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Home » Chicken » Healthy Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

Healthy Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

Published: May 12, 2023 by Lynda · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

If you like spicy dishes then you are going to LOVE this healthy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry recipe. The dish is full of veggies and can be prepared in one skillet. It’s a great Thai dinner for 4-6 hungry folks.

Basil Chicken Stir-Fry in a large non-stick skillet.
Jump to:
  • 💖 Why You’ll Like This Recipe
  • 📝 Ingredients
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry
  • 💭 Tips
  • 🔄 Substitutions
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • 📖 Recipe

This recipe came about because my husband absolutely loves spicy Thai dishes, but where we live there is only one Thai restaurant, and the spicy dish he tried there was not spicy enough. I found a spicy shrimp recipe in a magazine and made some modifications to suit our tastes and voilà! It’s a delicious meal that our whole family loves.

Because there are lots of fresh vegetables, it does take a little bit of time for the prep work. But once the vegetables are prepped, the rest goes by fast.

While it may not be pad krapow gai, it might just be the best Thai basil chicken stir fries you have ever made.

💖 Why You’ll Like This Recipe

  • Tender pieces of chicken are cooked in a delicious savory sauce!
  • It’s full of fresh veggies, so you’ll get a great serving of vitamins and minerals.
  • Chicken is a great source of lean protein and the vegetables provide much needed dietary fiber.
  • You can customize the spice level to suit your tastes by adjusting the amount of jalapenos and chiles.
  • It’s practically a complete meal made in one skillet.

📝 Ingredients

For this delicious spicy chicken stir-fry, you need the following ingredients:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly cut on the bias
  • 2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 cup sliced yellow onion
  • 2-3 carrots, thinly sliced on the bias
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
  • 1 cup thinly sliced green bell peppers
  • 1 can sliced water chestnuts
  • 1 cup quartered button mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic, optional (1-2 cloves of garlic)
  • 2 thinly sliced serrano chiles
  • 2 jalapeños, sliced
  • ½ – 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin ribbons

👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry

Sliced bell peppers and onions on a small white plate.

Julienne a red and green bell pepper using a sharp knife and also cut an onion into slices roughly 1-2 inches long.

Carrot slices on a plate.

For added texture, slice a couple of peeled carrots on the diagonal. 

Chopped jalapenos on a cutting board.

For heat, use sliced jalapeños and serrano chiles, leaving the seeds in. For less heat, you can remove the seeds.

  1. Once the vegetables have been prepped, stir fry chicken in sesame oil until it is no longer pink over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Remove the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
  2. Next, whisk together the chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside the mixture.
  3. Now, heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high. Add onions and carrots and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add bell peppers, water chestnuts, and mushrooms. Stir-fry everything for another 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the cooked chicken, garlic, jalapeños, and serrano pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the broth mixture and simmer until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
  5. Finally, stir in the basil and heat until it has wilted (about a minute). Serve with your favorite rice. (Plain white rice, Basmati rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice all work well.)

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

💭 Tips

Basil ribbons on a cutting board.
  • If you can’t find Thai basil, you can use regular basil from your garden or the grocery store.
  • Look for organic whole plants at the grocery store because it takes about a cup of basil in this recipe. Wash the leaves, roll them up, and then slice them thin. (This is called chiffonade.)
  • To save time, purchase pre-sliced carrot slices. Look for them in the produce section at your local grocery store.

🔄 Substitutions

  • If you are a fan of dark meat, feel free to substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts.
  • You can use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
  • If you don’t like the taste of fish sauce, use a vegetarian or vegan fish sauce.
  • You can use yellow bell peppers in place or in addition to the others in this recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I prepare the vegetables ahead of time?

Yes, all the vegetables can be prepped up to a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. It’s a great way to save time on busy weeknights.

Do I need to use fresh Thai basil for this recipe?

No, regular basil can be used as a substitute if you can’t find Thai basil. You will need about half to one cup of basil for the recipe.


Hungry for more spicy dishes? Check out our recipes for Spicy Arriabata Pasta, Peppered Cornbread which is made using habanero cheese and jalapeños, and our recipe for Pineapple Habanero Jelly, which when served with crackers and cream cheese is a great appetizer.

