Thai basil chicken is a savory stir-fry that combines tender chicken with the distinctive flavor of holy basil, garlic, and Thai chilis. It’s a famous Thai street food dish that’s ready in under 30 minutes. This quick and flavorful Thai recipe is perfect for weeknight dinners when served over jasmine rice with a fried egg on top.
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What is Thai Basil Chicken?
In this Thai chicken recipe, basil is the star! Also known as “pad krapaw gai”, it’s a popular dish found at street food stalls and restaurants in Thailand.
This Thai basil recipe is perfect for a quick lunch for Thai working people – most street vendors can prepare it in under five minutes, making it Thailand’s version of fast food but much more flavorful and fresh!
What I love about pad krapow is how it uses relatively few ingredients but has big flavor! It’s become one of my go-to comfort meals when I need something satisfying but don’t have much time.
Authentic Thai chicken basil recipes use holy basil (bai krapow), which is different from Italian or Thai basil. It has a peppery flavor, and the leaves have jagged edges rather than smooth edges.
Fish sauce, oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce create a perfect combination of flavors that puts this recipe in competition with your favorite restaurant version.
To make this real street-food style, serve the chicken over jasmine rice with a Thai-style fried egg (kai dao) on top. The runny yolk creates a natural sauce that goes so well with the chicken and rice.
Another traditional accompaniment is to serve it with some nam pla prik, which is a Thai chili fish sauce.
You’ll probably need to visit an Asian grocery store for ingredients like Thai basil and Thai fish sauce, but it’s so worth the effort!
➡ Have you tried my favorite Thai recipes? Try Instant Pot Thai red curry chicken or stovetop red curry pork. Thai bbq chicken is great for summer grilling. Green, yellow, panang, and massaman are all coconut milk curries popular among my readers!
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Thai Basil Chicken
💡 Cook’s Tips for Thai Chicken Basil
🌿 Holy Basil: If you can find holy basil (bai krapow), lucky you! – It has a distinctly different flavor from Italian or Thai sweet basil. In India, it’s called tulsi. If you can’t find holy basil, Thai basil is an acceptable substitute (it’s what I frequently use). Italian basil can also work, but it will create a milder dish. Turn the heat off 15 seconds after adding the basil. It will continue to cook with the residual heat.
🌶️ Thai Chilis: Thai bird’s eye chilis provide the authentic heat level. I use 3 chilis, but adjust according to your spice tolerance. To reduce the heat, remove the seeds before chopping. For more spicy Thai basil chicken, add more chili peppers.
🍗 Chicken: You can use ground chicken or thinly diced chicken. Ground chicken is easier and saves time. For diced chicken, I prefer to use chicken thighs because they hold up better to high-heat stir-frying.
🐟 Fish Sauce: I like to use Red Boat brand fish sauce, a great quality fish sauce.
🍶 Dark Sweet Soy Sauce: Dark sweet soy sauce, used in Thai cuisine, is a thick, syrupy, dark-colored soy sauce with a molasses-like sweet and slightly salty flavor. I like Healthy Boy brand. If you can’t get it, use Kecap Manis (an Indonesian soy sauce) or substitute with regular soy sauce and one teaspoon of sugar.
🏺 Oil: Use a neutral oil with a high smoke point, like vegetable or peanut oil, for stir-frying. Make sure the oil is hot before adding ingredients.
🥣 Prep: Stir-frying happens very quickly over high heat. Make sure everything is prepped and ready before you start cooking, as the entire process takes just a few minutes once your pan is hot.
🥘 Stir Frying: The shallots, garlic, and chilis should sizzle when they hit the oil, but keep an eye on them. When you smell the garlic’s fragrance blooming (about 15 seconds in), that’s your cue to add the chicken. If the garlic starts to brown, you’ve gone too far, and it might become bitter.
🕖 Serving: For best results, serve immediately after cooking. The basil wilts quickly and loses its vibrant flavor if the dish sits too long.
🍳 Egg: Top each serving with a Thai-style fried egg for the most authentic presentation. To make a Thai-style egg, fry the egg in three tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. The egg should sizzle loudly when it hits the oil. When the egg’s edges become crispy, remove the egg from the heat.
🌶️ Nam Pla Prik: Thai chili fish sauce is a condiment that’s commonly served with Thai dishes. It’s a great way to customize the spiciness of this dish to each person’s taste, and a little goes a long way! Mix the following ingredients together and let them sit for about 15 minutes.
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 Thai bird’s eye chilis, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
❓ FAQS
Ground pork is a common alternative in Thailand and tastes excellent. You can also use ground turkey for a leaner option or crumbled firm tofu for a vegetarian version. Press tofu well before cooking to remove excess moisture and adjust the sauce quantity as needed.
Fish sauce provides a distinctive flavor to Thai recipes. While you can substitute soy sauce, the flavor will be noticeably different. If you’re making this substitution for vegetarian purposes, look for vegetarian “fish sauce”.
♨️ How to Stir Fry Thai Basil Chicken
- Stir the sauces together and set aside.
- If using chicken pieces instead of ground chicken, chop the chicken into tiny pieces.
- Heat oil and saute shallots, garlic, and chili peppers until the garlic is fragrant, about 15 to 20 seconds. Make sure it doesn’t burn!
- Add the chicken and saute until no longer pink. If the chicken sticks to the bottom, add some broth to deglaze. Use broth only as needed. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the sauces and stir-fry till the chicken is coated.
- Add basil and stir-fry until wilted. Turn off the heat. Serve over jasmine rice, topped with a slightly runny fried egg. Serve with Nam pla prik on the side.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoon Thai sweet soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup shallots thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 3 Thai bird’s eye chilis minced (adjust to taste)
- 1 lb ground chicken or boneless chicken thighs, chopped finely (½ kilo)
- 2 to 4 tablespoon low sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 cup Thai basil or holy basil, loosely packed [See Note 1]
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 2 teaspoon Thai sweet soy sauce. Set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add ¼ cup shallots, 1 tablespoon garlic and 3 Thai bird’s eye chilis (or to taste!) When you smell the garlic's fragrance (about 15-20 seconds in), that's when you add the chicken in the next step. If the garlic starts to brown, it might become bitter.
- Add 1 lb ground chicken or chicken pieces and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the 2 to 4 tablespoon low sodium chicken broth to deglaze only if needed. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. [See Note 2]
- Pour in the sauce mixture and continue to stir-fry for another minute, making sure the chicken is evenly coated.
- Turn off the heat and add the 1 cup Thai basil (or holy basil leaves). Stir just until the basil is wilted, about 30 seconds.
- Serve the Thai basil chicken over jasmine rice. Optionally, top with a fried egg and serve with nam pla prik (Thai chili fish sauce) condiment on the side for authentic flavor. [See Notes 3 and 4]
Notes
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon shallots, thinly sliced
- 2-3 Thai bird’s eye chilis, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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