Go Back

Thai Basil Chicken

Thai Basil Chicken is a quick stir-fry with juicy ground chicken, garlic, Thai chilies, and vibrant Thai basil. A glossy sauce made from soy, oyster, and fish sauce coats every bite, ready in about 30 minutes over jasmine rice.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Thai
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
ground chicken
  • 1 lb ground chicken
garlic
  • 5 garlic minced
Thai red chilies
  • 2 Thai red chilies finely sliced (adjust to taste)
shallot
  • 1 shallot small, thinly sliced
oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
brown sugar
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp chicken broth
fresh Thai basil leaves
  • 1.5 cups fresh Thai basil leaves
cooked jasmine rice
  • 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
fried eggs
  • 2 fried eggs optional
lime wedges
  • 1 lime wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the chicken
  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes, breaking it into small pieces until no pink remains.
  2. Stir in the garlic, Thai red chilies, and shallot. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Make the sauce and finish
  1. Whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, and chicken broth in a small bowl. Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir for 2–3 minutes until it thickens slightly and coats the chicken with a glossy finish.
  2. Fold in the fresh Thai basil leaves and cook for 30–60 seconds until just wilted but still vibrant green. Spoon the chicken over warm jasmine rice.
  3. Top with fried eggs if desired and serve immediately with lime wedges. Finish with lime wedges for a bright, citrusy squeeze.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heat at medium-high so the sauce thickens fast and the basil stays green—add basil only at the end for best aroma. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the basil texture can soften. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free soy sauce and make sure the oyster sauce is gluten-free.