I’m not sure if we’ve had this conversation before.
You know, the one where I ask you what your favorite cuisine types are and you ask me mine and we both nod in polite acquiescence but continue to think we’re right and the other one’s out to lunch.
Yeah, that one.
So, what’s your favorite cuisine type?
Mine’s Thai.
Holy Basil, Thai Basil. Thai Lemon Basil, Cilantro, Chilies (!), Creamy Dreamy Coconut, Green Curry, Yellow Curry, Red Curry, Garlic, Ginger, Kaffir Lime, Lemongrass, Mint, Peppercorn, Turmeric…
Pretty much indisputable, right?
Some of my favorite things about Thai cuisine include its enthusiastic use of fresh herbs and spices over dry ingredients, its ability to push all the sensory buttons by delivering the fabulous four: sweet, sour, salty and spicy and… did you know that in traditional Thai cuisine, measuring cups are never used? (come on Betty Crocker, you’ve just got to admire that kind of reckless disregard).
If I haven’t made my case yet, perhaps this simple dish will convince you.
Aromatic, satisfying and delicious, 30 minutes is all you will need to have this lovely meal on your table. Faster than the time it would take to have it delivered to your door and a healthier version to boot! When you make your own Thai food, you can adjust the ingredients to suit your dietary needs and preferences. For instance, Kecap Manis is a syrupy sweet sauce that is traditionally used in Thai Basil Chicken recipes. I have avoided it altogether here. Sodium is also a consideration in Thai cuisine and I have opted for low sodium soy sauce and also offered other suggestions to help minimize sodium intake in the Nutrition and Cooking Notes for you.
As with all dishes of this nature, once you’ve gone through the steps of making it the first time, your subsequent preps will go much faster (and trust me, you will want to make this one again and again) — you can even do your cutting and chopping the night before, return from work and voila, dinner in under 15 minutes.
Be sure to read the Nutrition and Cooking Notes for cautions and best results and do let me know if you give it a try!
Thai Basil Chicken
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, or more to taste, smashed and chopped
- 3 or 4 bird’s eye chili (Thai chili), seeded and thinly sliced*, substitute 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 1 large colourful sweet bell pepper (I used 6 miniatures, orange + red), chopped
- 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into small cubes
- 1 or 2 large bunches of Thai basil (about 20 or more large leaves)
- 1 bunch green onion or chives, chopped (for topping)
For the Thai Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) low-sodium soy sauce or Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) fish sauce
- 1 heaping Tbsp (15 mL+) black bean garlic sauce (not traditional Thai but I love it in this recipe – there are GF brands as well)
- 2 tsp (10 mL) coarse sugar (turbinado/demerara or brown sugar)
- 1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) water
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) cold water
Serves 4
Approximate Prep time: 20 minutes
Approximate Cooking time: 10 minutes
Nutrition & Cooking Notes:
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CAUTION: Bird’s eye chili (Thai chili) is *very* hot. When preparing the chili (seeding and chopping) I strongly recommend you wear gloves (I use latex surgical gloves) however rubber gloves may be even more protective. I also recommend that you not try sampling the chili on its own. The taste of the thai chili in this recipe is unmatched (simply delicious) and when mixed in with the ingredients, the heat is not overwhelming however, I do caution against working with these chilis with bare hands which can inadvertently lead to the hot oil spreading into your eyes and other delicate areas.
- Most large grocery stores should carry bird’s eye/Thai chili (and certainly Asian markets). These particular chilis are a hallmark of this recipe, however if you cannot find them or are concerned about the heat factor, you can substitute chili garlic sauce.
- The sodium content in Thai sauces (fish sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauces, soy sauce, etc.) is not insignificant. No need to be salting this dish and if you are on a low-sodium diet, I recommend omitting the fish sauce and black bean sauce altogether and adding more low-sodium soy sauce.
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Thai basil (as distinct from “Thai holy basil”) is a type of sweet basil but unlike Italian sweet basil (traditional basil) it has a slightly stronger anise (licorice flavour) that is said to be more stable at higher cooking temperatures. Thai basil has narrower leaves, with purple stems and flowers. It can be difficult to find outside of Asian markets and specialty stores. If necessary, you can substitute traditional sweet basil.
- I always buy two bunches of basil because, like spinach, once wilted, the basil tends to shrink and disappear into the recipe. I add generous amounts while cooking and then top with more fresh leaves when serving.
