Thai Style Stir Fried Chicken and Basil is a delicious and aromatic dish that combines tender chicken with shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes. The chicken is stir-fried to perfection, infused with flavors from the fish sauce, lime juice, and light brown sugar. Stir-frying is a common cooking technique used in Thai cuisine, making this dish quick and convenient to prepare. It can be cooked in a wok or a skillet over high heat, allowing for a fast and delicious meal. The addition of fresh basil leaves adds a refreshing herbal note to the dish. This Thai-inspired stir fry is quick and easy to make, making it a perfect choice for a flavorful weeknight meal. Serve it over steamed rice for a satisfying and flavorful Thai dining experience.
SERVES: 2 t o 3
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 4 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. chicken breast cutlets (about 1/4 inch thick), cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips
- 1 Tbs. fish sauce
- 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp. packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat the oil in a well-seasoned wok or a 12-inch heavy-duty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots start to soften but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until it’s no longer pink and the shallots are beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is just cooked through and the liquid reduces to a saucy consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. (If the sauce reduces before the chicken is cooked through, add water, 1 Tbs. at a time.) Remove from the heat, add the basil, and stir to wilt it.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
PER SERVING
- 280 CALORIES | 32G PROTEIN | 8G CARB | 13G TOTAL FAT | 2G SAT FAT |
5G MONO FAT | 5G POLY FAT | 85MG CHOL | 540MG SODIUM | 0G FIBER
NOTE:
- If you like, use a mix of fresh cilantro and mint instead of basil. Serve over cooked jasmine rice.
MORE ABOUT FISH SAUCE:
- This pungent amber brown liquid is a mainstay in Southeast Asian cooking. Known as nam pla in Thai and nuoc cham in Vietnamese, fish sauce imparts a distinctive salty flavor to many of the region’s dishes. Though its aroma is strongly fishy straight from the bottle, cooking mellows it considerably, as does combining it with other assertive ingredients, like lime juice, chile, and garlic.
- Fish sauce is made from freshly caught fish that are too small for substantial eating, such as anchovies. The fish are packed between layers of salt in an earthenware vessel. A bamboo mat is placed over the final layer and topped with a weight to keep the fish in place. They are then covered with an airtight top and set in a warm sunny spot where they are left to ferment for 9 months and up to a year. As the fish break down, they produce a brown liquid the fish sauce which is drained from a spigot at the bottom of the container.
