• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Asian Test Kitchen

make it better @ home

  • Home
  • Easy Recipes
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures
You are here: Home / one pan / Easy Thai Basil Chicken Recipe

Easy Thai Basil Chicken Recipe

Published: Jan 12, 2019 · Updated: Oct 4, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe
Easy Thai Basil Chicken

Pierced with chilies and paired with Argentinian wine, this Thai Basil chicken just might be the hottest, easiest date you can find on a school night.

thai basil chicken

This post contains affiliate links. Please read the disclosures for further details. 

This is a good dish to:

  • use up leftover basil
  • need to make something really quick
  • do something different with chicken

You don’t need Thai basil

thai-holy-basil-with-chicken

Thai basil chicken is traditionally made with holy basil, pictured. Though common in Thailand, it can be an almost sacred find elsewhere.

It’s Thai, why wouldn’t you need Thai basil?

Because it’s too hard to find.

In order of importance and difficulty of purchasing, your basil options are:

  1. Holy basil – The traditional basil used in Thailand for stir-fried dishes but is extremely hard to find in the US.
  2. Thai basil – Less hard to find and usually available seasonally in the summer.  Used for soups in Thailand rather than stir-fries.  Tinged with purple streaks so you can tell the different.
  3. Italian sweet basil – Easy to find year round.

If Italian sweet basil is your only choice, it works.  It’s not quite as peppery and lacks some licorice qualities of Thai basil but certainly a doable substitute.

Basil is an extremely common fresh herb found in many grocery stores.  Why not do something different with basil besides a tomato sauce, pesto, or caprese salad?

How is Thai Basil chicken seasoned?

spicy thai basil chicken with a fried duck egg and jasmine rice

The Thai basil chicken at Soi 71 restaurant in Walla Walla, WA is made with a spicy chili paste ground by Grandma Dang herself and served with a fried duck egg.

Most recipes for Thai Basil chicken will have some combination of the following seasonings:

  • oyster sauce
  • fish sauce
  • soy sauce
  • dark soy sauce
  • sweet soy sauce
  • chilies
  • garlic

Instead, this recipe takes inspiration from the Thai Basil chicken served at Soi 71, a restaurant in Walla Walla, WA.  It wasn’t just spicy, it was Thai SPICY.  It seemed to have a combination of fresh and dried chiles, in addition to a curry paste ground by Grandma Dang, the proprietor and head cook of the restaurant.

As a result, this recipe uses fermented shrimp paste, an ingredient found in most curry pastes.  It provides a hefty bump of umami, salt, and savoriness to the dish.  If you don’t have it, you can add sub with fish sauce.

The sweet soy sauce is thick and dark like molasses and makes everything mahogany brown.  If you don’t have it, additional soy sauce can be used.  The chicken will just be lighter in color.

Oyster sauce is also used in this recipe for a combination of soy sauce and seafood flavors.  It really makes anything taste good.

For spice, 1 serrano chile or 3 Thai bird chiles per pound of chicken adds enough heat to feel warm but not get burned.

You can use ground chicken

minced-chicken-on-cutting-board

Traditionally, the chicken would be minced by hand with a combination of white and dark meat.

Sometimes you want to cook chicken, but you don’t want to touch it.  (Because you don’t want to handle raw chicken, risk cross-contamination, and soiling another cutting board.)

In that case, ground chicken works fine.  Ground turkey is a fine substitute too.  The mouthfeel is just less toothsome with ground meats.

If you do feel up to it, hand chopping chicken thighs into a 1/4 – 1/2″ dice would be ideal.  Then you get a little more to chew on, and the appearance is just a tad bit more appealing.

No other vegetables

Thai basil chicken does not usually have other vegetables in it.  It’s just basil and chicken.

You could add bell peppers, carrots, and onion if you wanted, but the true version does not have those additions.  Cherry tomatoes would also marry nicely with the fresh basil.

