Thai basil chicken, or pad krapow gai, is ground chicken stir fried with garlic, chilies and holy basil in a salty sweet sauce, served over rice with a fried egg on top. The whole thing takes 20 minutes in a regular skillet.
It's one of my most popular recipes for good reason: it's super simple, ready in 20 minutes, and perfect for weeknights or date nights. That combo of salty, sticky, spicy sauce and fragrant holy basil? Totally addictive.
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Thai Basil Chicken in 4 Steps
- Fry the garlic, chilies and shallot in hot oil for about 30 seconds, until you can smell them.
- Add the ground chicken and cook just until it is no longer pink.
- Pour in the sauce and let it reduce and turn sticky.
- Take the pan off the heat, stir the basil through until it wilts, and serve over rice with a fried egg.
Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Gai Krapow)
My favorite food to order in Thai restaurants is, of course, a Chicken and Thai basil recipe (you have to try it with tofu and tempeh; it's absolutely delicious!).
My easy version isn't authentic, but it strikes the perfect balance of flavors without being too salty or overly hot.
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Readers Feedback
This combo was perfect and I totally loved the slight kick of heat. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
- Ned, our reader
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
Ingredients
- Sauces - we'll need two types of soy sauce, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce and oyster sauce. I like to use low-sodium sauces to keep this on the healthier side. If this is not available for you, dilute soy sauce with water.
- Chicken - ground chicken, turkey, or delicious tempeh. This dish is also often made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts; slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through and juicy.
- Basil - Thai Holy Basil, Thai Basil or Basil? All work! Thai basil has a hint of spice and licorice, visually distinct. Holy Basil offers a peppery, clove flavor, originally used in this dish, but any fresh and fragrant basil, like lemon basil or regular basil, is suitable. I love adding fresh mint, too; you'll love it!
- Hot peppers - I recommend mild peppers or a mix of 1 hot and 1 mild. Traditionally, bird's eye chili peppers (Thai chilies, you can find them in local Asian market) is used, but any hot pepper works as a substitute for its heat.
- Hot sauce - Use Sriracha, Frank's, Valentina, or my preference; milder garlic chili sauce for a pleasant garlicky kick.
- Garlic - Garlic is a must in this dish!
- Fried egg - Egg is optional but perfect for adding creamy topping to the mix!
- Rice - long grain rice like jasmine rice or your favorite Asian-style noodles, ramen, or rice noodles, your choice!
- Toppings - I love to top my spicy Thai basil chicken with sesame seeds, toasted cashew nuts, more chili and basil, crispy onions, green onions, and sometimes shaved coconut. The more the merrier!
- Thai chilis - use a mixture of hot and mild peppers.
Thai Basil vs Holy Basil vs Sweet Basil
These are three different plants and the recipe tastes different with each one. Holy basil is what the dish is named after, Thai basil is the easiest of the three to actually find, and sweet basil is the one already in your fridge. Any of them works, so do not skip the recipe over it.
- Thai Holy basil (or hot basil): This is the key ingredient in our thai basil recipe! It's a basil leaf that adds a spicy kick to dishes. While it's not always easy to find, you can use regular thai basil or sweet basil from your local grocery store as a substitute.
- Thai Basil: Recognized by its purple stems and spicy licorice-anise flavor, Thai basil is not commonly found in American grocery stores but is available in most Asian grocery stores.
- Sweet Basil: This is the basil we're all familiar with, commonly found in grocery stores. It's used in various sauces, marinades, and recipes. While it's a suitable substitute for Thai basil in any recipe, you'll miss out on some of the unique flavors that Thai basil and Holy basil offer.
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How To Make Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
You can make this Thai favorite in your kitchen in just 20 minutes; there is no need for a special wok pan!
- Begin by finely chopping garlic and green chilies or use a garlic press.
- Heat oil in a nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add onions or shallots, sauté for a few minutes, then add garlic and green chili. Ensure sufficient oil for fragrance.
- After 30 seconds, add ground/minced chicken. Cook chicken until no longer pink, ensuring it stays juicy without overcooking.
- Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic chili sauce, fish sauce, red chili, and basil to the cooked mixture. Stir until basil wilts, maintaining vibrant color. If it's too dry, add water for more sauce.
- Serve over steamed rice with a fried egg for irresistible creaminess. Don't forget a squeeze of lime juice or a lime wedge on the side. This recipe makes one large or two normal-sized servings with rice and an egg.
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- Avoid overcooking, especially the basil leaves. Once added, remove the thai basil chicken stir fry from heat and stir until the basil leaves wilt. That's it!
- Seasonings - Skip additional salt, pepper, or seasoning for both the dish and rice.
- More flavors - Finely chopped green beans and bell peppers. Optional mushroom stock powder, a common Thai basil stir-fry addition, boosts the flavor. Diced mushrooms also make a great alternative.