📖 Recipe

basil chicken stir-fry in a pan

Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe

If you like spicy dishes then you are going to LOVE this spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry recipe. The dish is full of veggies and can be prepared in one skillet. Serve with some rice and it’s a great Thai dinner for 4-6 hungry folks.
4.55 from 37 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Thai
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 736kcal
Author: Lynda

Ingredients

Cook:

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly cut on the bias
  • 2-3 tablespoons sesame oil

Whisk:

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Heat:

  • 2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 cup sliced onions
  • 2-3 carrots thinly sliced on the bias
  • 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
  • 1 cup thinly sliced green bell peppers
  • 1 can sliced water chestnuts
  • 1 cup quartered button mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic optional
  • 2 thinly sliced serrano chiles
  • 2 jalapenos sliced

Stir In:

  • ½ – 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves sliced into thin ribbons

Instructions

  • Cook chicken in sesame oil until no longer pink. Remove to plate and set aside.
  • Whisk together broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high. Add onions and carrots; stir-fry 1-2 minutes. Add bell peppers, water chestnuts, and mushrooms; stir-fry 1-2 minutes.
  • Add chicken, garlic, jalapenos and serrano and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in broth mixture; simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
  • Stir in basil and heat until wilted (about a minute). Serve with rice.

Video

Notes

  • If you are a fan of dark meat, feel free to substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts.
  • You can use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
  • If you don’t like the taste of fish sauce, use a vegetarian or vegan fish sauce.
  • You can use yellow bell peppers in place or in addition to the others in this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 736kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 36g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 1584mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 21g
Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @SouthernKissedBlog or tag #southernkissed!

Be sure to come back and tell us how your Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry turned out in the comment section below!

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Marty says

    May 11, 2023 at 3:34 pm

    5 stars
    This is the BEST Thai Chicken recipe! It requires a lot of chopping but it is delicious! The sauce, the chile papers, and the Basil are what makes this a 5-star recipe. I am now going to try a couple more of your recipes.

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      May 11, 2023 at 8:41 pm

      I don’t know who you are, but I bet we could be good friends. 😊 I completely agree with you – it’s a lot of work but well worth it. I am so glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  2. Chotima Ratanasakprakan says

    March 17, 2021 at 4:07 pm

    Thank you for you choose thai cuisine menu to share to everyone. It’s look nice and delicious but it is not Thai dish as I eat at my home in Thailand.
    For the Thai basil spicy meat stri-fry, we just use
    1. Meat that you like or you want to eat.
    2. Thai basil of course
    3. Chopped Chilli ( bird eye chilli)
    4. Chopped Garlic
    5. Fish sauce
    6. A little bit of oil
    7. Boil rice

    How to cook
    1. Add a little oil in the hot pan (high level of the heat)
    2. Add chopped garlic and chopped chilli (this part will have strong small from smell) and then stir
    3. Add the meat you like and stir until the meat is cooked
    4. Add 1-2 table spoon of fish sauce and then stri it well
    5. Add thai basil, turn of the heat and stir and mix well
    6. Serve with boil rice.

    My home recipe cook like this.

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      March 17, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      Thanks for sharing your recipe. Hopefully the day will come when I can try authentic Thai food in Thailand.

      Reply
  3. Kim Delatorre says

    March 27, 2020 at 12:36 pm

    Wow! This looks SO good! I am definitely trying this recipe. We LOVE stir fry!!! Also, your pictures are beautiful!

    Reply
  4. Kelly says

    October 22, 2019 at 3:19 pm

    Does the nutritional value include the rice? We are cutting carbs as much as possible.

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      October 22, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      No, the nutritional information does not include rice. If you are cutting carbs, you could serve it with cauliflower rice. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  5. Holly says

    October 20, 2018 at 7:22 pm

    This was a lot of work but it was excellent. I just used a tablespoon of oil each time and took the seeds ot of the serrano peppers and the flavor was awesome. I will definitely make this again.

    Reply
    • Lynda says

      October 21, 2018 at 1:17 pm

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing. It is a lot of work, but so worth it! Take care. <3

      Reply
  6. Geometry Dash says

    June 05, 2018 at 5:54 am

    5 stars
    This Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry recipe has become a family favorite, thanks to flavor profile and heat.

    Reply
  7. Stephanie L. Robertson says

    April 22, 2018 at 5:08 pm

    Sounds great! Dinner tomorrow night! 🙂

    Reply
  8. patti says

    February 15, 2017 at 12:38 pm

    wow! I would like to try this!!

    Reply
  9. patti says

    February 08, 2017 at 12:02 pm

    Looks so good!

    Reply
  10. Stephanie E. says

    January 30, 2017 at 4:11 pm

    This looks and sounds delicious!! I am going to have to try it!

    Reply
  11. Stephanie L. Robertson says

    January 30, 2017 at 3:50 pm

    Thanks for making meal-time planning a snap!

    One more thing checked off my list. Yessssssss!!!

    Reply

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Lynda and Johnny statue

My name is Lynda and I am a recovering sugar addict and travel junkie. I'm also a mom of two children & 2 dogs, wife of 1....and a messy cook taking life one bite at a time.

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