This Spicy Thai Basil Chicken delivers a flavor explosion in minutes. The sizzle of garlic, chili, and fresh basil creates an incredible aroma. It’s a street food classic that’s savory, spicy, and deeply satisfying.

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Why You’ll Love This Spicy Thai Basil Chicken

• Incredibly fast: Ready in about 15 minutes of active cooking.
• Complex flavor: Layers of savory, spicy, sweet, and aromatic basil.
• Wonderfully versatile: Easily swap proteins or adjust spice to taste.
• Feels like a treat: Recreate a takeout favorite with controlled ingredients.

Ingredients & Tools

• 450 g ground chicken (preferably thigh meat for more flavor)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2-4 Thai bird’s eye chilies, finely minced (adjust to your heat preference)
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (like avocado or canola)
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
• 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or monk fruit sweetener
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock or water
• 2 cups fresh holy basil leaves (or Thai basil if you can’t find holy basil)
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced

Tools: A large wok or a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, a good spatula.

Notes: Don’t skip the fresh basil—it’s the star. While the list looks long, these are mostly pantry staples.

Nutrition (per serving)

Serves: 2 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Get your mise en place ready. This dish cooks incredibly fast, so having all your ingredients chopped, measured, and within arm’s reach is crucial. Once you start cooking, there’s no time to run to the pantry for that fish sauce.
• Don’t skimp on the basil. Holy basil is traditional and has a more peppery, anise-like flavor, but Thai basil works beautifully too. The key is to add most of it at the very end so it wilts just slightly but keeps its incredible fragrance.
• Embrace the heat (or don’t). The number of Thai bird’s eye chilies is totally up to you. For a milder dish, remove the seeds or use just one. For authentic, fiery heat, leave the seeds in and use four or more. You are in control.
• The right pan makes a difference. A carbon steel wok is ideal because it gets screaming hot and allows for quick, even cooking. If you don’t have a wok, a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet is your next best bet.

How to Make Spicy Thai Basil Chicken

Storage & Freshness Guide

• Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Freezer: Freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in fridge before reheating.
• Reviving: Reheat gently in a skillet; add a splash of water if needed.

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• A simple cucumber salad — The cool, crisp, and slightly sweet acidity of a quick-pickled cucumber salad is the perfect foil to the spicy, savory chicken. It cleanses the palate beautifully between bites.
• Steamed broccoli or green beans — Their mild flavor and satisfying crunch provide a lovely textural contrast and a healthy, green element to your plate without competing with the main event.

Drinks

• Iced jasmine green tea — Its floral, delicate notes are a wonderful companion to the spice and umami in the dish, and it’s incredibly refreshing.
• A crisp, dry Riesling — If you enjoy wine, the slight sweetness and high acidity of a good Riesling can stand up to the heat and complexity of the flavors wonderfully.

Something Sweet

• A few fresh raspberries with whipped coconut cream — The tartness of the berries and the rich, cool cream is a simple, low-carb way to finish the meal on a sweet note after all that spice.
• A square of very dark chocolate — Just a small piece of high-cocoa chocolate can be the perfect, rich ending that satisfies your sweet tooth without being heavy.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Not prepping everything first. I’ve messed this up before too, and it leads to burned garlic or overcooked chicken while you’re frantically searching for the fish sauce. This is a 10-minute cook time, so organization is non-negotiable.
• Mistake: Using a cold pan. If your wok isn’t screaming hot when you add the oil and aromatics, you won’t get that essential sear and smoky flavor. The chicken will steam and release water instead of browning properly.
• Mistake: Overcooking the basil. Adding the basil while the heat is still on will make it slimy and cause it to lose its vibrant color and delicate fragrance. The trick is to turn off the heat and let the residual warmth do the work.
• Mistake: Skipping the taste test at the end. The balance of salty, sweet, and spicy is personal. That final taste and a potential splash more fish sauce or a pinch of sweetener can make the difference between a good dish and a great one.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Use a mortar and pestle for the aromatics. If you have one, pounding the garlic and chilies into a rough paste instead of mincing them will release even more of their essential oils and create a more integrated, deeper flavor base for your dish.
• Tip: Don’t crowd the wok. If you’re doubling the recipe, cook in two separate batches. Overfilling the pan will cause the temperature to drop drastically, and you’ll end up boiling the chicken instead of stir-frying it. A little patience goes a long way here.
• Tip: Make it a full meal with a fried egg. In Thailand, this dish is almost always served with a perfectly fried egg on top, its runny yolk mixing into the rice and chicken. It adds a layer of richness that is just divine.
• Tip: Let the chicken sit for a minute after adding the sauce. After you add the sauce, let it cook undisturbed for about 30 seconds before you start tossing again. This allows it to caramelize slightly on the hot surface of the wok, adding another dimension of flavor.

FAQs

Can I use a different protein?
Absolutely. Ground pork is a very common and delicious alternative, offering a bit more fat and flavor. Ground turkey or even crumbled firm tofu work well too. Just be mindful that leaner proteins like turkey might benefit from an extra tablespoon of oil to keep things moist. The cooking method remains exactly the same.

What’s the best substitute for holy basil?
If you can’t find holy basil, Thai basil is your next best option. It has a similar anise-like flavor, though it’s slightly sweeter and less peppery. In a real pinch, you could use a combination of regular sweet basil and a few fresh mint leaves to try and approximate the unique flavor profile, but it won’t be quite the same.

Is this dish very spicy?
It can be, but you are the boss of the heat! The spice level is entirely determined by the type and quantity of chilies you use. Thai bird’s eye chilies are quite hot. For a mild version, use one de-seeded chili or even substitute with a milder chili like a jalapeño. You can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away.

Can I make it ahead of time?
You can prep the ingredients ahead of time—mince the garlic and chilies, mix the sauce, etc.—but I highly recommend cooking it just before serving. The texture of the basil and the fresh, vibrant quality of the dish are best enjoyed immediately. Leftovers will keep for a day, but the basil will darken and become quite soft.

My sauce is too thin. How can I thicken it?
If you prefer a thicker, glazier sauce, you can make a quick slurry by mixing ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum or a teaspoon of coconut flour with a tablespoon of cold water. Stir this into the dish during the last 30 seconds of cooking, and it will thicken up nicely without altering the flavor.