If you've enjoyed Thai Basil Chicken at your local Thai/Asian restaurants and eateries, try this wonderful homemade recipe! Once all your fresh ingredients are ready, this dish cooks up in just minutes. Basil chicken is one of the most popular Thai dishes, both in Thailand and here in North America, offering spicy flavors that mingle beautifully with the fresh taste of savory basil. There are two key ingredients in this dish you mustn't skip: the fresh basil, of course, and Golden Mountain Sauce. This sauce is often considered a 'secret Thai ingredient', but it's normally available at all Asian food stores that sell Thai ingredients - look for it next to the fish sauce. It's the combination of this sauce with the basil that truly make this dish sing. ENJOY!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: SERVES 4 (with rice)
Ingredients:
- 3/4 to 1 lb. chicken breast or thigh, sliced into bite-size pieces or strips
- 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
- 1-2 fresh red chilies, chopped fine, OR 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili (chili flakes)
- 3 Tbsp. white wine OR white cooking wine
- 2 small bell peppers: red and yellow, sliced
- 1 small green pepper OR 1/2 zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 compressed cup Thai basil, OR substitute sweet basil
- 2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- STIR-FRY SAUCE:
- 3 Tbsp. oyster sauce (I like Thai Maekrua brand oyster sauce)
- 3 Tbsp. Golden Mountain Sauce (depending on desired saltiness)
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Preparation:
- Combine the 'Stir-Fry Sauce' ingredients together in a cup, stirring to dissolve sugar. Spoon 2 Tbsp. of this sauce over prepared chicken and stir in. Set aside to marinate a few minutes while you prepare your other ingredients. Set remaining stir-fry sauce aside.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl around, then add the garlic and chili. Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance, then add the chicken plus a splash of white wine. Stir-fry until chicken turns opaque (3 minutes). Add a little more white wine as needed to keep pan moist.
- Add the bell peppers and zucchini, plus 3/4 of the stir-fry sauce you made earlier. Stir-fry until vegetables have softened but still retain some of their crispness (about 2 minutes).
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the sliced green onions, plus remaining stir-fry sauce. Stir together (note that this is meant to be a saucy dish - this is where the flavor is).
- Remove from heat and fold in the fresh basil (basil will wilt down into the hot sauce). Taste-test the dish and adjust the flavors to your liking. Taste-test Tip: note that this classic Thai dish is meant to be salty-spicy, with the zesty flavor of the basil coming through. It is definitely supposed to veer on the salty side, which is then balanced out when you eat it with plain steam rice. If you still find it too salty for your taste, add more lime juice. If not salty or flavorful enough, add more golden mountain sauce and/or fish sauce.
- Serve with plenty of plain steamed jasmine rice and garnish with more fresh basil. ENJOY!
Basil Tip: If you have small basil leaves, they may not need to be chopped. If your leaves are larger, try piling them on top of one another, then thinly slicing them to create shreds. I find you get lots of flavor this way, but be sure to shred it just before adding to the dish (if you do it too far ahead of time, the basil will lose some of its natural oils and flavor).
