This easy Thai Basil Chicken Recipe is simple, fast, and oh-so-flavorful! Perfect for busy weeknight dinners and ready to serve in under 30 minutes. Video.
Re-examine all that you have been told… dismiss that which insults your soul. Walt Whitman
This Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai) is as easy as it gets-bold, fragrant, and ready in just 30 minutes, it is a lifesaver! My husband can’t get enough of it. Made in one skillet with ground chicken (or turkey), fresh chilies, shallot, garlic, and lots of Thai basil, it's stir-fried in a savory, umami-rich sauce that delivers classic Thai flavor fast.
High heat, fresh aromatics, and Thai basil added at the very end create bold, restaurant-worthy flavor in minutes, perfect for busy weeknights when time is especially short.
Serve it over jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, or even baby bok choy for a lighter, lower-carb option. It's naturally gluten-free, wonderfully customizable, and one of those recipes readers come back to again and again-just peek at the glowing 5-star reviews.
One reader, Kristen, says: Delicious and quick for a weeknight meal. Our local Thai grocer had holy basil and I used 4 Thai chilis for the perfect amount of spice. Paired with jasmine rice and sautéed bok choy with ginger. Can't wait for the leftovers!! Another winner from FAH! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Why You’ll Love This Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
- Easy to make– this dish really comes together fast, it is not complicated. Use ground chicken for quick prep. Dinner can be on the table in under 30 minutes.
- So tasty– the combination of ingredients just give the perfect balance. Your taste buds will be delighted 🙂
- Healthy– making it yourself leaves the potential for clean ingredients! We like that.
Thai Basil Chicken Ingredients
Thai Basil Chicken Ingredients
- Chilies– Fresno chilies or Thai chilies (spicier!)
- Ground chicken- or sub ground turkey , ground beef, or even crumbled tofu
- Sweetener– coconut sugar or honey, or sugar
- Soy sauce- or tamari, or Gluten-free Liquid Aminos
- Fish Sauce– for savory depth
- Thai basil leaves– or Holy Basil (Tulsi), if you can find it; regular basil will work too
- Shallots and garlic cloves– for punchy depth. Shallots vs. onions truly elevate here.
- Bell pepper– for texture, color, vitamins and sweetness
*See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Chef’s Tips
- Using ground chicken (or ground turkey) makes this recipe super fast and easy. Yes, you could certainly chop up chicken thighs or chicken breasts if you prefer. Slice very thinnly across the grain, then chop.
- Typically, this dish uses Thai Holy Basil, or tulsi basil, which is available fresh at some Asian markets. Thai basil is much more accessible, and of course, you can also use regular Italian basil. When using this, I like to add a pinch of ground anise to the stir-fry.
- If you enjoy spicy heat, choose red Thai chilies. Fresno chilies have good flavor and, while not as spicy as Thai chilies, still provide a nice kick!
- Can this be made vegan? Yes, use crumbled tofu instead of chicken and vegan fish sauce.
How to make Thai Basil Chicken
STEP ONE: If serving with rice, start that now. Chop all your veggies.
STEP TWO: Heat up a large skillet or wok to med-high heat. Add oil and shallots, and stir for 2 minutes. Add garlic and hot peppers and stir for 2 minutes more until shallots are lightly browned on the edges. Scoop out into a bowl and set aside.
STEP THREE: Without cleaning the pan, add oil, turn the heat to high, and add ground chicken, along with black pepper and salt. Stir fry for a couple of minutes until the chicken is cooked and starting to brown.
Sprinkle sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce over the chicken and stir until incorporated.
STEP FOUR: Add the red bell pepper and the shallot mixture. Cook about a minute, just enough to warm everything and just barely soften the red bell pepper slices. Mix in the basil leaves and turn the heat off.
STEP FIVE: Taste and season with more soy sauce, sweetener, or chili flakes if desired. Find your balance.
Serving suggestions
Serve the Thai basil Chicken on its own, or over jasmine rice, coconut rice, cauliflower rice, or even with a side of baby bok choy. Feel free to serve with lime wedges or sriracha.
Storage
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator, and can be reheated in a saute pan or microwave.
More Easy Thai Recipes
- Instant Pot Thai Curry Chicken
- Thai Fish Curry
- Coconut-Poached Thai Chicken Salad
- Thai Pineapple Curry
- 20 Delicious Easy Thai Recipes!
Hope you enjoy and let us know what you think!
