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A plate of Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice garnished with basil and lime wedge
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Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, Thai
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 2 teaspoon brown sugar

For the Fried Rice:

  • 2 tbsps vegetable oil
  • 1 pound chopped chicken thighs, small pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Thai chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 cup white onion, diced
  • 1 small red bell pepper, diced
  • 4 cups cold, cooked jasmine rice (about 1 ⅓ cups dry)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (or sweet basil)
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

  • Make the sauce by combining the soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce and brown sugar. Whisk until smooth then set aside for now.
  • Add the vegetable oil to a deep skillet, coating the bottom and heating over medium. When the pan is hot, add the chicken pieces, allowing them to brown slightly then flip. The chicken is in small pieces, which means it can over cook quickly and become tough. Remove from the pan when finished.
  • Add a splash more oil to the pan and add the garlic and chopped chilies for about 30 seconds. Add in the onion and bell peppers and cook for about 2 more minutes.
  • Add the jasmine rice to the skillet and break it up with a wooden spoon, allowing it to stir fry for about 3 minutes.
  • Push the rice to one side of the skillet, leaving about ⅓ free. Crack the eggs and lightly scramble in the free space. Allow the eggs to mostly cook and then mix into the rice.
  • Place the chicken back into the skillet and gently stir to combine it into the rice. Pour the sauce over the rice and mix it in well.
  • Remove the skillet from heat and gently fold in the basil, until it wilts, allowing the flavor to absorb.
  • Serve the rice right away with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

  • This is the perfect dish to use leftover rice. Cold rice works best as it has a better texture for stir frying. If you are using freshly cooked rice, allow it to fully cool so that it does not get mushy.
  • We found that using about two Thai chilies was a good amount. You can still taste the chilies without being over-powering. If you like a lot of heat, go ahead and add more. Leaving some seeds in will make them even hotter.
  • We like to use chopped chicken thighs as they add a lot of flavor but you can use chicken breast or even ground chicken for this recipe.
  • Add in more veggies like shredded carrots and snap peas for extra crunch and texture.
  • We used Thai basil for this recipe. It has a more licorice flavor than regular sweet basil and is used in Thai cuisines along with holy basil. It can be harder to find, so you can substitute it with regular basil. The dish will still taste delicious. However, if you are able to buy it, we highly encourage you to try it especially if you have not used it before.
  • Be really careful not to overcook the chicken, it does not need as much time cooking. It will get tough if it cooks for more than 4-5 minutes.