Spicy Basil Chicken Recipe (2024)

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Delicious Spicy Basil Chicken Recipe

Add a little zip to your next family dinner!

This Spicy Basil Chicken recipe is a terrific dish you’ll want to put on repeat! With tender chunks of chicken sautéed in a lightly sweet and spicy sauce with plenty of fresh garlic, basil and minced shallots. Serve with a steaming bowl of rice for a filling and tasty meal.

Sometimes we all need a little extra spice in our life. I always enjoy a little change from the same-old, same-old everything tastes the same – kind of meal. This is the dish that can bring excitement back into your relationship – with chicken of course 🙂

Quick, easy and on the table in about 30 minutes!

Spicy+ basil+ chicken on the table in about 30 minutes? Oh yes! This is an easy, uncomplicated recipe with most of the time spent prepping and chopping the shallots, garlic, basil leaves and chicken breasts. It cooks up in about 15 minutes so you better start the rice first!

Okay don’t judge – I put a chicken and rice dish in an Asian noodle bowl.

I just love these little bowls with the narrow bottom that fits firmly in the palm of my hand. It’s just so easy to raise it up to my face and scoop the deliciousness right into my mouth, yum. I want to use them all the time – even for Cheerios! Check them out at Crate and Barrel 🙂

Finally, don’t forget to put this yummy, healthy, low calorie Spicy Basil Chicken dish on your dinner line-up. We love it served with Jasmine rice 🙂 It may just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
½ cup minced shallots
6 garlic cloves minced
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar optional
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup sliced basil leaves plus more for garnish
Sliced green onions for garnish
Jasmine rice for serving

Instructions

In a small bowl combine the fish sauce, sugar, honey soy sauce, chili sauce, water, cornstarch and salt. Whisk until blended, set aside.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the chicken and cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until done.
Add the fish sauce mixture to the pan and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Stir to coat the chicken and remove from the heat. Add the basil leaves and stir to combine. Serve with rice and garnish with sliced green onions.

Recipe Notes

Six chicken thighs are a great substitute for the 3 chicken breasts.
Chili Garlic Sauce can be found in the Asian section of your local grocery store.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Here are a few more of our favorite Asian inspired recipes you might also enjoy:

Fresh and delicious, this is loaded with tofu, mushrooms and bites of pork tenderloin simmered in a rich, full flavored broth. Homemade Hot & Sour Soup is so much better than take-out and easy too!

Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowls with roasted Bok Choy ~ a super easy, quick and delicious dinner with terrific (almost intense) flavor from the simple homemade teriyaki sauce. Once you try this recipe, I bet you never buy pre-made teriyaki sauce again!

Easy Stir Fry Vegetables is the kind of dish you’ll love having in your back pocketfor a quick meatless-Monday meal, any day of the week! Click HERE to get the recipe for Stir Fry Vegetables.

Here’s a link to the chili garlic sauce used in this recipe.

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Originally posted July 2013, updated August 2018

FAQs

What is the difference between holy basil and Thai basil? ›

While Thai basil presents stronger licorice flavor, holy basil has a more peppery, clove flavor. And in terms of appearance, holy basil is slightly larger and more oval shaped with a green stem.

What is the national dish of Thailand? ›

Pad thai ,a national dish of Thailand, is so well-liked around the world that that it has been included in the online Oxford Dictionary since 2022.

Tell Me More ›

What does pad mean in Thai? ›

The word “pad” means “fried” while “thai” means “Thai”. It is a staple food in Thai Cuisine. The recipe of pad thai has evolved over time. It is believed to be originally a Chinese dish and later on got adapted to the taste of Thais.

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What Flavour is Kung Po? ›

Our classic kung pao recipe brings together the warmth of chilli and ginger, the sweetness of honey and sherry, the saltiness of soy sauce, the sourness of vinegar, the nuttyness of peanuts and peanut oil, plus plenty of other flavourful ingredients that come together in delicious harmony.

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What is the best substitute for Thai holy basil? ›

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How can you tell if basil is holy? ›

Physical description. The holy basil plant is a small annual or short-lived perennial shrub, up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) in height. The stems are hairy and bear simple toothed or entire leaves oppositely along the stem. The fragrant leaves are green or purple, depending on the variety.