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Thai

Thai Basil Chicken

Minced chicken is stir-fried with garlic and chiles, then finished with fish sauce and a handful of Thai basil. It tastes salty, spicy, and herbal, with the basil wilted but still bright.

Prep
15 min
Cook
12 min
Total
27 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Minced chicken stir-fry with Thai basil and red chiles over steamed rice

Why you’ll love it

  • Minced chicken cooks through quickly in a hot skillet.
  • Fish sauce and soy sauce season the meat without a long marinade.
  • Chiles go in with the garlic so the heat blooms in the oil.
  • Basil is added off the boil so it stays fragrant instead of brown.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let the pan cool slightly before continuing.

  2. 2

    Add the garlic and Thai chiles and stir for 20 seconds.

  3. 3

    Add the ground chicken and black pepper. Cook, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the chicken reaches 165°F, about 6 minutes.

  4. 4

    Stir in the bell pepper, fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Cook 2 minutes, until the pepper softens slightly.

  5. 5

    Turn off the heat and fold in the Thai basil until it wilts.

  6. 6

    Serve immediately.

Pro tips

  • Do not crowd the skillet or the ground chicken will steam.
  • Thai basil is more peppery than Italian basil; Italian basil is a backup, not the same flavor.
  • Slice the chiles thinner if you want the heat spread through every bite.

Easy substitutions

ground chicken
ground turkey, still cooked to 165°F
Thai chiles
1 jalapeño
fish sauce
extra soy sauce plus a squeeze of lime

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Reheating

Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until the chicken is hot, and add a few fresh basil leaves at the end.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
330
Protein
34 g
Carbs
8 g
Fat
18 g
Fiber
1 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop · Dairy-Free, High Protein

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From the kitchen

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Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients