Thai Food Recipe Ideas: Thai Basil Chicken

Thai basil chicken, or pad kra pao–style chicken, is a quick Thai-inspired stir-fry of ground chicken, chiles, garlic, savory sauce, and fragrant basil, served over jasmine rice. It works for a weeknight because the sauce comes together in minutes, and you can adjust the chile level or use easy-to-find basil without losing the dish’s lively, savory character.

Ingredients

1½ cups (285 g) jasmine rice
2¼ cups (540 ml) water, for the rice
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil, such as canola or peanut oil
4 garlic cloves (about 12 g), finely chopped
2 Thai bird’s-eye chiles (about 4 g), thinly sliced, or 1 small serrano chile (about 10 g)
1 small shallot (about 40 g), finely chopped
1 pound (450 g) ground chicken
1½ tablespoons (22 ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) oyster sauce
1 teaspoon (5 ml) light soy sauce
1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water, for the stir-fry sauce
1½ packed cups (about 20 g) Thai basil leaves, preferably holy basil
1 lime (about 60 g), cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

Rinse and start the rice. Put the jasmine rice in a bowl, cover it with cool water, swirl gently, and pour off the cloudy water. Repeat two or three times, until the water is less cloudy. Drain well, then add the rice and 2¼ cups (540 ml) fresh water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir once, cover, and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and leave the covered pan to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare and cook the chicken. Fluff the rice gently with a fork before serving.
Prepare the aromatics and sauce. While the rice cooks, chop the garlic and shallot and slice the chiles. In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water until the sugar dissolves. Pick the basil leaves from any tough stems, then set the leaves aside. Having these components ready matters: the stir-fry cooks quickly, and basil can lose its fresh aroma if it sits in a hot pan too long.
Cook the aromatics. Set a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil; when it shimmers, add the garlic, chiles, and shallot. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Keep the mixture moving and lower the heat if the garlic starts to brown; burnt garlic can make the finished dish bitter. If you are sensitive to chile fumes, use ventilation and avoid leaning over the pan.
Brown the chicken. Add the ground chicken and break it into small pieces with a spatula. Spread it out across the pan, then let it sit briefly between stirs so it can brown rather than steam. Cook for about 7–9 minutes, stirring and breaking up larger clumps, until no pink remains. Check the thickest pieces with an instant-read food thermometer; ground poultry must reach 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature. If the meat releases liquid, keep cooking until the liquid mostly evaporates and the chicken begins to sizzle again.
Season and finish. Pour the prepared sauce around the chicken and toss until evenly coated. Cook for about 1 minute, allowing the sauce to reduce slightly and cling to the meat. Turn off the heat, add the basil, and toss for 20–30 seconds, just until the leaves wilt. Taste a small bite. Add a little more fish sauce for saltiness or a squeeze of lime for brightness, if needed; the sauce should be savory and balanced, not watery.
Serve while hot. Divide the rice among four bowls or plates and spoon the basil chicken over or beside it. Offer lime wedges at the table. Keep any extra sauce in the pan and spoon it over the rice so the grains pick up the garlicky, savory juices.

Tips

Choose the basil with the flavor you want. Holy basil is traditional for pad kra pao and has a peppery, clove-like edge, but it can be difficult to find outside Thai or Southeast Asian grocery stores. Thai sweet basil is a practical substitute and tastes sweeter with a mild anise note. Regular Italian basil works in a pinch, though the result is less distinctly Thai; add it at the very end so its softer leaves do not overcook.
Control the heat before cooking. Bird’s-eye chiles can be much hotter than a serrano. Start with one chile, remove its seeds for a gentler result, or leave chiles out and pass sliced chile at the table. Avoid adding extra chile late in the cooking; raw slices can taste sharper than chiles briefly fried with the aromatics.
Use a wide, hot pan. A crowded pan traps moisture and steams the chicken, making it pale and soft rather than lightly browned. If your skillet is small, brown the chicken in two batches, then return it all to the pan to add the sauce. Keep the garlic moving so it perfumes the oil without turning dark.
Adjust the salty ingredients thoughtfully. Fish sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce all contribute salt, and their brands vary. Measure the first time you make the recipe, then taste before adding anything extra. If you need a substitute for oyster sauce, use vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce in the same amount; it gives a similar savory sweetness but changes the flavor slightly.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the chicken over freshly cooked jasmine rice, which is fragrant and absorbs the savory sauce well. For a more substantial meal, add a simple cucumber salad dressed with rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and a little salt. Its cool crunch offsets the warm chile and garlic without competing with the basil. Steamed green beans, crisp-tender broccoli, or lightly sautéed Asian greens are also easy sides; keep their seasoning restrained so the main dish remains the focus.

A lime wedge is useful at the table because a little fresh acidity can lift the fish sauce and balance the savory, lightly sweet sauce. If you are serving people with different spice preferences, keep the base mild and offer thinly sliced fresh chiles separately. This is a casual bowl meal, so rice and chicken can be served together or in separate dishes for everyone to portion as they like.

Variations

Make it with another protein: Ground pork is a common alternative and gives the dish a richer flavor. Cook it thoroughly to 160°F (71°C), the USDA FSIS safe minimum for ground meat. Ground turkey also works, but it is leaner, so take care not to overcook it; poultry must reach 165°F (74°C). For a vegetarian version, use crumbled firm tofu or plant-based mince and replace fish sauce and oyster sauce with vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce or a combination of soy sauce and a little extra water. The flavor will be less fish-sauce-forward but still savory.

Change the vegetables: Add thinly sliced green beans, bell pepper, or a handful of chopped mushrooms. Cook firm vegetables with the shallot for a few minutes before adding the chicken; add quick-cooking vegetables near the end so they stay bright. Extra vegetables release moisture, so let the liquid cook off before adding the sauce.

Make it less salty or sweeter: If you prefer a gentler sauce, reduce the fish sauce to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) and add a teaspoon of water. For a more rounded sweetness, increase the sugar by ½ teaspoon (2 g), rather than adding a large amount at once. These adjustments move away from a punchy, savory balance, so taste as you go.

Serve with noodles: Instead of rice, serve the chicken over cooked rice noodles. Prepare the noodles according to their package directions and drain them well. Toss them with the finished chicken just before serving, adding a spoonful of water if needed to loosen the sauce. The noodles soften more quickly than rice, so make them close to serving time.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftover chicken and rice within 2 hours of cooking, preferably in separate shallow, airtight containers so they cool promptly. They keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. The basil will darken and lose some of its fresh aroma after storage, but the chicken remains flavorful. For the best texture, add fresh basil only when making a new batch rather than storing extra leaves mixed into the leftovers.

Reheat only the portion you plan to eat. Warm the chicken in a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon (15 ml) of water, stirring until steaming hot throughout, or microwave it covered in short intervals, stirring between intervals. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), checking with a food thermometer. Reheat rice with a splash of water to restore moisture and ensure it is steaming hot throughout. Avoid repeatedly cooling and reheating the same portion.

To freeze, cool the chicken and rice promptly, pack them separately in freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat to 165°F (74°C). Frozen basil chicken may be a little softer after thawing, so add a few fresh basil leaves or a squeeze of lime after reheating if you have them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Thai basil chicken the same as pad kra pao?
It is a home-cook-friendly version of pad kra pao, a Thai stir-fry named for holy basil. Recipes vary by cook and region, and many versions use pork, chicken, or another protein with different chile and sauce proportions. Holy basil gives the most characteristic peppery aroma, but Thai sweet basil is a widely used practical alternative when holy basil is unavailable.

Can I use chicken breast instead of ground chicken?
Yes. Chop boneless, skinless chicken breast into very small pieces, or pulse it briefly in a food processor to make a coarse mince. Small, evenly sized pieces cook quickly and take on the sauce well. Cook all poultry to 165°F (74°C), checking the thickest pieces with a food thermometer; do not rely on color alone.

What can I use instead of fish sauce?
For a vegetarian alternative, use soy sauce or vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce in place of the fish sauce. Start with the same measured amount, then taste because these substitutes differ in saltiness and sweetness. The dish will lose fish sauce’s distinctive fermented savoriness, but the garlic, basil, and chile still make a flavorful stir-fry.

Why did my chicken turn watery?
A pan that is not hot enough, or one that is too crowded, can cause the chicken to release liquid and simmer instead of brown. Use a wide skillet, preheat it well, and cook in batches if needed. Continue cooking until most of the liquid evaporates before you add the sauce; otherwise the finished dish can be thin and diluted.

Can I make the stir-fry ahead?
You can chop the aromatics and mix the sauce up to a day ahead, storing them covered in the refrigerator. For the freshest basil flavor and best chicken texture, cook the stir-fry shortly before serving. If you do cook it ahead, cool and refrigerate it promptly, then reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C) before eating.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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