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Thai Basil Chicken is a recipe your whole family will love. it is quick and easy to prepare in about 20 minutes and has amazing flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
I love stir fry meals because they are such a quick and easy way to throw together a yummy, nutritious, filling dinner. Thai Basil Chicken is all of those things and more and is always my choice when we go to a Thai restaurant.
When I found myself with a surplus of garden fresh tomatoes and a bunch of basil to use up last week and I remembered how good this recipe was. The green of the basil along with the red tomatoes makes for a pretty presentation and the taste is spot on.
Ingredients Needed
- Oil. Use canola or vegetable oil
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes.
- Onion. Yellow or white
- Chicken breasts. You could also use boneless skinless chicken thigh or ground chicken if you prefer.
- Oyster sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Soy sauce. I use low sodium soy sauce.
- Sugar. Could also use honey
- Fresh basil leaves. You can use Thai holy basil or sweet Italian basil.
- Tomatoes. Use your preferred tomato, I used a Roma.
Substitutions
- If you’d like to add a bit more heat to this dish you can substitute the red pepper flakes with some chopped up serrano chile or thai chilies. Add them in with the garlic.
- To make this dish gluten free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Leigh Anne’s tips
- Because we do a lot of stir fry there are certain Asian ingredients I always try to have on hand – soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce. All of them can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores or a local Asian grocery store. They are definitely worth keeping on hand.
How to Make Thai Basil Chicken
- Heat oil in a large skileet or wok over medium heat
- Add cloves garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir consistently for about a minute until fragrant, don’t let the garlic burn.
- Add the sliced onions. Cook until the onions are translucent, stirring every now and then, about five minutes.
- Add the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through
- Mix together the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sugar and add into chicken
- Stir until everything is well coated.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and sprinkle the tomatoes over the top of the mixture
- Tear the basil by hand and sprinkle it over the tomatoes
- While still on the stove over medium heat, let the tomatoes and basil sit, without stirring, for about 5 minutes to allow the basil to wilt slightly and the tomatoes to warm
- Stir the mixture until everything is well combined and heated through.
Serve This With:
- Jasmine Rice
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh spinach, red bell pepper, asparagus, broccoli florets, cauliflower and mushrooms would all be delicious!
Thai Basil has purple stems and a slightly serrated edge to the leaf. Thai basil has a more distinctive flavor, it is more of a licorice and spice flavor. The more traditional Italian sweet basil has a sweeter and more peppery flavor. I have used them both in this recipe.
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Thai Basil Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes If you like spicy, add a bit more
- 1 onion cut in half and sliced into thin strips
- 3 chicken breasts skinless, boneless
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce low sodium
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Thai basil about 1/2 cup, torn into pieces
- 2 large tomatoes chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes
- Stir consistently for about 30-60 seconds, until fragrant (don’t let the garlic burn!)
- Add the sliced onions
- Cook until the onions are translucent, stirring every now and then, about five minutes
- Add the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes, until browned and cooked through
- Mix together the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sugar and add into chicken
- Stir until everything is well coated
- Turn the heat down to medium low and sprinkle the tomatoes over the top of the mixture
- Tear the basil by hand and sprinkle it over the tomatoes
- While still on the stove over medium heat, let the tomatoes and basil sit, without stirring, for about 5 minutes to allow the basil to wilt slightly and the tomatoes to warm
- Stir the mixture until everything is well combined and heated through
- Serve immediately over rice
Tips & Notes:
- Because we do a lot of stir fry there are certain Asian ingredients I always try to have on hand – soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce. All of them can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores or a local Asian grocery store. They are definitely worth keeping on hand.
- If you can’t find Thai Basil you can substitute Italian sweet basil.
Nutrition Facts:
Originally post February 1, 2011
Recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Sherri Welch says
I am looking forward to trying this recipe. I was shocked by the Nutrition Facts however. Is that correct? 1567 calories Is that for the entire recipe?
Thanks for help
Sherri
Leigh Anne says
Sherri, Something is definitely wonky with the facts on this one. I went in and tried to fix it but it still says the same thing. I’m sure that is for the whole dish not per serving.
Lynaea says
Thai is my very favorite flavor. My sisters and I bond over great Thai. But I’m not great at making it myself…Thanks so much for posting another beautiful recipe! Your picture in blue with the pink background is darling, by the way…Lynaea @ EveryDayBloom.com
Leigh Anne says
Thanks! Thai food is a favorite here too.
Mary Jane Chucko says
Do you think it would work using cherry tomatoes. We have so many and I need to use them up.
Leigh Anne says
I think it would totally work with cherry tomatoes!
Tamara says
made this for dinner twice, its so good! Thai Basil Chicken is my favorite dish to order when we eat out. I use an entire head of garlic and a tablespoon of red pepper flakes, we like heat in my house!
Christi says
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely yummy! I did not use tomatoes and instead added red and green peppers and mushrooms. I think this is going to become a weekly meal, and there are so many variations on it that it could never get boring! Thanks for another great recipe:)