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
Thai Basil Chicken | 45-sec Video
Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stir-fry
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Fragrant and savory this Thai Basil Chicken recipe is simple, fast and flavorful! Perfect for weeknight dinners or an easy delicious lunch. Ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3 shallots, cut in thin slices
- 5 large garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 3–6 Fresno chilies or Thai chilies (spicier!), cut into thin rings
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or peanut oil, divided
- 1 pound ground chicken (or sub ground turkey, or crumbled extra firm tofu)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar or honey, or sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or GF Liquid Aminos
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 red bell pepper sliced in bite-sized strips
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves -or Holy Basil (Tulsi) if you can find it, regular basil will work too
- pinch of ground anise seeds if using regular basil (optional)
Instructions
- If serving with rice, start that first.
- Heat up a pan or wok to med-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and the shallots, stir for 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and hot peppers stir for 2 minutes more until shallots are lightly brown on the edges. Scoop out into a bowl and set aside.
- Without cleaning out the pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil, turn the heat to high, add ground chicken, black pepper, and salt. Stir fry a couple of minutes until the chicken is cooked and starting to brown. Sprinkle coconut sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce over the chicken and stir until incorporated.
- Add the red bell pepper strips and the shallot mixture. Cook for about a minute, just enough to warm, keeping the peppers tender crisp. Add basil leaves and turn the heat off.
- Serve over jasmine rice. Season with more soy sauce if desired.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
To make vegan, try crumbled tofu or make this Crispy Tofu.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 511
- Sugar: 6.8 g
- Sodium: 924.3 mg
- Fat: 17.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 63.6 g
- Fiber: 4.9 g
- Protein: 31.7 g
- Cholesterol: 96.3 mg
This recipe is delicious and so easy to make – a bi-weekly staple. I add mushrooms, broccoli & more Thai chilies for an extra kick! All your recipes rock – thank you!
Great to hear Tracey!
Hello there, I make this all the time and I am wondering -would this work with shrimp instead of chicken?
I think it would be delicious! Let us know if you try.
Do you think i can use ground beef for this?
It’s worth a try! The taste will be a little heavier but I bet still delicious.
Great recipe. I didn’t have the chili but added chili crisp. Thank you!!
Perfect!
came out really yumm.
i used thin sliced chicken breast, instead of minced chicken, and also added shimeji mushroom and bok choy.
Glad you enjoyed!
Super easy and delicious! made it without the chilis or salt for my toddler and he gobbled it up!
Love it Erica!
Delicious and quick for a weeknight meal. Our local Thai grocer had holy basil and I used 4 Thai chilis for the perfect amount of spice. Paired with jasmine rice and sautéed bok choy with ginger. Can’t wait for the leftovers!! Another winner from FaH!
Awesome Kristin! Thanks for taking the time to review!
One of my family’s favorites. Perfect! A lot of picky eaters here always asking for seconds! I triple the tamari and fish sauce and use honey
So great to hear this!
I think there is an omission in this recipe. It appears that the red bell peppers should go in the pan with the shallots but the recipe only mentions shallots in that step.
The red bell peppers go in raw with the cooked shallots. We only cook them briefly. Tried to make that more clear in the recipe. Thanks for the comment!
Crowd pleaser and so easy!!
Great to hear! Yes, this one is super easy!
Another stellar recipe from Feasting at Home! I tried subbing ground super firm tofu for ground chicken and the flavor was outstanding but the tofu texture was a bit dry/fluffy. Next time I will try dicing up the tofu quite mall and oven roasting with a little evoo before adding it to the pan. Really loved the combination of flavors and gave me a chance to use that bottle of fish sauce in the fridge 😄
Glad you gave it a try! Would love to hear how the oven method works out.
This Thai Basil Chicken recipe is fantastic! The flavors are incredibly authentic and vibrant. I love how easy it is to follow your step-by-step instructions. Thank you for sharing such a delightful and flavorful dish! Can’t wait to make it again.
So quick and tasty – this is going in our regular weeknight rotation. I might add another pepper to increase the veg content, but it really doesn’t need any changes. I did use a few Serrano peppers instead of Fresnos because that’s what I could find…
So glad you enjoyed!
Can I sub the basil for dried basil? If so, how much?
You are not going to get the bright flavor profile with dried basil. But if you want to give it a try, maybe a tablespoon? Just guessing.
This dish turned out delish!! I didn’t have the exact chilis nor did I have Thai Basil, but I just went with what was at the store. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste! Easy to make and honestly tasted yum!
Awesome Jen, glad you gave it a try!
Loved how simple but flavourful this was. I has asparagus so added that and it was a nice addition.
Great to hear!