Description
This Thai Basil Chicken recipe is a quick and flavorful stir-fry featuring ground chicken cooked with aromatic Thai bird chilies, shallots, garlic, and fragrant holy basil leaves. Perfect for a fast weeknight dinner, it combines savory, spicy, and slightly sweet flavors, served best over steamed rice for a classic Thai meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 to 4 tablespoons oil
- 3 Thai bird chilies or Holland chilies, de-seeded if desired and thinly sliced
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 pound ground chicken
Seasonings & Sauces
- 2 teaspoons sugar (or honey)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth (or water)
Herbs
- 1 bunch holy or Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat the oil: In a wok over high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering to prepare for stir-frying.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the sliced chilies, shallots, and garlic to the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened, releasing their flavors.
- Add chicken: Add the ground chicken to the wok. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, breaking it into small bits, until it is partially cooked through.
- Season: Stir in the sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce, mixing well to combine the flavors. Cook for another minute to deepen the taste.
- Deglaze: Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Cook quickly over high heat until the liquid mostly evaporates, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add basil: Remove the wok from the heat. Add the Thai basil leaves and stir until wilted and fragrant. Serve hot over steamed rice immediately.
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of chilies depending on your spice tolerance; removing seeds will reduce heat.
- Substitute the ground chicken with ground turkey or pork if preferred.
- If holy or Thai basil is unavailable, sweet basil can be used as an alternative.
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice for an authentic Thai experience.
- Use low sodium soy sauce to control salt levels.