- Fried Egg Thai style - Thai eggs are REALLY fried. For an authentic touch, use generous oil for sunny-side-up eggs. Heat until very hot, crack eggs, and pour hot oil over each while cooking. In my Thai Basil Chicken recipe, I chose sunny-side-up eggs with less oil.
Don't miss: Lo Mein, Asian Cabbage Stir Fry and Drunken Noodles.
Storing Leftovers
- To Store. Refrigerate for 2-3 days. I use these glass meal prep containers to store leftovers - they keep everything fresh for days.
- To Reheat. When reheating in a skillet over medium-low heat, add vegetable or meat broth or water if the sauce becomes dry and sticky.
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Before You Head Out
If you gave this recipe a try, I'd be so thankful if you could leave a ★★★★★ rating and review below. It helps other readers, supports my work, and means the world to me. Thank you for being part of The Yummy Bowl family. Happy cooking! ❤️
Recipe Card
20 Minute Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Gai Krapow)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Begin by finely chopping garlic (or use a garlic press) and green chilies.5 garlic cloves, 1 medium mild hot green pepper
- Heat oil in a nonstick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add onions or shallots, sauté for a few minutes, then add garlic and green chili. Ensure sufficient oil for fragrance.½ cup yellow onion, avocado oil
- After 30 seconds, add ground meat. Cook chicken until no longer pink, ensuring it stays juicy without overcooking.8 ounces ground chicken
- Add sauces, red chili, and basil to the cooked mixture.½ cup fresh Thai basil, 1 medium red chili, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon sriracha, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Stir until basil wilts, maintaining vibrant color. If it's too dry, add water for more sauce.
- Serve over steamed rice with a fried egg, prawn crackers for irresistible creaminess. Top with green onions, more basil, sesame seeds.1 cup uncooked rice for serving, 2-3 stalks green onion, more basil leaves, prawn crackers, 2 fried eggs, sesame seeds
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- To Store. Refrigerate for 2-3 days.
- To Reheat. When reheating in a skillet over medium-low heat, add vegetable or meat broth, or water if the sauce becomes dry and sticky.
- For the hot sauce - you can also use something like Valentina or Franks Red Hot.
- Nutrition is estimated and makes 245 kcal per serving of Thai basil chicken without rice or egg.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Looking for another easy Asian dinner? Try this Chicken Fried Rice.
FAQs
What is pad krapow gai?
It is the Thai name for this dish. Pad krapow means stir fried with holy basil, and gai means chicken, so pad krapow gai is chicken stir fried with garlic, chilies and holy basil. In Thailand it is everyday street food, usually served over rice with a fried egg.
Can I use regular basil instead of Thai basil?
Yes. Sweet basil from any supermarket works and the dish is still very good. You lose some of the peppery anise note that holy basil and Thai basil bring, but it is far better than skipping the recipe.
Is Thai basil chicken spicy?
As spicy as you make it. The heat comes from the green chilies, not the basil, so use one for a gentle warmth or three or four if you want it to bite. Thai basil itself tastes peppery and licorice like rather than hot.
How many calories is Thai basil chicken?
This recipe makes 2 servings at about 245 kcal per serving, without the rice or the egg.
Is Thai basil chicken healthy?
Made at home, yes, more so than the restaurant version. You control the oil, the sugar and the sodium. Use a low sodium soy sauce, keep the sugar to what the recipe calls for, and serve it with a sensible amount of rice.
What do you serve with Thai basil chicken?
Steamed jasmine rice and a fried egg is the classic. It also works over noodles, and a simple cucumber salad on the side cuts through the salty sauce nicely.
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Adam
So good!! Couldn’t find Thai chilis so I used Serrano and Fresno peppers. Definitely spicy but not overwhelming and it keeps you coming back for more. 10/10 would recommend and I’m absolutely making this again.
Julia
Thank you Adam! Try it also with tempeh and tofu, so good!
Yolanda
If I can't find ground chicken what is a good substitute
Julia
ground turkey or my favorite tempeh and tofu!
Jean Hershey
This is a real winner and a great Thai dish that doesn’t take very much work at all. I did use rotisserie chicken and also just a red pepper. I had no Thai red chili peppers and the flavor was still amazing. Try it you won’t be sorry if you love Thai!
Julia
thank you Jean, so happy to hear t!hat you liked it
Susan
This is a dish my husband requests over and over again. It is so full of flavor! I have used chicken, turkey and ground beef. Could I use tofu? My son is plant based.(But will use oyster and fish sauce)
Dave Kerr
The Best Thai Basil I've Ever tried!
Maggie S.
Just tried the 20 Minute Thai Basil Chicken, and wow, it's amazing! So flavorful, and truly quick to make. Perfect for my weeknight dinner rush. Thanks, Julia, for sharing this gem. I've been looking for easy Asian recipes, and this is just perfect!
Anna
Recipe said “other hot sauce, see notes” for the sauce, but alas, no notes on hot sauce. Just FYI
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
added more info!
Dannii
the flavours in this were amazing. Such a great new way to use chicken.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
glad you liked it Dannii!