This Thai Basil Chicken with Peppers is ten times better than any takeout, plus way healthier to boot. Skip the takeout and make your own scrumptious Thai Basil Chicken for dinner.
My peeps and I adore Thai flavors. The aromatic burst of garlic, lime, and basil are the bee’s knees. 💞
We were unknowingly spoiled by all those years of living next door to some of the tastiest mom and pop Thai restaurants in L.A. Now that we’re in the Midwest, the hop-and-a-skip Thai takeout runs are much farther and fewer in between. Thus, we make our own. ‘Course.
May we humbly suggest that we kinda nailed it with this Thai Green Curry Chicken. If you like seafood, you’ll dig Thai Red Curry Mussels. We also (humbly) think this amazing Thai Stir Fry Noodles (Pad See Ew) is better than any takeout, ever. 😊
If lighter fare is your gig, you’ll love this Crunchy Thai Salad. If you like to kick things up, make Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles for dinner.
I’m beyond giddy for you to meet Thai Chicken Basil with Peppers. It’s busting at the seems with big, bold Thai flavors. It’s healthy and easy to boot. And here she is:
How to Make Thai Chicken Basil with Peppers:
Did you see how quick, easy, and super deeelish? ↑↑↑
It’s in fast-mo, you say. But it’s all true: you’ll be happily surprised at how quickly this Thai Basil Chicken with Peppers comes together.
A chop here, a mix there, and a quick pan dance is all it takes.
If you can swing it, we strongly recommend sticking with boneless chicken thighs for this recipe, as it will result in a much more tender bite than chicken breasts.
Don’t skimp on the garlic and basil…the more the merrier. You can often find Thai basil at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and other grocery stores. Otherwise, a quick trip to your nearest Asian supermarket (or farmer’s market) will get you a beautiful bunch of heady Thai basil.
Warning: Leftovers will result in major lunch envy the next day.
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This Thai Basil Chicken with Peppers is ten times better than any takeout, plus way healthier to boot. Skip the takeout and make your own scrumptious Thai Basil Chicken for dinner.
Ingredients
- For the Sauce:
- 8 TB light or low sodium soy sauce
- 4 TB Asian oyster sauce
- 2 TB palm sugar (known for its deep caramel flavor; if you can’t find it, sub with light brown sugar)
- 2 tsp dry crushed red pepper
- For the Chicken:
- 4–6 TB olive oil (or cooking oil of your choice)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 10 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- 4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, towel-dried and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 cups Thai basil leaves (no stems)
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- Garnishes: Slivers of lime, Sriracha
Instructions
- Make the Sauce: In a bowl, hand-whisk together the sauce ingredients until combined. Can be made ahead of time, covered, and chilled until ready to use.
- Cook the Dish: In a large heavy pan or wok, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Add onion and stir until translucent, 2-3 min. Add garlic and stir 1 more minute. Add chicken, stirring for 2 min or just until no longer pink in center. Add red bell peppers, stirring 2 more minutes.
- Add prepared sauce, stirring 1 minute or until heated through and fully incorporated. Turn heat off. Gently stir in the basil leaves. Serve with your choice of white or brown rice, spooning excess sauce over individual plates.
Kitchen Essentials:
Tasty Thai Dinners:
3. Thai Stir Fry Noodles (Pad See Ew)
5. One Pot Thai Chicken and Rice Dish
Is there a substitute for oyster sauce? Concerned about a seafood allergy. Thanks!
Hi, Libby…you can try using hoisin and/or tamari soy sauce (GF, less salty than regular soy sauce)… it should still turn out yummy. Enjoy!
Made this for my work dinners and OMG was it amazing! I’ve never used oyster sauce before (and now I need to find others things with it to finish off the bottle; also, I had to use a knife to get it out! lol), and I’m pretty sure I used the wrong basil. I couldn’t find “sweet Thai” anywhere, though I once saw basil specifically labeled as “Italian.” Mostly it was just unmarked. So after checking four places, I just went with the unmarked stuff… I wish I’d trimmed fat off the chicken, as there was quite the layer of congealed fat in the container (I didn’t want to remove it, though, ’cause I wasn’t sure how much of it was olive oil), but I didn’t mind too much. More flavor, and more filling. This was sooo good, and it had just the right hint of heat! I’ve been making nothing but Asian food for work meals since… lol
Yay, so happy you liked this and are making so many new Asian style dishes! Happy cooking and eating
I love how easy and great this dish looks. One of the classics.
made this last night and it turned out great! I had some trouble finding the thai basil but luckily I did prevail! I would like to make this dish again but am wondering if I could substitute opal basil for the thai basil if I have trouble finding it again next time?
Yes, you can sub with another variety of basil if Thai basil is unavailable. So glad you liked the dish! 🙂