Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice
Picture this: the bold flavors of Pad Krapow Gai (aka Thai Basil Chicken) paired with quick and easy fried rice. This Thai basil chicken fried rice is a delightful twist on your standard fried rice- starting with a base of saucy, umami-rich ground chicken and veggies plus a handful of leftover rice and tons of fresh Thai basil. Perfect for transforming your leftovers into an unforgettable meal!
Erica’s Thoughts
Fried rice is like the end-of-the-week, clean-out-the-fridge, quick and easy dinner. In my first e-cookbook, I share my recipe for what I call “Friday fried rice” because there are many, many Fridays when we eat fried rice based on odds and ends in the fridge. It is such a simple recipe that never gets old.
This version is a riff on my base recipe, featuring ground chicken for protein and lots of Thai basil to mimic the feel of the Thai dish, Pad Krapow Gai.
I have a few notes on what I think makes this better than your average fried rice and here they are:
- The ratios. Fried rice is usually pretty rice heavy and generally served as a side dish. The ratios in this recipe are very balanced, with equal amounts protein, veggies and rice so it’s a balanced meal in one pan.
- The aromatic Thai basil. Oof, this may be my favorite herb, it is so fragrant and DELICIOUS. You can find Thai basil in most grocery stores, but often it is only in a small 0.5-1oz package. I snagged two big bunches of Thai basil at my local Asian market because I wanted this dish to sing with basil flavor.
- Easier to find ingredients. Authentic Thai basil chicken calls for things like Thai bird chilies and palm sugar. I’m simplifying things a bit with sriracha for spice and easy to find Asian condiments like oyster sauce and soy sauce.
Crunchy peanuts, fresh lime and tons of caramelized saucy flavors made all in one skillet!? That’s a weeknight dinner I can fully get behind. I know y’all will love this one!
What You’ll Need To Make Thai Basil Fried Rice
Avocado oil: avocado oil is high-heat neutral oil great for stir-frying, found in the oil and vinegar aisle.
Ground chicken: I love the ease of ground chicken, no chopping required! This is a fabulous source of lean protein that provides balance to the dish.
Shallot: shallots add subtle, aromatic sweetness. You could use any variety of onion you prefer.
Red bell pepper: bell peppers are so versatile and add a burst of color and crisp texture. Go for sweet bell peppers instead of green or purple.
Carrot: carrot adds natural sweetness and crunch.
Garlic: grab a whole head of fresh garlic so you can thinly slice the garlic cloves to add lots of garlicky flavor.
Brown sugar: many Asian recipes use a touch of sugar to balance out the umami flavors of soy sauce, fish sauce, etc.
Low-sodium soy sauce: I like the lower sodium version or you can also use coconut aminos (this is actually what I used) to provide a savory, umami boost. You can find both in the Asian foods aisle of the grocery store.
Sriracha: instead of whole chiles, we’re using sriracha, which is a spicy chili sauce found in the condiment aisle.
Eggs: fried egg adds great flavor, texture and protein.
Leftover cooked rice: day-old (or multiple days-old) rice works best. You can use jasmine rice, brown rice, white rice, basmati rice or even quinoa, whatever type of rice you like.
Fish sauce and oyster sauce: these two Asian condiments provide a final layer of flavor reminiscent of authentic Thai cuisine. You can find them in the international foods aisle or at any Asian grocery store.
Thai basil leaves: fresh basil is the star ingredient! Use at least 1-2oz Thai holy basil for the best flavor. If you can’t find Thai basil you can use Italian basil for a slightly different, but still good, flavor.
For serving: chopped peanuts for crunch, fresh lime juce and zest for tang and a drizzle of sriracha for spice!
Variation Ideas
- Vegetarian: Swap ground chicken for tofu or tempeh for a plant-based version. Use vegan fish sauce and hoisin instead of fish and oyster sauces.
- Extra Heat: Adjust the spice level to make spicy Thai basil chicken. For more spice, increase the sriracha or add minced Thai chili peppers or red pepper flakes. For less spice, omit the sriracha.
- Rice Options: Experiment with any grains you love like brown rice, quinoa or jasmine rice.
- Veggies: The veggies here are very loose. Feel free to add whatever vegetables you have on hand—zucchini, white onions, green beans, broccoli, spinach, etc.
How to Make Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice
Chop the veggies. Thinly slice the garlic. Chiffonade the basil. Chop the peanuts. Mise en place done ✔️
Heat a tablespoon of avocado oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken, breaking it up with a spatula until browned and fully cooked, about five to six minutes. Shift the chicken to one side of the pan and add another half tablespoon of avocado oil. Sauté the minced shallot, diced red bell pepper, and diced carrot until they soften, which takes about two to three minutes. Toss in the thinly sliced garlic and stir-fry for about 60 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in the brown sugar, low-sodium soy sauce, and sriracha, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the chicken and vegetable mixture to a large bowl.
Drizzle in another half tablespoon of avocado oil. Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper, then pour them into the hot pan to form a large, flat pancake-like layer. Let the eggs set for several seconds before flipping and breaking them into pieces with your spatula. Add the remaining half tablespoon of oil, then incorporate the leftover cooked rice, breaking it up so that each grain gets a light coating of oil.
Return the chicken and vegetable mixture to the pan. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, lime zest, and juice, along with the chopped peanuts and thinly sliced Thai basil leaves. Toss everything together until well combined.
Garnish with a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice, extra Thai basil, peanuts, green onions, lime wedges, and drizzle of sriracha if desired.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to use leftover, day-old rice. Leftover rice has a drier texture that fries up perfectly without clumping.
