Description
This Spicy Thai Basil Chicken recipe is a quick and flavorful stir-fry featuring tender chicken thighs cooked with garlic, shallots, and fragrant Thai basil leaves in a spicy, savory sauce. Perfectly balanced with a hint of sweetness and heat, this dish is served over hot steamed rice for a comforting and authentic Thai meal in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or as needed
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Main Dish
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup sliced shallots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced Thai chilies, Serrano, or other hot pepper
- 1 cup very thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
To Serve
- 2 cups hot cooked rice
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients: Collect all the ingredients needed for the recipe to ensure a smooth cooking process.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a bowl, whisk together chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar, and brown sugar until fully combined and smooth.
- Heat the Skillet and Cook Chicken: Place a large skillet on high heat and drizzle in vegetable oil. Add the coarsely chopped chicken thighs and stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw pink color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Aromatics and Chilies: Stir in sliced shallots, minced garlic, and minced Thai chilies. Continue cooking on high heat until some juices caramelize on the bottom of the skillet, roughly 2 to 3 minutes, which intensifies the flavors.
- Incorporate Sauce to Caramelize: Add about one tablespoon of the prepared sauce mixture to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce starts to caramelize, about 1 minute. This step adds a rich, deep flavor to the dish.
- Add Remaining Sauce and Glaze Chicken: Pour in the rest of the sauce mixture. Stir well to deglaze the pan, scraping up the caramelized bits. Continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens and glazes the chicken nicely, about 1-2 minutes. Then remove the skillet from heat.
- Add Fresh Basil: Stir in the very thinly sliced fresh basil leaves and cook for about 20 seconds until the basil is wilted and fragrant, enhancing the dish’s aromatic profile.
- Serve: Plate the spicy Thai basil chicken hot over freshly cooked rice. Enjoy immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Adjust the quantity of Thai chilies according to your heat preference.
- Use chicken thighs for juicier and more flavorful meat compared to chicken breasts.
- Fresh Thai basil is key to the authentic flavor; substitute with sweet basil only if unavailable.
- This dish cooks quickly, so prep all ingredients before starting to cook to ensure smooth workflow.
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice for an authentic Thai meal experience.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
