Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice

Tonight’s recipe is a combination of several Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice recipes I found during my research and of course, my own little tweaks. The primary tweak is adding more vegetables (a the great recipe extender!) providing different textures and flavors to the standard fried rice. Naturally, the key to this dish is the Thai basil. I have read that Italian or regular basil can be substituted, but I cannot imagine that being possible. Thai basil has a very unique flavor and fragrance – which is what this dish is all about! So do yourself a favor and find Thai basil for this dish. I find it at my local supermarket, but also at just about every Asian market in the area. (Psst, while you are at the Asian market, look for pickled ginger, pickled galangal, different curries and sauce bases like Tom Yum – you will be happy you did!) Another key to this dish is to use cooked and cooled rice – preferably left over rice from the day before. The slightly dried rice fries and absorbs the flavors best. Also, this dish can be made with other proteins (prawns, beef, tofu, etc) as desired and the options for garnishes to enhance the flavors are numerous. Garnishes such as lime, prik nam pla, sambal, cilantro, thinly sliced chili, togarishi, etc are just some of the ways to increase this dish’s versatility. I strongly suggest you give this recipe a try; it is simple and quick to prepare as well as open to your own interpretations. Let your culinary creativity run free with this dish, you will not be disappointed!

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Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

6 oz chicken breast, thinly sliced across the grain
8 oz cooked and cooled jasmine rice
½ cup red pepper, thinly sliced (approximately ½ large red pepper)
½ cup yellow onion, thinly sliced (approximately ½ large onion)
⅓ cup carrot, julienned (approximately 1 medium carrot)
¼ cup celery, thinly sliced (approximately 1 medium stalk)
2 cloves garlic
1 thai chili or seranno pepper, halved and thinly sliced, divided
¼ cup Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped plus several whole leaves reserved
1 egg
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce (or light soy sauce)
½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp peanut oil

Instructions

In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and ½ the thai chili or serrano pepper roughly.
If you do not have a mortar and pestle, a crush and fine mince with a knife will suffice.
Heat a large skillet or wok over Medium-High heat.
Add the oil and when it shimmers, add the crushed garlic and chili pepper.
Stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant and slightly brown.
Add the chicken and stir fry until the pink fades.
Add the red pepper, celery, onion, and carrot.
Stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes then add ½ the rice.
Stir fry breaking up the rice with the back of the spoon for 2 minutes.
Scrape the mixture to the side before adding the egg to the cleared area.
Allow the white to start to set on the bottom then scramble with the spoon and cook.
Incorporate the egg into the rice, meat, and vegetable mixture.
Add the remaining rice and stir fry another 2 minutes.
Add the fish sauce, sugar and oyster sauce to the rice mixture and stir fry for 30 seconds to distribute.
Add the basil and stir fry approximately 30 seconds until fragrant, then remove to a plate.
Garnish as desired with additional chilis, cilantro, lime, etc and serve with prik nam pla.

Notes

Some variations to try with this dish are:
thinly sliced beef
prawns
firm tofu
broccoli
asparagus
snap peas
thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves
grated ginger with the garlic

Nutrition Information

Calories: 1037 Fat: 25g Saturated fat: 6g Unsaturated fat: 17g Trans fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 126g Sugar: 13g Sodium: 2181mg Fiber: 9g Protein: 74g Cholesterol: 282mg

In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and 1/2 the thai chili or serrano pepper roughly. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, a crush and fine mince with a knife will suffice. Heat a large skillet or wok over Medium-High heat. Add the oil and when it shimmers, add the crushed garlic and chili pepper.

Stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant and slightly brown. Add the chicken and stir fry until the pink fades. Add the red pepper, celery, onion, and carrot.

Stir fry for 2 – 3 minutes then add 1/2 the rice. Stir fry breaking up the rice with the back of the spoon for 2 minutes.

Scrape the mixture to the side before adding the egg to the cleared area. Allow the white to start to set on the bottom then scramble with the spoon and cook. Incorporate the egg into the rice, meat, and vegetable mixture. Add the remaining rice and stir fry another 2 minutes.

Add the fish sauce, sugar and oyster sauce to the rice mixture and stir fry for 30 seconds to distribute. Add the basil and stir fry approximately 30 seconds until fragrant, then remove to a plate.

Garnish as desired with additional chilis, cilantro, lime, togarishi, etc and serve with prik nam pla. (In the picture above, I sprinkled mine with togarishi shichimi before plating than added leaves of Thai basil after plating – Yum!!!)