Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
If you love Thai food, try our other Thai recipes and especially Thai Green Curry and Thai Cashew Chicken.
Thai Basil Chicken
Most likely, you already know and love Thai Basil Chicken. This familiar dish isn’t just a popular street food in Thailand, where it originated. It’s also a very popular dish in the Thai restaurants, in the States. Commonly, it’s listed on the menu as Pad Krapow, Pad Krapow Gai, or Gai Pad Krapow. Gai meaning “chicken,” Pad means “fried” or “stir fried,” and Krapow translates to “holy basil.”
If you’ve enjoyed this popular dish in Thai restaurants, you’re going to love this simple, authentic homemade version. It’s easy to make and has all of the flavor you crave when ordering from good Thai places! If you happen to cook a lot of Thai recipes at home, you’ll probably have all of these ingredients already stocked and ready to go in your kitchen – just make sure you have some fresh holy basil.
While I typically enjoy making Thai Basil Chicken as an easy weeknight dinner for the family, it also doubles nicely as a date night dinner. If you’re looking to impress a dinner guest, I always recommend making something a little different than your usual go-to recipes.
This chicken dinner may be insanely easy to make, but your guest(s) will never know that! The deliciously fresh flavor and intoxicating aroma of this authentic Thai recipe will give it the slightly sophisticated appearance you need when wanting to really impress.
Ingredient Tips, Variations, and Substitutions
Basil – use either Thai basil or holy basil because they both have the signature anise flavor. Those are NOT the same as classic Italian basil, very difference flavor. Although, if you have no luck finding Thai or holy basil, you can use the classic one in a pinch. (Just not flavor will be quite different.)
Chicken – You can use either finely diced chicken thigh meat or ground chicken. Personally, I prefer diced chicken thighs for a much better flavor. For easier and faster prep, feel free to use ground chicken.
Thai Chili Peppers – If you can’t find fresh Thai chili peppers at your local Asian market, you can use dried ones instead. Dried Thai chili peppers are more widely available or you can order them on Amazon. In a pinch, you can use another red chili pepper but beware or their spice level!
Gluten Free notes – to make this dish gluten free, substitute soy and oyster sauce for gluten free soy sauce and gluten free oyster sauce. Remaining ingredients should be gluten free but double check your packaging label.
Other veggies – you can add more vegetables like snow peas, mushrooms, baby corn, green beans, zucchini, and/or broccolini.
How to Make Thai Basil Chicken
- Prep ingredients before starting.
- Stir fry the chicken in a preheated work with oil.
- Add garlic and chili peppers to the venter and sauté.
- Add the shallots and bell peppers and to cook until softened.
- Pour the sauce in, mix, and simmer a few minutes.
- Stir in the bail and scallions.
Serving Suggestions for Thai Basil Chicken?
- This chicken stir fry is usually served with simple jasmine rice or you can make coconut rice.
- You can also fry an egg to serve on top of the dish.
- Some restaurants serve this dish with fried rice, and you can definitely do the same – just skip the chicken in the rice!
- Another option is rice noodles or glass noodles, both are delicious with it.
- If you need a healthier substitution, use brown rice, quinoa, or even more veggies.
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Thai Basil Chicken Recipe (Pad Krapow Gai)
Ingredients
- 1.25-1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs or ground chicken if need fast and easy
- 2 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable, or canola
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 2-4 Thai chili peppers to taste
- 2 shallots
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 cup Thai basil or holy basil if available
- 3 scallions stalks
Sauce:
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or a mix of dark and light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
To serve:
- 2-3 cups cooked Jasmine rice
Instructions
Prep work:
- Prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time!Start cooking the rice. Dice the chicken thighs meat very finely. Mince garlic, seed chili peppers, if you prefer, and slice them thin. Slice shallots and bell pepper. Chop scallions, and mix all of the ingredients for the sauce in a measuring cup.
Cooking the chicken:
- Make sure the wok is nicely seasoned all over the sides and bottom and preheat it over medium heat. Add oil and spread it around.
- Add and stir in chicken and cook until chicken is mostly done. Make sure to stir from time to time.
- Make a little well in the center and add garlic and chili peppers and sauté until its fragrant and stir it all together.
- Add shallots and bell peppers and cook until vegetables have softened.
- Whisk the sauce again and pour it into the wok, stirring as you pour. Stir and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Stir in basil and scallions and cook just until basil is wilted. Take off heat and serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Thai Recipes To Try
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30 Minute Meals, Asian Recipes, Chicken Dinner Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Thai Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Loved this recipe!
I am so glad you liked it, Sara!