Description
A sizzling, 20-minute stir-fry that bursts with garlicky heat and peppery Thai basil—my go-to easy dinner when I crave bold, takeout-style flavor at home. This quick weeknight easy recipe pairs tender chicken with a savory-sweet sauce and fresh aromatics. Perfect over jasmine rice for dinner ideas, or spooned onto noodles for a quick lunch. It doubles as a healthy-ish snack prep option and fits right into your food ideas, quick breakfast (leftovers with a fried egg!), and dinner ideas playbook.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
2 cups Thai basil leaves (loosely packed)
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2–3 Thai chilies (bird’s eye), finely chopped
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp neutral oil (canola, vegetable, or peanut)
2 green onions, sliced
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
1. Slice chicken into thin bite-size strips. Prep basil, peppers, garlic, and chilies so everything is ready before cooking.
2. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar until dissolved.
3. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high. Add garlic and chilies; stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add chicken; cook 4–5 minutes, stirring, until nearly cooked through.
5. Add bell peppers; stir-fry 2–3 minutes until crisp-tender.
6. Pour in the sauce; toss to coat and simmer 1 minute to thicken slightly.
7. Turn off heat; toss in Thai basil and green onions until basil just wilts.
8. Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve hot over jasmine rice or noodles.
Notes
Add basil off the heat so it stays bright and aromatic.
If your pan is small, cook chicken in two batches to avoid steaming.
Adjust balance at the end: more fish sauce for salt, a pinch of sugar for roundness, or extra chili for heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion (~1 1/4 cups)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
Keywords: Thai basil chicken, pad krapow gai, quick dinner, weeknight meal, easy recipe, dinner ideas, food ideas