Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice (Printable Version)

Fragrant Thai-style fried rice with tender chicken, holy basil, and chilies.

# What You Need:

→ 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 Make:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until shimmering.
02 - Add garlic and chilies to hot oil. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
03 - Add sliced chicken to the wok. Stir-fry until meat turns opaque and is cooked through, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Stir in chopped onion and sliced bell pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until onion begins to soften.
05 - Add cooked jasmine rice to the wok. Break up any clumps with your spatula, tossing constantly to separate grains.
06 - Pour in soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Toss everything together until rice is evenly coated and heated through.
07 - Remove wok from heat. Fold in holy basil leaves and stir until just wilted from residual heat.
08 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Garnish with fresh lime wedges and sliced cucumber on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The holy basil creates this incredible aromatic experience that you just cant get from regular sweet basil
  • Its faster than delivery and tastes infinitely better than takeout
  • The combination of salty, spicy, and slightly sweet flavors hits every single craving spot
02 -
  • Day-old rice is not a suggestion—fresh rice will turn into a gummy mess no matter how hot your wok is
  • Have everything chopped and measured before you turn on the stove, this dish moves too fast for prep-as-you-go
  • The wok should be hot enough that ingredients sizzle loudly but not so hot that your oil starts smoking uncontrollably
03 -
  • Cast iron woks hold heat better than thin steel ones, giving you better sear marks on the chicken
  • If your rice is still too fresh, toast it in a dry pan for a few minutes before adding oil
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