Description
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken, also known as Pad Krapow Gai, is a quick and flavorful stir-fry dish featuring tender chicken thighs cooked with garlic, shallots, fresh Thai chilies, and fragrant basil leaves, all coated in a savory-sweet sauce. This authentic Thai recipe is perfect served hot over steamed rice for a simple yet satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce:
- â…“ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or as needed
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Main Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup sliced shallots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced Thai chilies, Serrano, or other hot pepper
- 1 cup very thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- 2 cups hot cooked rice
Instructions
- Gather Ingredients: Prepare all ingredients by measuring sauces, chopping chicken thighs, slicing shallots, mincing garlic and chilies, and washing basil leaves.
- Make the Sauce: Whisk together chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
- Cook Chicken: Heat a large skillet over high heat and drizzle in vegetable oil. Add the coarsely chopped chicken thighs and stir-fry until the chicken changes color and is mostly cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Aromatics: Stir in sliced shallots, minced garlic, and minced chilies. Continue cooking on high heat, allowing the aromas to develop and some juices to caramelize on the bottom of the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Caramelize Sauce: Add roughly one tablespoon of the prepared sauce mixture to the skillet and cook while stirring until the sauce begins to caramelize and coat the chicken, about 1 minute.
- Deglaze and Glaze: Pour in the remaining sauce mixture and cook while stirring to deglaze the pan, scraping up any flavorful browned bits. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and glazes the chicken evenly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add Basil: Stir in the very thinly sliced fresh basil leaves and cook for about 20 seconds until the basil is wilted and fragrant.
- Serve: Plate the spicy Thai basil chicken over hot cooked rice. Serve immediately and enjoy the authentic Thai flavors.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of chilies according to your heat preference, using fewer for milder taste.
- Use fresh Thai basil for authentic flavor; if unavailable, sweet basil can be a substitute.
- Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are preferred for tenderness and flavor, but chicken breast can be used as a leaner option.
- Serve immediately to enjoy optimal texture and fragrance of the basil.
- For a lower sodium option, reduce the soy sauce and fish sauce quantities.