- There is no substitute for fish sauce ;-) (unless it’s oyster sauce). Truly, you will not regret purchasing a bottle and you will immediately recognize its familiar flavour from other swoon-worthy Thai dishes you may have enjoyed.
- Do not be tempted to use chicken breast (or other) for this recipe. Chicken thighs are perfect here retaining their plump, tender and juicy characteristics.
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The cornstarch slurry is used because if you try to add cornstarch directly to the liquid you want to thicken, the sauce in this case, it will clump up and be ineffectual. In order for cornstarch to work properly, you first need to make a slurry, which is a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and liquid (usually water) and add that mixture to the liquid you wish to thicken.
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I recommend smashing the garlic (as distinct from running it through a garlic press) for two reasons. I love the chunkier texture of the garlic in this recipe and chopping/slicing the garlic cloves alone without first flattening it (smashing/crushing) will not release the allium’s beneficial oils. To smash, simply use the flat side of a large knife and carefully press down on the garlic over a cutting board until it breaks/flattens somewhat, then simply chop or slice.
Directions:
- In a large skillet or wok, sauté onion, garlic and bird’s eye chili (or chili garlic sauce) with some olive oil over low-medium heat just until the onion is translucent.
- Add bell pepper to the skillet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Remove from heat and transfer onion mixture from the skillet to another dish and reserve.
- Meanwhile, whisk together Thai sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- In another small dish, whisk together water and cornstarch and set aside.
- In the same skillet used for the onion mixture, add a little more olive oil and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to the skillet and sauté until most of the exterior of the chicken pieces are no longer bright pink (there should still be some lighter pink visible). This will only take about 4 minutes so you don’t want to leave during this portion of the show ;-) and risk over-cooking your chicken.
- Add onion mixture (onion, garlic, bird’s eye chilis and bell pepper) to the chicken and then pour the Thai sauce over the ingredients (having given the Thai sauce one final whisk ahead of time).
- Add half of the Thai Basil at this stage (either using the leaves intact or gently tearing them in half for larger leaves as you wish). Mix to combine all the ingredients.
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the mixture and bring the sauce to a gently boil. The sauce will thicken somewhat.
- Remove from heat, add the remaining basil leaves to the dish (reserving a few for topping if you wish), mixing the basil around to integrate (the contents should be warm enough to just gently wilt the final leaves).
- Now you are ready to enjoy your delicious Thai basil chicken!
- We especially enjoy this meal served with a traditional Thai basmati rice however the possibilities are endless: with salad, over coleslaw, over quinoa, buckwheat, millet, wild/brown rice, as you wish.
- Be sure to scoop up some sauce from the skillet to pour over the chicken and top with green onion or chives.
“I do caution against working with these chilis with bear hands which can inadvertently lead to the hot oil spreading into your eyes and other delicate areas”
Boy oh boy can I attest to this – no further comment on that point :p.
Not sure Thai is my absolute favourite either, I think I’m leaning more towards Mediterranean these days… big fat peppers, aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes, olive oil, basil, red wine, that kind of thing… but I certainly don’t “dislike” Thai, heck, it’s probably up there with my list of top 10 favourites. Lovely dish Kelly!
I love Thai food and your flavor combo looks really delicious – wonderful in fact. It is nice that the ingredients are more readily available too – makes shopping a lot easier! Thanks for the great recipe – Donalyn @ http://thecreeksidecook.com
Kelly, I knew it :-)
You too have a beautiful weekend!
Angie
you’re very sweet to reply Angie but I was just kidding! ;-) Szechuan is right up there for me too. Have a great weekend lovely.
Hi Eva, this dish is super easy but I would say that many other Thai dishes require more than a moment’s notice ;-) — yes, I imagine the Aussies get some great inspiration from their neighbours. Look forward to seeing what you prepare for us from your cookbooks! (p.s., I love Greek too!!)
Oh my KoKo… what a story about the bird’s eye chili… how awful for you…when my eyes start to burn and nasal passages become somewhat inflamed while preparing these chilis, I just know I’m dealing with something mighty potent. The amazing thing is, in the meal they are positively delightful and not overpowering at all — our whole family loved the heat on this dish and found it ‘just right’. I’m happy the elephant walked by to comfort you at just the right time ♡. xx
Thanks Kristy — I too find myself craving this kind of food and this particular version is not heavy though it is mighty satisfying ;-). You can do the preps the night before and then it is literally less than 15 minutes to cook — a perfect busy family weeknight meal.
By the way, it is my not-so-secret ultimate fantasy to have a personal chef — even for one day!!!
