Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice (Printable)

Aromatic Thai fried rice with tender chicken, holy basil, and vibrant chilies. A fragrant, spicy main dish ready in 30 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Proteins

01 - 14 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced

→ Rice

02 - 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, preferably day-old

→ Vegetables & Herbs

03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2–3 Thai red chilies, finely sliced
06 - 1 cup holy basil leaves
07 - 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

→ Sauces & Seasonings

08 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
09 - 1 tbsp oyster sauce
10 - 1 tbsp fish sauce
11 - 1 tsp sugar
12 - ½ tsp white pepper
13 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil

→ Garnish

14 - Lime wedges
15 - Sliced cucumber

# How to Prepare:

01 - Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until shimmering.
02 - Add the garlic and chilies; stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
03 - Add the sliced chicken and cook until it turns opaque and develops a slight sear, about 3–4 minutes.
04 - Stir in the onion and bell pepper; cook for another 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
05 - Add the cooked jasmine rice, breaking up any clumps with a spatula. Toss to combine with the chicken and vegetables.
06 - Pour in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Toss everything together until the rice is evenly coated and heated through.
07 - Remove from heat, fold in the holy basil leaves, and stir until just wilted. The residual heat will gently cook the basil.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh lime wedges and sliced cucumber on the side.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The magical combination of fish sauce, soy and basil creates layers of flavor that restaurant versions rarely achieve.
  • Its infinitely adaptable to whatever protein or vegetables are hiding in your fridge, perfect for those nights when grocery shopping feels impossible.
02 -
  • The order of adding sauces actually matters, I ruined several batches by dumping everything in at once before learning to let each one integrate properly.
  • Removing the pan from heat before adding basil preserves its aromatic oils instead of burning them away.
03 -
  • Freeze unused Thai chilies whole, then grate them frozen directly into your wok, no chopping required and your fingers stay burn-free.
  • When holy basil is out of season, I muddle a tiny pinch of black pepper with regular Thai basil to approximate that distinctive flavor.
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