Description
A quick and flavorful dish of Spicy Thai Basil Chicken, also known as Pad Krapow Gai, made with tender chicken, aromatic basil, and a spicy-savory sauce. This vibrant Thai stir-fry balances spicy, sweet, and savory flavors perfectly.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup very thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- 2 cups hot cooked rice, for serving
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup sliced shallots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced Thai chilies, Serrano, or other hot pepper
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients for this spicy Thai basil chicken.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. This sauce mixture is the flavor foundation of your Pad Krapow Gai.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat.
- Add the vegetable oil.
- Add the chopped chicken thighs and stir-fry quickly until the chicken loses its raw appearance, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sliced shallots, minced garlic, and sliced chilies to the chicken.
- Continue stir-frying over high heat until you notice some caramelization happening at the bottom of the pan, approximately 2-3 more minutes.
- Pour about a tablespoon of your prepared sauce into the skillet and stir. Cook for about 1 minute until this begins to caramelize.
- Add the remaining sauce to the pan.
- Stir as the sauce deglazes the pan, picking up all those flavorful browned bits.
- Continue cooking until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the chicken with a glossy finish, about 1-2 minutes more.
- Remove the pan from heat and immediately stir in the basil leaves.
- Stir until the basil is wilted, about 20 seconds.
- Serve your Thai Basil Chicken immediately over hot cooked rice.
Notes
- Adjust the level of spiciness by using more or fewer chilies as preferred.
- For a low-carb option, serve over cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.
- Fresh Thai basil is highly recommended for its distinctive flavor, but regular basil can be used as a substitute.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 930mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
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