Haha, still guessing…. Mexican is my second MJ!! I think you and I get the happies from the chile inspired delights and the saucy side of life :) — many of these dishes can be heavy indeed (and salty… and sweet…) but the beauty of preparing them at home is that you can make whatever adjustments float your boat and suit your dietary requirements – love that! xx
I have to agree with you on the French desserts Sissi (swoon fest) and there was never any doubt about your fave cuisine type ♡ (as misguided as you may be – Lol!!).
A little bit of this here and there works for me. I’m a liberal interpreter myself ;-) and would never pretend to be an expert in authentic Asian dishes but I do love to play and fall hard for Thai inspired cuisine. I can’t wait to see what you prepare for us from your Thai cookbook Sissi!
perfect! enjoy Jeanette.
nice choice :) thanks for dropping by Elly! xx
I love Thai food and happen to have some Thai basil in my fridge!
Gorgeous looking! Vietnamese is my favourite, but Thai comes pretty close :) x
Kelly, I also love Thai cuisine (though if I had to choose I’d put Japanese and Korean before… oh, and French one for desserts… it would be difficult to choose…). I must admit I don’t make real Thai dishes often… It’s so tempting to throw a bit of lemongrass here, coconut milk there, some ready-to-use curry paste and I’m in heaven with my 15-minute meal :-) Now I have bought a huge Thai cookery book (the best I have ever had), about 600 pages (!) so I’m ready to start my spring with Thai cooking obsession.
Your dish looks deeply inspiring and so delicious, I regret I have something already made for lunch… and reminds me I have to plant my Thai basil as quickly as possible. Thank you for inspiration!
If I only could choose one favourite (Chinese, esp. Cantonese and Szechuan foods) then I am not sure Thai is the one, but I do love Thai food as much as Indian, Italian cuisines, from time to time.
Guess what mine is and the first 3 guesses don’t count. Ha HA! Actually, my favorite is not southwestern, it’s Mexican cuisine. I love the wonderful spices and herbs used in Mexican cuisine. However, I do LOVE Thai. We try to eat or make an Asian dish at least once a week. So heavy and tasty. I love your Thai Basil Chicken dish and see that it has black bean garlic sauce. I have had a jar in the pantry for a few months now, just waiting for the right recipe. Well, here it is. Thanks!! This looks awesome!
Mmmmmm!!!! I am so craving warm, fresh and homemade dishes. The basil and sauce sound fabulous in this. I love how colorful it is too. Perhaps I should play the lotto so that if I win I can hire a chef to cook for me on these busy nights! Or better yet a driver so I can stay home and cook! ;) Looks delicious Kelly!
Ohh, I just love Thai food, too, Kelly! I don’t think I can actually pick ONE favourite cuisine, but Thai is sure up there. I’ve travelled to Thailand twice for a month+ each time and you just cannot ignore how big of a food culture they are. Food is everywhere and the flavours are just amazing and fresh. I looove the anise-y tasting Thai basil, and all of the sweet and salty, sour and spicy flavours. I’m a bit hesitant about the bird’s eye chilli, as I distinctly recall being dared to try a small green pepper while at a restaurant and subsequently being brought to tears, and um…throwing up because it was so unbearably hot. The only thing that made me feel better was a baby elephant that walked by the restaurant and allowed me to pet it. Perhaps that was too much information…
I love this dish, and I think for me, it would go perfectly with fresh fish or tofu. Yummy!!!!
What do you mean exactly when you say Thai is not your favorite? Do we need to talk about this a little more? Haha. Cheers Angie.
I know it seems easier and there are many quality Thai restos out there… I like the home option though — I can manipulate the ingredients as I please, throw caution to the wind (haha) and save money!! :) With a simple recipe like this one, it’s hard to go wrong too. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try Sally.
your growing your own keffir lime plants? (of course you are!!) Oh my, swooooon!
For the black bean garlic sauce, I use the one made by Lee Kum Kee.
Thai is definitely one of my favorites too! Although I have never attempted to make a dish on my own. We normally call for take out ;) I have actually been really interested in trying to make some Thai dishes at home…I even started growing a Kaffir lime plant. I think this is the perfect dish for me to start with. What is this black bean garlic sauce? Sound absolutely delicious and is something I’ll have to seek out.
Brother!! What a hoot! Love seeing you here (gag reflex or not). Thanks for the big smile :).
Not sure Thai is my favorite, but I don LOVE Thai cuisine a lot. Your Thai basil chicken looks droolworthy, Kelly.