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Thai Basil Chicken is a quick and easy chicken dinner full of fresh flavor. Bell peppers, fresh basil, and a unique blend of sauces make this chicken crave!
Chicken dinners are a common thing in my house. Chicken is cheap, easy to cook, and a great way to fill bellies on a budget. If you’re looking for more chicken dinner inspiration, you need to try this simple one Crockpot Tuscan Chickenit is amazing Baked Honey Sesame ChickenAnd this Cashew Chicken.

Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
Are you getting tired of the same old taste when it comes to your chicken dishes? This Thai basil chicken recipe only takes 30 minutes and is so full of flavor you won’t believe it’s chicken breast! Of course you can use any part of the chicken you like. I love the taste of this dish so much, especially served with jasmine rice or coconut rice It’s as good as a Thai restaurant, for less than half the price!
When you order this dish in a Thai restaurant, it is called Pad Krapow Gai. This dish is made with red bell peppers, but you can serve it with other vegetables like air fryer frozen broccoli o garlic edamame. You can add a fried egg to make this dish more filling and tasty. This is usually a chicken stir fry so add whatever you think is delicious! The more you add to the pan, the more flavors combine to make a delicious dish.
Ingredients
This Thai basil chicken is a simple recipe that you really can’t go wrong with. These ingredients are simple and straightforward. If you get ingredients from an Asian market, the dish will be more traditional. You can find the measurements below on the recipe card.
- Chicken breasts: You can use chicken thighs, or even ground turkey instead.
- Canola Oil: You can use vegetable oil instead. It is for cooking chicken and vegetables.
- shallots: They are mild in flavor but add so much flavor to the chicken.
- Red Peppers: Sweet peppers are the perfect thing to go with chicken.
- Thai Chili, or Serrano Pepper: A little heat really brings this dish to the next level! I think it goes well with Thai chili or serrano chilis, so grab whatever you can find and it will be perfect.
- Soy Sauce: It is a fermented soy bean sauce that is salty and full of flavor.
- Oyster Sauce: It is a sweet and salty sauce made mostly from oyster juices.
- Fish sauce: The fish sauce has a bit of fish flavor, but is mostly salty and very umami.
- Brown Sugar: A little brown sugar makes the sauce the perfect consistency and helps balance out the sweetness.
- Thai Basil: Thai holy basil is the type of basil you’ll want to pick. You should be able to find it at your local Asian market.

Recipe for Thai Basil Chicken
I love how simple this Thai basil chicken is to make. If you have a wok, this is a great recipe to make in it. It also works well in a skillet or cast iron pan. Whatever you use, make sure to heat the oil first before adding the chicken. Basil is a really fragile ingredient, so make sure you add it after turning off the burner.
- Cook Chicken: Add the oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes until almost done.
- Add vegetables: Add the chopped garlic, shallots, and peppers. Sauté until fork tender but still crisp.
- Whisk Sauce: To make the sauce, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl. Swirl to combine.
- Add Sauce: Add the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.
- Add Basil: Turn off the heat and discard the basil, reserving a few leaves for garnish. The heat softens and wilts the basil leaves.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately with rice. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

Tips for Making Thai Basil Chicken
Making Thai basil chicken is really simple and delicious. Here are some tips to make this dish authentic and just the way you and your family like it!
- Ground Turkey: This dish is often made with ground turkey. Use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of chicken breast. You can also make ground beef (Thai Basil Beef) using the same ingredients and it’s amazing!
- Source of ingredients: This dish will be more authentic if you get the ingredients from an Asian market. It can also be really fun to explore new marketplaces other than your regular grocery store. You’ll find lots of fresh produce and ingredients you won’t find anywhere else!
- Add More Spice: This dish is traditionally spicy. If you want to add more spice, you can add more chili. If you really want to turn up the heat, include the seeds. If you’re on the other end and don’t want this dish to be spicy, you can leave out the hot peppers.

Storage of Leftovers
Thai basil chicken makes great leftovers because it reheats really easily and tastes great a few days later. Here’s how to store your leftovers.
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Add the oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes until almost done.
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Add the chopped garlic, shallots, and peppers. Sauté until fork tender but still crisp.
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To make the sauce, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl. Swirl to combine.
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Add the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.
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Turn off the heat and discard the basil, reserving a few leaves for garnish. The heat softens and wilts the basil leaves.
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Serve immediately with rice. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!
Serves: 4
Calories210kcal (11%)Carbohydrates11Mr (4%)protein26Mr (52%)fat7Mr (11%)Saturated Fat1Mr (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat1MrMonounsaturated fat3MrTrans Fat0.01MrCholesterol73etc (24%)Sodium1740etc (73%)Potassium561etc (16%)Fiber1Mr (4%)Sugar8Mr (9%)Vitamin A944I.U (19%)Vitamin C29etc (35%)Calcium35etc (4%)iron1etc (6%)
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is an estimate only. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measurement methods and portion sizes per household.