Description
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai) is a quick and flavorful stir-fry dish featuring tender chicken thighs cooked with aromatic garlic, shallots, and fiery Thai chilies, all glazed in a savory sauce made from chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Fresh basil leaves are added at the end for an authentic herbal kick. This classic Thai street food serves perfectly over hot cooked rice for a delicious, satisfying meal in just 25 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Mixture
- 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
- 2 cups hot cooked rice
Instructions
- Gather ingredients: Assemble all required ingredients for the dish to ensure smooth cooking.
- Prepare the sauce mixture: In a bowl, whisk together chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, white sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Heat the skillet and cook chicken: Preheat a large skillet over high heat. Drizzle in the vegetable oil. Add the chopped chicken thighs and stir-fry vigorously until the chicken turns opaque and loses its raw appearance, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add aromatics and chilies: Stir in the sliced shallots, minced garlic, and chopped chilies. Continue cooking on high heat, stirring frequently until the juices begin to caramelize at the bottom of the pan, around 2 to 3 minutes.
- Incorporate initial sauce: Add about one tablespoon of the prepared sauce mixture to the skillet. Cook and stir until the sauce starts to caramelize and blend with the pan juices, about 1 minute.
- Add remaining sauce and glaze chicken: Pour in the rest of the sauce mixture. Stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, lifting up any caramelized bits. Cook further until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken evenly, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Then remove the skillet from heat.
- Stir in fresh basil: Immediately add the thinly sliced basil leaves to the skillet. Stir briskly until the basil wilts and releases its aromatic flavor, about 20 seconds.
- Serve hot: Plate the spicy Thai basil chicken over hot cooked rice. Enjoy this fragrant and spicy dish straight from the stove.
Notes
- Adjust the amount and type of chilies to control the heat level.
- Using chicken thighs keeps the meat tender and juicy during high-heat cooking.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute tofu and use vegetarian oyster sauce.
- Serve immediately to best enjoy the fresh basil flavor and tender texture.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat gently to avoid toughening the chicken.
