Preparation time: 20 minutes
A dish widely popular in Thailand, the Thai Basil Chicken is usually eaten as a side with a bowl of rice. A favourite of not only the Thai locals, this this is enjoyed by people all over the world.
Learn how to replicate this simple dish in your very own kitchen with ingredients you can grab over at your local neighbourhood food store. Let’s get cooking!
What We Listen To
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What You’ll Need
- 1 chicken breast (or any other cut of boneless chicken, about 200 grams)
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 4 Thai chilies
- 1 tablespoon oil for frying
- 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce
- ½ teaspoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 splash of dark soy sauce
- 1 handful of Thai holy basil leaves
How We Do It – Step By Step
1. Cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces.
2. Rinse and peel the garlic and chilies. Pound them in a mortar and pestle (alternatively you can just mince them with a knife).
3. Pluck a good sized handful of holy basil leaves off the stems.
4. Heat the wok on high heat, and add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.
5. When the oil is hot, add the chilies and garlic. Stir fry them for about 20 seconds or so until fragrant.
6. Toss in the chicken and keep stir frying continuously. At this stage you want to continue to stir and cook your chicken until it’s just about fully cooked all the way through (it should take about 2 – 3 minutes). If it starts to get dry, add just a tiny splash of water.
7. Add 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon light soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, and finally a splash of dark soy sauce. Keep stir frying for about another 30 seconds.
8. Grab a handful of holy basil, toss it into the pan, fold it into the chicken, and then immediately turn off the heat.
Keep In Mind That…
The holy basil really only needs to cook for about 5 seconds, and it will continue to wilt and cook from the existing heat of the chicken. This step is important because if you cook the basil for too long, it loses some of its glorious flavor and gets slightly chewy.