauce however – it is far too salty and can easily overwhelm your stir fry.
- Thai chilies are spicy so make sure to wear gloves when handling them (and avoid touching your eyes like I did…). Remove the membrane and seeds to temper the heat. If you love a proper SPICY pad krapow gai, add 2 chilies instead of one.
- Add any vegetables, if using, in the order of cooking time. Choose vegetables that cook quickly and don’t overcook them – they need to keep a little snap and bite!
- Storage Tips: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze this dish for up to 1 month. - Reheating: Gently reheat in a pan with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce and prevent drying.
Serving Suggestions
- Jasmine Rice or Sticky Rice – Soft, fragrant rice soaks up all that addicting sauce like a dream! There’s plenty of ready cooked options available these days if you don’t want to prepare the rice from scratch. If you do, a rice cooker is an excellent gadget for your collection 🙂
- Fried Egg – A must if you’re going authentic! A crispy-edged, runny-yolked fried egg (kai dao) on top adds richness and stretches leftovers further.
- Cucumber Slices – Cool, crunchy cucumber balance the heat and add a refreshing texture.
HAVE YOU MADE THIS THAI BASIL CHICKEN RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day! I have also just launched my TikTok channel and would love to meet you there 🙂
Thai Basil Chicken
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 2 tsp cornstarch diluted in 2 tbsp cold water
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
For the chicken
- 2 tbsp neutral oil , or as needed
- 1 large onion , thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic , thinly sliced
- 1 Thai birds-eye chili , sliced (see notes!)
- 1 ½ lb (675g) chicken thighs , boneless & skinless, cubed
- 1 bunch scallions (spring onions) divided into white and dark green pieces
- 1 red bell pepper , chopped
- 1 cup (125g) green beans , sliced
- 1 cup basil leaves , holy basil / Thai basil / sweet basil, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir well so as to dissolve the sugar. Dice the chicken into small cubes and trim any fat. Prepare all remaining ingredients as this dish cooks quickly!2 tsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Heat the oil in a wok, large skillet or chef’s pan over high heat. Add the sliced onion, garlic and chili and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.2 tbsp neutral oil, 1 large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 Thai birds-eye chili
- Add the diced chicken and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until sealed.1 ½ lb (675g) chicken thighs
- Stir in the white parts of the scallions, pepper and green beans, and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.1 bunch scallions (spring onions), 1 red bell pepper, 1 cup (125g) green beans
- Add the sauce and dark green parts of the scallions and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has reduced.
- Stir in the chopped basil at the end until it starts to wilt and release its intoxicating aroma. Serve over rice or noodles.1 cup basil leaves
Notes
- You can substitute the light and dark soy sauce with Japanese soy sauce or Tamari / coconut aminos. Do not use just dark soy sauce however – it is far too salty and can easily overwhelm your stir fry.
- Thai chilies are spicy so make sure to wear gloves when handling them (and avoid touching your eyes like I did…). Remove the membrane and seeds to soften the heat. If you love a proper SPICY pad krapow gai, add 2 chilies instead of one.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
