Description
Thai Basil Chicken is a flavorful, easy-to-make stir-fry dish featuring ground chicken cooked with aromatic shallots, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, and a savory-spicy sauce, finished with fresh basil leaves. Served over fragrant jasmine rice, this quick 20-minute recipe offers a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors typical of Thai cuisine.
Ingredients
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
Protein
- 1 pound ground chicken (lean, diced chicken breast or ground turkey)
Sauce
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon fish sauce (or substitute hoisin sauce)
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (64g)
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Asian Garlic Chili Sauce (or Sambal Oelek, adjust to taste)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (114g)
- 1/4 cup water (57g)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Finishing & Serving
- 2/3 cup fresh basil leaves
- Cooked Jasmine rice, for serving
Instructions
- Sauté veggies: In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the thinly sliced shallots, garlic, minced ginger, and bell peppers. Stir-fry the vegetables for about 3 minutes until they are fragrant and slightly softened.
- Add chicken: Push the cooked vegetables to one side of the wok or skillet. Increase the heat to high, then add the ground chicken. Break the chicken into small pieces as it cooks, stirring frequently until fully cooked and no longer pink.
- Prepare and add sauce: In a small bowl, combine the light brown sugar, fish sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, Asian Garlic Chili Sauce, cornstarch, low-sodium chicken broth, and water. Stir well to dissolve the cornstarch. Pour this sauce mixture over the cooked chicken and vegetables in the pan. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the ingredients evenly.
- Finish with basil and serve: Add the fresh basil leaves to the pan. Stir-fry just until the basil wilts and releases its aroma. Remove from heat. Serve the Thai Basil Chicken hot over cooked jasmine rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of chili sauce to control the heat level of the dish according to your preference.
- Ground turkey can be used as an alternative to ground chicken.
- Use fresh basil leaves preferably Thai basil for the authentic flavor, but sweet basil is an acceptable substitute.
- If you prefer a gluten-free version, substitute soy sauce with tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
- For a vegetarian version, replace ground chicken with firm tofu and use vegetarian oyster sauce or mushroom sauce.