The Best Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry

If you like spicy dishes then you are going to LOVE this healthy Thai Spicy 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.

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!  Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry.

It does take a little bit of time to get all of the vegetables prepped, but once the prep work is done, the rest goes by fast.

We julienne a red and green bell pepper and also cut an onion into slices roughly 1-2 inches long.  

For added texture, we slice a couple of peeled carrots on the diagonal.  There are times that I will use pre-sliced carrot slices for convenience.  There is nothing wrong with taking a few shortcuts here and there.

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

You can’t have Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry without basil.  I find it sometimes easier to buy one of the organic whole plants at the grocery store because it takes about a cup of basil in this recipe.  I wash the leaves and roll them up and then slice them thin.  (This is called chiffonade.)

Once all of the prep work is done, it’s time to get cooking!  We like to serve this over a bed of jasmine rice.

How To Make Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry

For this delicious chicken dinner recipe, you need the following ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly cut on the bias
• 2-3 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2-3 Tbsp 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 Tbsp minced fresh garlic, optional
• 2 thinly sliced serrano chiles
• 2 jalapeños, sliced
• ½ – 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin ribbons

Once you have everything prepped, you begin by cooking the chicken in sesame oil until it is no longer pink. Remove it to a plate and set it aside.

Next, whisk together the chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside the mixture.

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 and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes.

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.

Finally, stir in the basil and heat until it has wilted (about a minute). Serve with rice to round out the meal.

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Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry

If you like spicy dishes then you are going to LOVE this Thai Spicy 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.

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine Thai

Keyword chicken, chicken dinner, stir-fry, Thai

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 736 kcal

Author Lynda

Ingredients

Cook:

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

Whisk:

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

Heat:

• 2-3 Tbsp 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 Tbsp 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

1. Cook chicken in sesame oil until no longer pink. Remove to plate and set aside.
2. Whisk together broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. 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.
4. Add chicken, garlic, jalapenos and serrano and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in broth mixture; simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
5. Stir in basil and heat until wilted (about a minute). Serve with rice.

Nutrition Facts

Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 736 Calories from Fat 414

% Daily Value*

Fat 46g71%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Polyunsaturated Fat 36g

Cholesterol 98mg33%

Sodium 1584mg69%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 21g23%

Protein 41g82%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry recipe has become a family favorite, thanks to flavor profile and heat.  If you like spicy dishes, too, then you will probably like my recipe for Peppered Cornbread which is made using habanero cheese and jalapeños, as well as my recipe for Pineapple Habanero Jelly, which when served with crackers and cream cheese is a great appetizer.

What’s your favorite Thai dish?