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20 Minute Thai Basil Chicken

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4 from 24 reviews

This 20 Minute Thai Basil Chicken recipe is a quick and flavorful stir-fry dish featuring ground chicken sautéed with garlic, chilies, and fragrant Thai basil. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it combines savory soy and fish sauces with a touch of sweetness and heat, served over steamed rice and topped with a fried egg and crunchy prawn crackers.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

  • ½ cup brown onion or shallot, diced or roughly chopped
  • 8 oz ground chicken
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped or pressed
  • ½ cup Thai basil or regular basil
  • 1 medium red chili, chopped roughly
  • 1 medium mild hot green pepper, chopped
  • Avocado oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (low sodium and gluten-free if possible)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or 2 teaspoons liquid honey
  • 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce or sriracha (or other hot sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

For Serving and Garnish

  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 2–3 stalks green onion, chopped for garnish
  • More basil leaves
  • Sesame seeds
  • Prawn crackers
  • 2 fried eggs

Instructions

  1. Prep Aromatics: Finely chop the garlic cloves or use a garlic press, and roughly chop the green chilies to prepare them for cooking.
  2. Sauté Onions and Aromatics: Heat avocado oil in a nonstick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add diced onions or shallots and sauté for a few minutes until softened. Then add the garlic and green chilies, cooking for about 30 seconds until fragrant, making sure there is enough oil to carry the aroma.
  3. Cook the Chicken: Add the ground chicken to the pan. Cook it, breaking it up with a spatula, until it is no longer pink but still juicy, taking care not to overcook and dry it out.
  4. Add Sauces and Peppers: Stir in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, maple syrup (or honey), garlic chili sauce (or sriracha), oyster sauce, and fish sauce. Add the chopped red chili and the basil leaves. Mix well to combine all the flavors.
  5. Wilt the Basil: Stir continuously until the basil wilts but retains its vibrant green color. If the mixture seems too dry, add a splash of water to create more sauce.
  6. Serve: Serve the Thai basil chicken over steamed rice. Top each serving with a fried egg and prawn crackers for extra texture and creaminess. Garnish with chopped green onions, additional basil leaves, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Notes

  • You can substitute regular basil if Thai basil is unavailable, but it will alter the flavor slightly.
  • Adjust the amount of chili according to your preferred spice level.
  • Use gluten-free soy sauce and oyster sauce if you need the recipe to be gluten-free.
  • Maple syrup or honey adds a subtle sweetness; choose based on availability or dietary preference.
  • For a vegetarian option, substitute ground chicken with tofu and use vegetarian oyster sauce.

Find it online: https://yumfoodusa.com/20-minute-thai-basil-chicken/