This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken is one of those meals that quickly becomes a family favorite. It’s easy and full of amazing flavor and one of our favorite Thai recipes!
Why You Will Love This Recipe!
There is nothing like a little kick to get those tastebuds going! This spicy thai basil chicken is spicy but not too spicy. I’m not a big fan of spicy. You can totally control the heat level with the amount of Thai chilies you use. I was able to find the Thai chilies in my local Safeway but if you can’t find them you can substitute in serrano or even jalapeno. Remember, the smaller the size of the pepper, the hotter it is and the Thai chilies are small!
Ingredients Needed
Don’t let the list of ingredients scare you off. This recipe is worth the effort!
- Chicken broth
- Oyster sauce. Found in the Asian aisle
- Soy sauce. You can use regular soy sauce, light soy sauce or dark soy sauce.
- Fish sauce. Found in the Asian aisle
- Sugar. You will need granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Ginger. You can use fresh, minced ginger or dry ginger. If using dry, use half the amount.
- Oil. I use canola or vegetable oil but you could also use avocado or any mild flavored oil.
- Chicken. My favorite is boneless, skinless chicken thighs but you can also use chicken breast. You could also substitute ground beef.
- Onion. White or yellow.
- Garlic. Use fresh cloves garlic.
- Chilies. Use Thai chilies or if you can’t find those, use a serrano chili or a jalapeno pepper.
- Red bell pepper.
- Thai holy basil leaves. You can substitute sweet basil but it does have a different flavor.
- Nuts. I always use cashews but you could substitute peanuts.
How to Make Spicy Thai Basil Chicken
- Dice or cut up chicken into small pieces. I love the texture the small pieces gives this dish.
- Mix together chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, brown sugar and ginger.
- In a large skillet, heat oil. Add in chicken and cook until it is no longer pink.
- Add in onions, garlic, red bell pepper and chilies. Cook until juices start to caramelize.
- Pour in sauce and cook until sauce thickens and caramelizes.
- Add in basil. Cook until basil is wilted, about 30 seconds. Stir in cashews
Serve this with:
- Rice. Use white rice or brown rice.
- Additional chopped fresh basil leaves.
- Chopped peanuts or cashews
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add in other veggies?
It would be delicious with green beans or snow peas. Stir-fry the veggies with the red peppers.
Can I make this gluten-free?
To make gluten free, replace the soy sauce with tamari sauce.
Try these other yummy recipes too!
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ginger
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 lb skinless, boneless, chicken thighs coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 4 tsp garlic minced
- 1-2 Tbsp Thai chilies or serrano minced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup cashews chopped
Instructions
- Mix together chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, brown sugar and ginger.
- In a large pan, heat oil. Add in chicken and cook until it is no longer pink. Add in onions, garlic, red pepper and chilies. Cook until juices start to caramelize.
- Add in sauce and cook until sauce thickens and caramelizes.
- Add in basil. Cook until basil is wilted, about 30 seconds. Stir in cashews
- Serve over rice, garnish with additional basil if desired
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
Lesa says
I’ve met it 20 times, authentic tasting
Rainer says
I love this recipe. Thank you!
Made it last night and it is as good as at my favorite Thai Restaurant.
I added snow peas which I seared with sesame oil in an extra pan.
Absolutely delicious!
Next time I will rost peanuts instead of cashews, because I think it fits better.
Greetings from Germany
Maya says
This was a very good recipe. However, it was a bit salty. I would suggest using low sodium chicken broth and low sodium soy sauce. Otherwise, this was very tasty.
Amanda says
This recipe was fantastic. I doubled the sauce but added only 3/4 of the doubled sauce to the chicken and the rest I used to saute some green beans to go with it. Served with rice and I will totally make this again. Thank you!
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
Great idea!
Chanda Harkins says
I didn’t have all the ingredients, but this turned out so yummy! Thanks for sharing. The basil really does make it.
Leigh Anne says
Glad you were able to make do with what you had and that you enjoyed it!
Jessica says
This dish is a favourite of mine at a Thai restaurant we visit, so I was very excited to recreate it! We were not disappointed!! This dish was phenomenal, just like the restaurant. I used 4 of those small green chilies and the spice level was Perfect! In the future I might use less chicken broth as I didn’t find the sauce thickened as much as I’d like. I just added a cornstarch slurry. Thai basil is one of my favourite ingredients, this recipe will be a regular on our supper rotation!! I think I will try adding other vegetables as well to make it more hearty!
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
So glad you loved it!!