Description
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken, known as Pad Krapow Gai, is a vibrant and flavorful stir-fry dish featuring tender chicken thighs cooked with aromatic garlic, shallots, fiery Thai chilies, and fresh basil leaves. This quick and easy recipe delivers authentic Thai street food flavors with a balance of savory, sweet, and spicy notes, perfect served over steaming hot rice for a 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
To Serve
- 2 cups hot cooked rice
Instructions
- Gather ingredients. Collect all the necessary ingredients to ensure a smooth cooking process and accurate measurements.
- Make the sauce mixture. In a bowl, whisk together chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar, and brown sugar until well combined and the sugars dissolve completely.
- Heat the skillet and cook chicken. Place a large skillet on high heat, add vegetable oil, then add the chopped chicken thighs. Stir fry the chicken until it loses its raw pink color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add aromatics and chilies. Stir in the sliced shallots, minced garlic, and chopped Thai chilies. Continue cooking on high heat until juices start to caramelize on the skillet’s bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add a portion of the sauce. Pour about one tablespoon of the prepared sauce into the skillet and stir constantly until the sauce begins to caramelize and thicken, roughly 1 minute.
- Pour in the remaining sauce. Add the rest of the sauce and cook, stirring to deglaze the pan and loosen any browned bits. Continue until the sauce glazes the chicken evenly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
- Stir in fresh basil. Add the sliced basil leaves and stir them into the hot chicken mixture until wilted, about 20 seconds, releasing their fragrance.
- Serve immediately. Spoon the spicy basil chicken over hot cooked rice and enjoy this quick, flavorful Thai-inspired meal.
Notes
- Adjust the quantity of chilies to control the spice level according to your preference.
- Use fresh Thai basil for authentic flavor; if unavailable, holy basil or sweet basil can be substituted.
- Chicken thighs are preferred for juiciness, but chicken breast can be used as a leaner option.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the dish at its freshest and most aromatic.
- Can be garnished with a fried egg on top for a traditional Thai street food touch.
