Thai Spicy Basil Chicken

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

It does take a little bit of time getting 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.  For heat, we use sliced jalapenos and serrano chiles, leaving the seeds in. For less heat, you can remove the seeds.

You can’t have Thai Spicy Basil Chicken 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.

Print

THAI SPICY BASIL CHICKEN RECIPE

Course Main Course

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

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.

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This Thai Spicy Basil Chicken 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 jalapenos, as well as my recipe for Pineapple Habanero Jelly, when served with crackers and cream cheese, is a great appetizer.

What’s your favorite Thai dish?