- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Total
- 18 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 600 g
- 5 cloves
- 2 tbsp
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 40 g
- 300 g
- 450 ml
Process
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Rinse the jasmine rice under cold water until it runs clear, then put it in a pot with the 450 ml water. Bring to a boil, cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it covered to steam while you cook the chicken.
Pound the garlic and bird's eye chilies in a mortar and pestle into a rough, chunky paste, or chop them together very finely on a board. Do not blend them to a smooth puree.
Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or wide frying pan over high heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and chili paste and stir-fry for 20 to 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown or it will turn bitter.
Add the minced chicken thighs and spread them into one layer. Leave them untouched for 30 seconds to catch colour, then stir-fry hard for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up any clumps, until the meat is no longer pink.
Pour in the soy, oyster, fish sauce and sugar mixture and toss for 1 minute so the chicken is glossy and coated. The sauce should reduce and cling to the meat, not pool in the pan.
Turn off the heat, add the Thai basil leaves and toss for 20 seconds until they wilt and smell sweet. Serve immediately over the steamed jasmine rice.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The single biggest mistake is crowdng the pan: use the widest wok or skillet you own and cook the chicken in one layer, or it will steam and turn grey instead of searing.
- Fry the garlic and chili paste only until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Burnt garlic is the main reason this dish tastes bitter rather than punchy.
- Add the Thai basil off the heat. Cooking it hard destroys the anise-like aroma that defines the dish; it should wilt from residual heat alone.
- If your chicken releases a lot of liquid, drain it off before adding the sauces, then return the meat to the pan so the sauce glazes rather than boils.
Substitutions
- chicken thighs→chicken breast or firm tofu, both minced
- oyster sauce→vegetarian oyster-style mushroom sauce
- fish sauce→light soy sauce plus a pinch of sugar
- Thai basil→regular basil plus a pinch of ground star anise
- bird's eye chilies→1 tsp chili flakes or 2 serrano chilies
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 1 hour and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the rice separately. Reheat the chicken in a hot skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes with a splash of water, or in the microwave covered at 700 W for 90 seconds, until piping hot. The basil will darken, so add a few fresh leaves after reheating. Freezing is not recommended because the basil turns black and the texture of the minced chicken suffers.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my Thai basil chicken turn out watery instead of glossy?
Your pan was not hot enough or it was overcrowded, so the chicken released its juices and steamed. Cook the meat in a single layer over high heat, and if liquid pools, spoon it out before adding the sauces. The sauce should reduce to a shiny glaze in about a minute.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes, but breast is leaner and dries out fast. Mince it and stir-fry for only 2 to 3 minutes, and add an extra teaspoon of oil to the pan. Thighs stay juicier and are the traditional choice.
What can I use if I cannot find Thai basil?
Use regular sweet basil or holy basil and add a small pinch of ground star anise to mimic the liquorice note. Italian basil works in a pinch but tastes milder. Add it off the heat either way.
Is this dish very spicy, and how do I tone it down?
Five bird's eye chilies make it genuinely hot. Use 2 chilies and remove the seeds and white pith, which hold most of the capsaicin. You can also serve extra rice and a fried egg on the side to cool the palate.
Can I make Thai basil chicken ahead of time?
You can mince the chicken, pound the garlic-chili paste and mix the sauces up to 24 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Cook it fresh, though, because reheated basil loses its aroma and the chicken can toughen.
How do I know the chicken is fully cooked?
The minced meat should be opaque all the way through with no pink patches, and the juices in the pan should run clear. If you have a thermometer, the thickest piece should read 74°C. Break up any clumps as you stir so no raw pockets hide inside.
Can I use ground chicken from the supermarket?
Yes, and it saves time, but supermarket ground chicken is often coarser and fattier. Cook it the same way over high heat and drain excess fat before adding the sauces. Hand-chopped thigh gives a better chew.
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