Chicken and the Egg

This dish is often served with a fried egg.  This would also be a good opportunity to try frying a duck egg too, if you come across them at the farmer’s market.

Step 1: Cook garlic, chile, and shrimp paste

garlic and chile and shrimp paste in frying pan

Give these a whirl in a hot pan with some oil for 30 seconds to a minute.

Warning: cooking shrimp paste and chilies in hot oil emit very strong fumes.  Turn the fan on high and stand back!

Step 2: Add chicken and seasonings

chicken frying in pan for thai basil chicken

Add the chicken, oyster sauce, and sweet soy sauce and cook for 3-5 minutes until the chicken is just about fully cooked with no raw pink spots left.

Step 3: Add basil leaves and black pepper

ground chicken and thai basil in frying pan

Add the basil leaves and black pepper at the tail tend of cooking just to heat through.  We don’t want to cook the basil leaves too much, to retain their freshness.

Add black pepper to taste if you please, especially if using Italian sweet basil, this will heighten the peppery notes found in Thai basil.

Serve with rice or just cauliflower rice if you’re on a low carb diet.

Why not serve directly from the skillet too.  Top with fried eggs, and do that “breakfast for dinner” trend.

thai basil chicken in frying pan with eggs

Thai basil turkey served with a selection of Argentine Torrontes wines. The recipe works just as well with both chicken and turkey.

Wine Pairing: 2017 Amalaya Torrontes Riesling Salta ($12)

glass and bottle of torrontes wine with 2 chili peppers

We know that the default pairing for Asian food is Riesling, but Torrontes must be a close second and honorable mention.  

Torrontes is an Argentine white grape varietal known for its floral, sweet aromas but salty, dry taste.  You might call it two-faced.

According to Wine Folly, the best Torrontes wines come from the high elevation Salta Vineyards.  At 5,900 feet above sea level, the grapes get more sun exposure, particularly to UV-B radiation and you get fresher tasting wine.

Since labor costs are much lower in Argentina, you also get a bargain priced wine.

The Napa winemaker that now resides in Argentina

This Amalaya is a label from the Colome winery, started by Donald Hess.  The same Hess who makes the Hess Collection wines in Napa.  The same Hess winery in Napa where you can taste wine and also view millions of dollars worth of artwork.

He since moved to Argentina and came out of retirement in 2002 to start making wine again.  There you have a world class winemaking techniques applied to high elevation, organically cultivated grapes for just $12.

Torrontes with a touch of Riesling

This Torrontes has 15% Riesling that adds some much needed acidity to sun drenched wine grapes.  It also lends a touch of minerality.

Why this works with Thai Basil Chicken

thai basil chicken with fried egg and purple rice

This Thai Basil chicken is made with hand chopped chicken and served with Thai black rice mixed with brown jasmine rice.  Instead of using ground chicken, you can chop the chicken into tiny bite sized pieces.

It works because it doesn’t compete with spice and instead soothes it.  Almost like lime juice, it provides a bright and refreshing contrast to the strong shrimp paste and oyster sauce seasonings.

However, the wine also has that fully ripe, sun-drenched ripeness to it that marries with the herbaceous, fresh Thai basil in the chicken.

Both the Thai basil chicken and Torrontes wine are neither extravagant but rather humble in their means.  You could easily make a date with these two on any night of the week without breaking your wallet or taking too much time.

Wine Pairing Weekend

For more info on pairing Argentine wine and food, you must check out these thoughtful posts from the Wine Pairing Weekend crew:
HTML for WinePW Jan 2019 Argentina

  • Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen presents”Spicy Thai Basil Chicken + Torrontes”
  • Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “A Taste of Argentina”
  • Jill from L’Occasion presents “All The Range: Not Just Malbec From Argentina“
  • Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares “Carbonada Criolla + Zuccardi Q 2013 Tempranillo”
  • David at Cooking Chat presents “Roasted Chimichurri Steak and Wines from Argentina”
  • Cindy at Grape Experiences shares “Wine and Dine with Bodega Trivento Winemaker German di Cesare”
  • Sarah at Curious Cuisiniere presents “Ñoqui con Tuco (Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce) paired with Argentinian Wine”
  • Michelle at Rockin Red Blog shares “Exploring Argentinian Wine with the Zuccardi Family”
  • Jane at Always Ravenous presents “How to Pair Vegetarian Food with Argentine Wines”
  • Jennifer at Vino Travels shares “Argentina Wines with Familia Zuccardi”
  • Kat at Bacchus Travel and Tours presents “Exploring Argentina: Warm Wines for Cold Nights”
  • Nicole at Somms Table shares “Catena Lunlunta Malbec and Steak with Chimichurri for Two“
  • Nancy at Pull That Cork presents “Domaine Bousquet Reserve Wines & Savory Tray Bake“
  • Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares “A Cross Cultural Food And Wine Pairing with Amado Sur”
  • Rupal at Syrah Queen presents “Wines of Zuccardi – Malbec and Beyond”
  • Steve at Steven’s Wine and Food Blog shares “Argentine Torrontes and Romesco Sauce”
  • Gwen at Wine Predator shares “Go Organic in 2019 With Argentina’s Domaine Bousquet and Santa Julia“
  • Jeff at Food Wine Click! presents “Party Guaranteed: Pulled Pork and Argentine Wine”

More Food & Wine posts:

Thai Black Rice Pudding + Georgian Red Wine

Gloria Ferrer: Will you take this Tuna Poke to pair with?

Ants Climb a Tree with Cru Bourgeois

thai basil chicken with fried egg and purple rice
Pin
5 from 2 votes

Easy Thai Basil Chicken with or without Thai Basil

Don't let the lack of Thai basil deter you from making this dish.  It works with regular Italian sweet basil too.  It's quick, easy, and provides an alternative use for fresh basil besides tomato sauce. 
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Keyword chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 198kcal
Author Asian Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground chicken or chicken chopped into 1/4-1/2" dice or ground turkey
  • 1 tsp coconut oil or other healthful oil
  • 1 tsp shrimp paste
  • 1 tsp garlic minced
  • 3 ea Thai bird chiles, minced with seeds or 1 serrano chile minced with seeds
  • 1 Tb oyster sauce
  • 1 Tb sweet soy sauce sub with regular soy sauce if unavailable
  • 1 cup basil leaves Thai basil or Italian basil
  • ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat oil over medium heat.  Add garlic, chiles, and shrimp paste.  Cook for 30 seconds to one minute, stirring so they don't burn. 
  • Add chicken, oyster sauce, and sweet soy sauce.  Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes until chicken is almost completely cooked through.  
  • Add basil leaves and black pepper.  Stir until leaves are wilted about 1-2 minutes.  Chicken should have no pink spots left and be completely cooked through. 

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 609mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1.2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @asiantestkitchen or tag #asiantestkitchen!

More Easy Recipes:

Hog Dog Fried Rice is Real & Easy to Clean Up

Easy Kimchi-Pork Stir-Fry: An Irresistible Hot Mess

Baked Ling Cod with Quickie-Miso Soy Glaze

P.S. Do you love Asian chicken dishes? Please spread the Asian ♥ and share!

 

 

  • Share
  • Tweet
Previous Post: « Thai Winged Bean Salad with Coco-nutty Dressing
Next Post: French Biodynamic Wine Gets Crabby »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jane

    January 12, 2019 at 5:15 pm

    Your Thai Basil Chicken looks and sounds delicious. I am very curious to try the Amalaya Torrontés Riesling Salta. I did not know Donald Hess started Colome Winery in Argentina.

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 12, 2019 at 8:36 pm

      Thanks Jane! Yes, it was a nice surprise to learn about the wine and Donald Hess living in Argentina. Hope you’re able to find the Torrontes!

      Reply
  2. jeff

    January 12, 2019 at 10:06 pm

    Looks like a wonderful dish. And what an interesting blend, the ripe Torrontes with a touch of Riesling. Cool!

