Formerly known as Pad Kra Pow in Thailand, Thai Basil Chicken is one of those meals that comes together in no time but still tastes as comforting as a hot meal that’s been simmering over the stove all day. It’s one of my favorite Thai dishes overall because of the strong basil flavors and Thai spice that usually accompanies the dish. Pad Kra Pow, literally means “holy basil stir fry” so it’s safe to say that the dish is more so about the holy basil than anything else.
What is Thai basil?
There are actually three types of basil used in Thai cooking — thai basil, lemon basil, and holy basil. Thai basil has a more subtle sweet flavor similar to Italian basil, and holy basil has more peppery notes, lending itself as a great accompaniment to the strong flavors in Thai cuisine.
Where can I find holy basil?
Unfortunately, it can be really difficult to find holy basil outside of Thailand. So although the official recipe for Pad Kra Pow asks for holy basil, I used thai basil in this specific instance since that’s what I currently have. If you have access to holy basil, definitely use that in this recipe! However if you don’t, feel free to use any type of basil to substitute, as it will still provide the fragrance that we need for this dish.
How do we eat Thai basil chicken?
This dish is typically served over a bed of jasmine rice, and sometimes served with a fried egg on top. You can also use the thai basil chicken mixture as a filling for lettuce cups or spring rolls, or serve it over plain noodles if you’re not feeling like having rice that day. The flavors in thai basil chicken are punchy, distinctive, and very addicting.
Alternatives to ground chicken
Although I used ground chicken in this recipe, you can also make this Thai basil stir-fry with ground pork, beef, or even ground tofu or chopped up mushrooms. Since it comes together in less than 30 minutes, this is one of my easiest go-to weeknight meals. If you end up making it, let me know what you think!
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Kra Pow)
Ingredients
- 5 tbs oil
- 4 thai chilis thinly sliced
- 4 shallots thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 6 oz green beans cut into cm slices
- 4 tsp sugar or honey
- 4 tbs soy sauce
- 2 tbs fish sauce
- 2/3 cup chicken broth (or water), if needed
- 1 bunch thai basil leaves
Instructions
- In a pan over high heat, add the oil, chilies, shallots and garlic, and fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add ground chicken into the pan. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, breaking up the chicken into small bits with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add the chopped green beans. Stir-fry the entire mixture for another minute to soften the green beans.
- Add the sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce into the pan. Stir-fry for another minute and deglaze the pan with the broth if needed. The liquid will cook off fairly quickly because you're cooking over high heat.
- When the chicken and green bean mixture is fully cooked, add the thai basil and stir-fry until wilted, about 1 minute. Serve over rice.
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