- Keep your skillet or wok hot to achieve that desirable browning, caramelization and stir-fry flavor.
- Avoid overcooking the eggs; break them into pieces once set for a soft, integrated texture.
- Taste and adjust the balance of sauces and spice, as variations in brands can affect the overall flavor. This is a versatile recipe that you can truly make your own!
FAQs
Fresh rice tends to be more moist and can become mushy during frying. Day-old rice works best as it has had time to dry out and separate. You can make rice and ‘quick cool’ it by spreading it out on a parchment-lined baking tray and popping it in the fridge.
Yes. The method/instructions can be used with ground turkey or ground pork, with very few changes. If you use boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, the cooking time will be slightly different.
For a vegetarian version, replace the ground chicken with crumbled extra firm tofu. Make sure to press the moisture from the tofu before crumbling. Replace the fish sauce with a vegan fish sauce alternative and use hoisin sauce instead of oyster sauce.
Thai basil is best for its distinctive flavor, but if it’s not available, you can use sweet basil (aka regular basil) as an alternative. The flavor profile will change slightly, but it will still be delicious.
Increase the amount of sriracha or add some fresh chopped chili or red pepper flakes to amp up the heat according to your taste preference. As written, I think this recipe is 1 out of 5 on spice. My hubs is a wimp on spice so I keep things mild and add more sriracha to mine as a finishing touch 🙂
This recipe makes excellent leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can ‘revive’ leftovers with a spritz of lime juice, glug of hoisin and handful of fresh peanuts.
Chiffonade means to slice leafy greens or herbs into thin strips or delicate ribbons.
If you love this Thai fried rice you’ll love some of my other stir fry favorites!
These recipes use many of the same ingredients so they can be handy for using up items you purchase for this recipe!
Get ready for a flavor explosion!
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Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stir-Fry
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
This Thai basil chicken fried rice is a fun, flavorful mix of garlicky ground chicken, rainbow veggies and tons of fresh Thai basil. Perfect for a quick dinner or meal prep lunch.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 1 lb ground chicken
- pinches of kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1–2 teaspoons sriracha
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2 cups leftover cooked rice (see note)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 large bunch Thai basil leaves (2-3oz), chiffonade/thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup peanuts, finely chopped
- zest and juice of an entire lime
- For serving: lime wedges, green onions, more Thai basil and peanuts, sriracha
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add ground chicken, breaking it up with a spatula and cook until fully browned and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Season with pinches of salt and pepper.
- Scooch the ground chicken over, add another ½ tablespoon avocado oil and sauté shallots, bell pepper and carrot until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir-fry another 60 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1-2 teaspoons sriracha, tossing everything together and stirring to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom. Transfer the chicken and veggie mixture to a large bowl.
- Drizzle in another ½ tablespoon avocado oil. Whisk 2 eggs in a small bowl and season the eggs with pinches of salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the eggs, letting them sit for several seconds to cook into a large flat pancake-looking piece. Flip the egg and then use your spatula to break it up into pieces.
- Scooch the egg over and heat the remaining ½ tablespoon oil. Add the cooked rice, breaking it up so each grain gets coated with a little oil.
- Return chicken and veggies to the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, zest and juice of a whole lime, ½ cup chopped peanuts and thinly sliced Thai basil leaves and toss everything until well combined.
- Finish up with a big squeeze of fresh lime juice and extra herbs, peanuts and sriracha sauce, as desired. Dinner is served, lucky YOU!
Notes
Rice: Ideally you just have leftover rice for this recipe. But if you don’t, here’s how to make 2 cups cooked rice. Add 2/3 cup rinsed uncooked jasmine rice, 1 1/4 cups water and a big pinch of salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Without removing the lid, turn the heat off and let stand for another 10 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork. If you haven’t made this ahead of time, spread the rice on parchment-lined sheet pan and pop it in the fridge to quickly cool it.
Refer to above blog post for step-by-step photos, expert tips and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 528
- Sugar: 6.4 g
- Sodium: 836.9 mg
- Fat: 27.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.7 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 31.3 g
- Cholesterol: 189.3 mg
Didn’t have peanuts so used peanut butter in the sauce. Peanuts would have made for a good crunch! Also added a head of broccoli and I wouldn’t do it without! SOOOOOO good! Thank you!
I had all the ingredients on hand! Easy dinner to use leftover rice and leftover pork (oh, I guess I didn’t have EXACTLY all the ingredients: pork was used instead of chicken). Yummmm…so good. I would suggest not salting anything as suggested (the meat and the eggs) as it was a bit too salty. I did use coconut aminos.
I’m a saucy girl, so I doubled the ingredients for the two sauces. Other than that, I made the recipe exactly as printed, and it was absolutely delicious. It is going in a regular rotation at my house. There wasn’t a scrap left in any bowl! 10 out of 10 I highly recommend. This is not the first recipe of Erica’s that I have tried. So far all have been wonderful.
Yaasss queen we love to hear it! Thank you for sharing! I too, am a saucy girl 😉
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I know fresh herbs are completely different than dried, but I loooaaaaathe cleaning and chopping fresh herbs. I don’t know why. I just do. Anyways, do you think the recipe would still be good either without the fresh herbs or with subbing about 1/3 the amount with dried herbs? I actually run into this question with a lot of your recipes since you seem to like fresh herbs ☺️
Normally I’d say yes you could use dried but specifically for this recipe you gotta have the fresh Thai basil!
Another 5 star recipe! I love a good fried rice, but always go the typical Chinese take-out route for flavors. But I gotta say, this Thai version is my new favorite! I love the bright lime, fresh herbs, crunchy peanuts…SO GOOD!