Spicy Thai Basil Chicken

Name: Spicy Thai Basil Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoon oil (canola, peanut oil or vegetable oil); 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped); 2 Thai bird’s eye chili (remove seeds if you want less spice); 2 green onion (white and green part separated); 10 oz ground chicken; 2 teaspoon oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce; 1 teaspoon light soy sauce; 1 teaspoon fish sauce; 1 tablespoon water (if needed); 1 teaspoon sugar; ¼ cup green onions; 1 bunch Thai basil (stem removed (or ordinary sweet Italian basil))

Last updated October 19, 2023. Originally posted November 29, 2019 By Jyothi Rajesh 5 Comments

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Spicy Thai basil chicken needs 15 minutes of your time to bring dinner to table. Homemade version is always better than expensive takeout versions, don’t you agree!

Thai Basil Chicken Recipe

Thai stir fry recipes are a boom when you want to make something real easy and fast for dinner. Packed with flavors of spicy, garlicky, fresh basil fragrant, the savory glaze on the chicken all that comes together in about 10 to 15 minutes.

Thai basil chicken recipe is not just quick to make, but it’s budget friendly too. It’s flavors are well balanced. With right amount of heat from Thai chilies, loads of fresh flavors from basil with rest of Thai flavors makes this dish incredibly delicious!

spicy Thai basil chicken in cast iron pan

Stir fry recipes are generally very healthy. It’s loaded with vegetables and different kinds of protein. You can throw in almost any vegetable of your choice into the stir fry pan and in matter of minutes your meal is ready!

If you are looking for quick-fix-meal-ideas for your family dinner for busy weekday, Thai basil chicken recipe is perfect for you and your family.

You’re sure to get best results with stir fry recipes if you cook it the authentic way, using the Chinese Wok. I also believe with home cooking, you should have the freedom to use whatever is available to you.

Confession – I still do not own a good Chinese wok*facepalm*! And it’s unbelievable as I do cook a good deal of Chinese, Thai and Asian dishes. I need to get myself an wok so I can enjoy the best tasting Asian food. Soon, definitely will be getting one soon!

Thai Basil

The big question is Thai basil same as normal sweet Italian basil. The answer is – YES & NO. Confused? Let me explain. Thai basil tastes close to sweet Italian basil. Thai basil is sweet flavored but has a hint of licorice taste to it( almost like aniseed flavor).

Can I Use Regular Basil Instead Of Thai Basil?

Thai basil is what you should be using in this Thai chicken stir fry recipe. But if it’s hard to find the authentic version of Thai basil, you can use ordinary Italian sweet basil (that’s what I have used in my video). Use a more of regular basil if you are substituting for Thai basil to get the same herb flavor as it would taste in authentic Thai basil chicken recipe from the streets of Thailand.

spicy Thai basil chicken over a bowl of rice

Is Thai Basil Chicken Recipe Spicy?

Usually Thai foods are spicy. Using Thai bird’s eye chili in the recipe means you are in for good spice kick from this dish. Except a good amount of heat from this chicken stir fry. I’m heat seeker definitely; the spice was perfect for me, in fact perfect for my kids too. They did not complain. We are used to eating spicy food. And chicken tastes better that way.

But if you are sensitive to spicy food, you can easily modify the recipe to make it as spicy or mild you want. Many ways to adjust the spice of the dish –

Use just 1 Thai red chili. Remove seeds and use just the flesh. Also to reduce the intensity of heat, instead of chopping the chilies fine, chop them up roughly. It would not make it very spicy.
Or substitute Thai red chilies with other mild chili types like serrano peppers or even bell pepper.
If making for kids who are sensitive to spicy food, replace serrano pepper with jalapenos.
And if you or your family doesn’t eat spicy food at all, leave out the chilies from the recipe.

Main Ingredients For Thai Basil Chicken

Ground chicken
Finely chopped garlic
Green onions (with white stem too)
Thai bird’s eye chilies
Oil (peanut oil, canola oil or vegetable oil)
Oyster sauce
Dark soy sauce
Light soy sauce
Fish sauce
White sugar
And Thai basil

How To Make Thai Basil Chicken Recipe

The secret to any stir fry recipe is really hot wok and keep moving everything. Do not leave the ingredients sit in the pan. Keep continuously stirring, moving everything. Cook on high heat, keep stirring and cook fast. Over cooking is a big no.

Heat up Chinese wok at high heat (if you don’t have wok use a cast iron pan instead). Add oil to heated wok.
Stir in finely chopped garlic, white green onions and Thai red chilies. Stir until garlic is aromatic.

Now add ground chicken into the wok. Using a spatula break ground chicken, keep stirring.

When chicken meat changes color, add oyster sauce, light and soy sauce along with fish sauce. Stir immediately to coat the sauce evenly.

Stir in the sugar as well. Stir everything to combine well.
Add in green onions, fresh basil leaves. Give it a quick stir and continue to stir. Wait until basil leaves are wilted. Should take about a minute or less on high heat.

Stir everything together and remove the pan from heat.
Serve this spicy Thai basil chicken over bed of jasmine rice garnished with few fresh basil leaves, chopped Thai red chilies if you like.
Serve hot. Gai pad krapow tastes great with jasmine rice. You can also serve it with lettuce leaves. Spoon in generous serving of Thai basil chicken over lettuce leaves, roll it up and eat!

Inspired to cook Thai recipes?

Check these out –

Thai Panang Chicken Curry

Thai Butternut Squash Curry

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Shrimp Pad Thai Noodles

Rice Paper Rolls With Thai Mango Dipping Sauce

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