Thai Basil Chicken with Jasmine Rice Recipe
Thai basil chicken (inspired by pad kra pao) is one of the most popular street foods in Thailand – a bit like a daily special at a diner. It’s quick to make, aromatic, spicy and tastes fantastic with simple jasmine rice. An ideal after-work dinner when you’re short on time but want something bold and flavorful.
Pad kra pao is one of the most popular street foods in Thailand, often ordered “on the go” at lunchtime. Traditionally it’s made with Thai holy basil, which is very aromatic and spicy.
This dish keeps the characteristic Thai balance of heat, saltiness and a touch of sweetness, but is tailored to everyday cooking with ingredients from a regular local shop. With one pot of rice and one pan you get a full meal that tastes like something from a street stall and comes together in the time it takes to cook the rice. It’s a great introduction to Thai food without exotic, hard‑to‑find additions.
Why this version works
- Finely chopped chicken cooks faster and gets coated with the sauce more evenly than large chunks.
- A mix of soy sauce and fish sauce gives it a Thai character without hard‑to‑find ingredients.
- Adding the basil after taking the pan off the heat protects its colour and intense aroma.
- Rice cooked by the absorption method stays fluffy and doesn’t turn into porridge under the sauce.
Chef's tips
The most common mistake is cutting the chicken into pieces that are too large – they dry out quickly inside and are hard to mix with the rice on the plate. Keep an eye on the sauce: it should be slightly thick and glossy, not watery or burnt on the bottom. If you’re using regular basil, add a bit less and always at the very end, because it has a more delicate flavour than Thai basil.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls, with rice at the bottom, chicken on top and a fried egg so the yolk can mix with the sauce. On the side, offer a simple cucumber and lime salad or quick carrot pickles to tame the heat. When cooking for several people, place the pan in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves to rice and chicken separately.
Watch out for
- Don’t burn the garlic – once it turns very brown, the sauce will become bitter.
- If the heat is too low, the chicken will start to stew and release a lot of liquid instead of browning.
- Don’t add the basil too early – if fried for too long it turns dark and loses its fragrance.
Substitutions
- You can replace chicken breast with thigh meat – it will be juicier and harder to overcook.
- If you don’t have Thai basil, use regular basil or a mix of basil and mint.
- For a version without fish sauce, use light soy sauce and a few drops of lime juice.
Ingredients
- jasmine rice jaśminowy - 210 g
- chicken breast - 400 g
- onion - 0.5 piece
- garlic - 3 cloves
- red chili pepper - 1 piece
- soy sauce sojowy - 2 tablespoons
- fish sauce rybny - 1.5 tablespoons
- sugar trzcinowy - 1 teaspoon
- water - 3 tablespoons
- fresh Thai basil or regular basil - 2 handfuls
- oil roślinny - 2 tablespoons
- oil for cooking the rice - 0.5 teaspoons
- eggs - 3 piece
- salt
Preparation
- Rinse the jasmine rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs almost clear. Transfer to a pot, cover with water (about 1.5 times as much water as rice), add a pinch of salt and a little oil so the grains can move freely.
- Bring the rice to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to minimum. Cook for 10–12 minutes, until you can no longer see water on the surface and small “craters” appear. Turn off the heat, leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and water until the sugar has completely dissolved. Taste – the sauce should be distinctly salty, slightly sweet and quite intense, because it will be diluted in the pan by the juices from the chicken.
- Cut the chicken breast into very small cubes or finely chop it with a knife. Dice the onion, and finely chop the garlic and chili; for a milder version, remove the chili seeds and use only part of the pod.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium‑high heat until it just begins to shimmer. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes, until it softens and turns translucent but is not yet golden or brown.
- Add the garlic and chili and fry for about 1 minute, stirring, until you can clearly smell their aroma. The garlic should only turn lightly golden at the edges – if it starts to darken, immediately lower the heat.
- Add the chicken and increase the heat. Fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the pieces, until the meat turns completely white and starts to brown slightly at the edges, with no visible raw spots.
- Pour in the prepared sauce. Fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the liquid starts bubbling, thickens slightly and coats the chicken in a glossy layer. If the sauce disappears too quickly, lower the heat and add 1 tablespoon of water.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add the basil leaves stripped from their stems and toss quickly – the leaves should only wilt slightly, keeping a bright green colour and intense aroma.
- In a separate pan, heat a little oil. Crack in an egg and fry for 3–4 minutes, until the white is set and the edges are well browned and crispy while the yolk remains runny. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Place portions of hot rice on plates, top with the basil chicken. Add a fried egg and serve immediately, while the sauce is still hot and glossy and the yolk is runny.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
I most often make this chicken when I have a bit of meat and wilting basil left in the fridge – I add rice, an egg and I’ve got a full “street food” style dinner at home.
