This spicy basil chicken stir fry (Thai basil chicken stir fry) is a delicious and easy Thai stir fry recipe that takes just 30 minutes to make. This easy recipe is made in one skillet for easy cleanup and the sweet, salty, and spicy flavors are so delicious. Serve it with a side of white rice for a complete meal everyone will love.
Making a stir fry with basil may not be something you thought to do trust me it is amazing. This is one of my favorite Asian recipes and a favorite chicken dinner in our house.
This spicy chicken stir-fry is thin cuts of chicken breast cooked until tender then tossed in a spicy sauce with peppers, onions and fresh basil. If you like spicy chicken recipes or stir-fry recipes, you will love this.
I am all about recipes that use ingredients everyone has access to and this spicy chicken stir fry is just that. If you can find Thai basil that is great too!
This is my go-to quick stir fry recipe for those busy weeknights or when I am in the mood for takeout but know I should be cooking at home. It actually tastes better than takeout and it is just as easy to make.
Ingredients you will need
- Boneless chicken breasts into very thin strips
- Fresh basil. Lots of it!
- Brown sugar.
- Sambal chili paste. This is the spicy flavor. You can substitute with red chili flakes if you do not have them. This recipe will not have too much heat but just the right amount of spice. For a more spicy version, add even more than what the recipe calls for.
- Red bell peppers Very thinly sliced.
- Yellow onion Thinly sliced.
- Fresh garlic cloves
- Light Soy sauce. I prefer a low-sodium soy sauce.
- Chicken stock. This is for the spicy stir-fry sauce. If you do not have chicken stock, you can use a chicken bouillon cube added to water.
For this chicken and basil stir fry, it is all very simple ingredients that you probably have already in your pantry and fridge. The one item I always have that some of you may not and is in this recipe is Sambal chili paste.
If you do not have this, my favorite substitution is red pepper flakes or Sichuan peppercorns.
How to Make Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry
The first thing you are going to do when making this Thai chicken stir fry is prep all of the ingredients. You will need to slice the chicken breasts very thin along with the peppers and onion.
The prep portion of this recipe will take the bulk of the time in preparing this stir fry. The cooking goes really fast!
- You start by browning the chicken on both sides in a large skillet over medium-high heat then removing it from the pan. In the same pan sauté on medium high heat, cook the onions, red peppers, and add the chili paste.
- When the peppers and onions are done cooking you will add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape down all the good flavor left on the pan. This helps make the sauce. This is lots of flavor so don't skip doing this step.
- Now add the cooked chicken and fresh basil to the pan and toss for about 1 minute. The fresh basil gets added at the very end so it keeps its color a little bit but still has time to cook down in the dish and flavor it.
This chicken with basil stir fry is so delicious and makes the perfect tender chicken and is a quick meal that the whole family will love!
More easy chicken recipes
If you love this chicken stir fry with basil, you may also like these easy chicken recipes:
Spicy Chicken Stir Fry (Thai Basil Stir Fry)
Ingredients
- 3 boneless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise and then cut into thin strips.
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced thinly
- 1 red bell pepper sliced thinly
- 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil not packed down
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoon Low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Sambal chili paste or red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large saute pan (or wok) over medium high heat, add vegetable oil and chicken and sauté chicken strips until lightly browned making sure each piece of chicken is making contact with the pan. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan.2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 3 boneless chicken breasts
- Remove chicken from the pan on to a plate when cooked and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the onions, garlic and peppers and cook until they are lightly browned, about 2 minutes.1 medium yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 6 cloves garlic
- Add the chili paste and cook for a few seconds.2 tablespoon Sambal chili paste
- Now add the chicken stock, brown sugar, soy sauce and mix well scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.¼ cup chicken stock, 2 tablespoon light brown sugar, 3 tablespoon Low sodium soy sauce
- Simmer for a couple minutes to reduce the sauce a little.
- Reduce heat to medium and add back the chicken and mix together.
- Now add the fresh basil and mix it in well and cook for 1 minute.1 cup fresh basil
- Taste for any additional seasoning. You can add more soy sauce at this point of you prefer.
- Serve over white rice and enjoy.
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer hereTried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
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