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 13, 2019 at 12:59 am

      Thanks Jeff! Yes, it is a great blend!

      Reply
  3. Michelle Williams

    January 13, 2019 at 8:16 pm

    This is an awesome recipe. Thank you for sharing. I am going to save it and try to make it at some point. Thai Basil is not hard for me to find, but Thai chilis – serano will work.

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 14, 2019 at 3:58 am

      Thanks Michelle! That is so sweet to hear that you’d like to make it, and even better that Thai Basil is not hard for you to find!

      Reply
  4. Nancy|PullThatCork

    January 14, 2019 at 1:20 am

    I can hardly wait to try this recipe. I see so much that is familiar from other recipes I’ve made. I bet the Torrontes was a cooling partner for your meal!

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 14, 2019 at 3:58 am

      Thanks Nancy! So great to hear that it’s similar to other recipes you’ve made!

      Reply
  5. Wendy Klik

    January 14, 2019 at 1:23 am

    This recipe sounds delicious. I wouldn’t have though about Torontess but that pairing would be perfect.

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 14, 2019 at 3:57 am

      Thanks Wendy! Really appreciate the feedback. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Martin Redmond

    January 14, 2019 at 4:33 am

    Thanks for all the tips for making Thai Basil Chicken! Great looking recipe! And I bet that Torrontes paired well!

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 14, 2019 at 4:41 am

      Thanks Martin! Appreciate the feedback!

      Reply
  7. David

    January 14, 2019 at 11:32 am

    5 stars
    Mmm, looks like a delicious pairing! I will have to keep Torrontes in mind as a pairing for spicy Asian food.

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 14, 2019 at 6:44 pm

      Thanks David! Yes, definitely worth a try with spicy food. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Cindy Rynning

    January 14, 2019 at 3:13 pm

    Wow-this delicious, spicy recipe is one I’ll definitely try! And with the Torrontes, it’s a sure winner! Thanks for this!

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 14, 2019 at 6:45 pm

      Aww, thanks Cindy! Glad you found it useful. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Sarah Ozimek

    January 14, 2019 at 9:01 pm

    5 stars
    Your dish sounds delicious! What a fun pairing!

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 15, 2019 at 5:34 pm

      Thanks Sarah! I did have fun with it! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Adapted by Nicole Ruiz Hudson

    January 21, 2019 at 1:42 pm

    This thai basil chicken looks delicious!

    Reply
    • asiantestkitchen@gmail.com

      January 21, 2019 at 6:09 pm

      Thanks Nicole! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Fall Recipes

close up photo of vegan green bean casserole on a blue plate 2

Vegan Green Bean Casserole with Coconut Milk (only 7 ingredients)

close up of delicata squash on a pink baking sheet

Roasted Delicata Squash (the easiest pumpkin to cut)

close up of roasted green beans, walnuts, and brown rice in a white bowl

Easy Roasted Garlic Green Beans with Walnuts (as a vegan main dish)

Chinese puff pastry scallion pancake with a bit taken out of it on a round white plate

Puff Pastry Scallion Pancakes (blatant cheating?)

See More →

Popular Posts

Glass bowl of sliced cucumber kimchi with sesame seed garnish

Quick, Vegan Cucumber Kimchi (in 30 minutes!)

Fork twirling vegetarian black bean sauce noodles - Korean

Vegan Korean Black Bean Noodles: Jia Jiang Myeon

Korean bean sprout salad in bowl

5 Minute Korean Bean Sprout side dish

miso marinated black cod

Foolproof 2-Day Miso Marinated Black Cod a la Nobu

Footer

as seen in magazine logos in gray

Amazon Affiliate

Asiantestkitchen.com is a participant in the Amazon Affiliates LLC program.  A very small commission may be received for purchases you make from clicking links on this site, but never at any extra cost to you.

Welcome!

Learn to make healthy, high quality meals for you and your loved ones. Simple techniques and always easy recipes... Read More

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in