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SPICY THAI BASIL CHICKEN is one of those meals that quickly becomes a family favorite. It’s easy and full of amazing flavor!
Now that the holiday is over and we are back from our trip to New York City, I’m trying to get back into a routine for cooking dinner. It is always a struggle for me after a holiday. This year I don’t have the excuse that I cooked too much on Thanksgiving since we ate in a restaurant but I’m still struggling. For me, the perfect solution to this struggle is to find a new and delicious recipe to try, something that gets me excited about cooking again and today’s recipe is it!
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. The Thai chilies are small!
How to Make Spicy Thai Basil Chicken
I used chicken thighs in this recipe which I really like but I know some people aren’t a fan of thighs so you can totally substitute in chicken breasts. You could even used ground beef with the recipe if you prefer. I also used Thai basil (which my local store had) but again, if you can’t find it, use the regular sweet basil that most grocery stores carry. Fresh basil is important though.
The chicken is chopped up pretty small and I love the texture that it gives the dish. I also added in some red pepper and chopped cashews to give it a little bit of crunch. Serve it over basmati or jasmine rice that is garnished with a little more fresh chopped basil. We loved this dish. I am normally not a fan of leftovers but I was glad that this made plenty so there were leftovers.
Some of my other favorite chicken dishes are:
My favorite kitchen items I used to make this SPICY THAI BASIL CHICKEN –
GOOD KNIFE – a good chopping and dicing knife is an important part of any kitchen. Be sure and keep your knife nice and sharp!
KNIFE SHARPENER – I keep this right in the same drawer as my knives. I will give my knife a couple of swipes before using and I’m good to go!
CUTTING BOARD – A bamboo cutting board is a great addition to your kitchen. It is naturally anti-bacterial and it doesn’t crack or warp like other boards can. It doesn’t dull your knives either.
LARGE FRYING PAN – This pan is probably the most used pan in my kitchen. I love that it has a lid!
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
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
Nutrition Facts:
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!!