Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry
You’ll have dinner on the table in 20 minutes with this delicious Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry! It is the perfect weeknight dinner or meal prep recipe.
Chicken Stir Fry
This easy chicken stir fry is made SO flavorful with tons of Thai basil, peppers, and a super delicious sauce. You’ll get a restaurant-quality taste without the wait, expense, and mystery ingredients often included in takeout. It’s the perfect healthy meal when you need something delicious on the table in a hurry!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Meal Prep Friendly – You can whip up the sauce up to a week ahead of time, and the veggies & chicken can be chopped up to 2-3 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. It makes excellent leftover lunches, and you can freeze it for later.
- Great for Beginners – The technique and ingredients in this recipe are simple, perfect for a new cook. Stir fries are perfect for when you want to impress someone with a super flavorful dish. It tastes like you spent all day working on this meal!
- Quick Enough for a Weeknight – This recipe is ready in 20 minutes, making it a great option after a busy, exhausting day. If you make up the sauce ahead of time, it’s unbelievably simple and takes no brainpower!
Ingredients for Stir Fry with Thai Basil Chicken
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this easy stir fry recipe. You can find exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
For the sauce:
- Oyster sauce, Fish sauce, and Soy sauce – These add SO much flavor! A little goes a long way, so I highly recommend keeping bottles of these around for easy, flavorful meals. Hoisin, Worcestershire, and coconut aminos could be a decent replacements for these if you don’t have them.
- White sugar, Brown sugar, and Water – I haven’t tried any sugar-free replacements, but I imagine something like monk fruit would work if you want to lower the carbs.
For the chicken:
- Chicken thighs and cooking oil – Cut into bite-sized pieces. Any boneless, skinless chicken will work, including breasts or tenderloins.
- Red bell pepper and Thai chilis – Deseeded and chopped fine. This gives you a great mix of sweet and spicy peppers. If you don’t have Thai chilis, replace those with one Serrano pepper instead.
- Shallots, Garlic Cloves, Thai basil leaves, and Sliced scallions – You could replace the shallot with yellow onion for a similar, mellow flavor. Store-bought minced garlic will make this super quick. If you can’t find Thai basil, you can replace it with regular basil.
How to Make Chicken Stir Fry with Thai Basil
This simple stir fry just requires a bowl and whisk (or a jar to shake the sauce in) and a large, non-stick skillet or wok. Here’s a step-by-step guide for this healthy dinner.
Prep ingredients
Take all of your sauce ingredients and whisk them together in a bowl, then set it aside for now. You could add all of the ingredients to a jar and shake if you’d prefer. This sauce can be made well in advance if you prefer–Then you don’t have to worry about measuring much later! Chop the chicken, peppers, and shallots so they’ll be ready to go.
Cook veggies
Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat, then add in oil. Once it’s hot enough to shimmer, add in your diced red pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir frequently, then mix in the shallots, garlic, and chilis. Cook another 2 minutes, stirring often to keep things cooking evenly.
Cook chicken
Add the chicken to the pan and stir everything together. Cook for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mostly cooked through.
Add sauce
Pour the sauce over the chicken and simmer for 3-5 more minutes until the chicken is well coated and cooked through. Your best bet is to measure the temperature with a meat thermometer (you want it to reach 165 to be safe).
Finally, turn off the heat, remove the pan from the heat, and then mix in your sliced basil. You don’t want it to wilt too much, just enough to soften. Sprinkle with sliced scallions to garnish.
How to Serve Chicken Stir Fry
We love this easy recipe over a bed of rice (maybe try cauliflower rice if you want to add more veggies to your diet). It’s also great with lo mein, egg rolls, or these Foil Pack Green Beans. An easy cucumber salad makes a great no-cook side dish for lunches, too. You can stretch the meal further by serving an appetizer like these AMAZING Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts or some Kung Pao Meatballs.
Storage
TIPS
- It’s best to let the food completely cool to room temperature before sealing it in a closed container. This gives the best taste and texture to your leftovers.
- This will keep 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Package individual portions separately for easy lunch packing in the morning.
- You can freeze leftovers in a freezer bag up to 3 months for the best flavor and textures. The peppers and basil will be a bit mushier after freezing and reheating, but the flavor is still excellent. The sooner you eat it, the better it is.
How to reheat stir fry:
The best way to reheat stir fry either the stovetop or the microwave. The stovetop will help add a bit of crispness back into the peppers–Simply warm a pan on medium heat, then add in your leftovers. Toss for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is warmed through.
The quickest option is in the microwave. I recommend reheating on 50% power in 1-minute increments, stirring between blasts for even reheating.
If you like this quick dinner, you’ve got to try these great recipes!
- Chicken & Bok Choy Stir Fry – This healthy, 30-minute meal is perfect for a busy weeknight! The bok choy and carrots add tons of flavor and nutrition.
- Crunchy Thai Chicken Salad – You’ll love this easy, flavorful salad for lunch! The creamy peanut dressing is perfect with the cabbage, carrots, and bell pepper.
- Sesame Chicken Stir Fry – It’s a SUPER easy dinner that just requires one pan and a handful of ingredients. The basic combination of chicken and zucchini make it a great kid-friendly option.
- Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken – This is a copycat of a (now discontinued) Panera salad that we love! The peanut dressing, edamame, crushed peanuts, and red pepper provide SO much flavor.
- Egg Roll in a Bowl – Talk about an easy meal! This recipe works with any ground meat you prefer, and it reheats PERFECTLY for days! It’s one of those meals that tastes better and better.
Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry
Equipment
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce or hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce or worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
For the chicken:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil vegetable, olive, or avocado oil work, too.
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 red pepper diced small
- 2 medium shallots thinly sliced
- 2 thai chilis or 1 Serrano pepper deseeded and chopped fine
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup thai basil leaves thinly sliced
- Sliced scallions as garnish
Instructions
- Whisk all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside for later. Chop all vegetables and prepare chicken before proceeding.
- In a large nonstick skillet (or wok), heat oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Once the oil is hot, add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix in the shallots, garlic and chilis, cooking for 2 minutes, mixing often.
- Add the chicken to the pan and stir everything together, cooking for about 7-8 minutes until mostly cooked through.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the chicken is well coated and cooked through, registering at least 165°F.
- Turn off the heat and mix in the sliced basil. Remove the pan from the heat to prevent the basil from wilting too much. Garnish with a sprinkle of sliced scallions.
Notes
This recipe is great stored in the fridge for a few days; perfect for work lunches!
If you can’t find thai basil, use regular basil.
If you can’t find the thai or serrano chili, feel free to substitute with 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed
red pepper flakes.
