Thai Basil Chicken
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!
Servings: 4
Calories: 314kcal
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
Video
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
Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1510mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1549IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg
