Thai Chicken with Fresh Basil

My sister in law reached out to me today because she is in need of chicken recipes as my Brother in Law has gout and he can only eat chicken and turkey. I never posted this recipe here because I was not happy with the quality of the photos...but a chicken emergency is a chicken emergency. So Priscilla...this is for you!

I first heard about this recipe while driving and listening to the Everyday Food radio show on Martha Stewart Living and the host was raving about this recipe and how quick, easy and delicious it was. She had dinner on the table in under 30 minutes and she certainly did not lie. I went home and searched around the internet and found the recipe and made it myself that very night. I have since purchased this great cookbook ...
Quick and Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott. It has come in very handy on busy nights. The tastes and flavors are very authentic and the recipes use mostly items you can get in your local supermarket or already have in your pantry.

Thai Chicken with Fresh Basil 
adapted from :Quick & Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott

3 tablespoons Canola Oil
1 tablespoon coarsely-chopped garlic
1/2 cup coarsely-chopped onion
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in bite-size pieces or 1 pound  coarsely ground chicken
2 tablespoons fish sauce ( I use Vietnamese- Three Crabs Brand)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce or regular soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely-chopped fresh chile peppers (Thai chiles, serranos, or jalapenos)
1 packed cup Thai basil or other basil leaves
2 cups cooked rice, optional


Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl it to coat the surface. Add the garlic and onion; stir briefly until they begin to release their aroma, about 45 to 60 seconds. Add the chicken pieces, tossing well with a wooden spatula or spoon, to help the meat brown evenly. If using ground chicken you want to break up to meat to achieve a crumbly texture.

Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, water, and sugar; cook 2 to 3 minutes, tossing now and then, just until the chicken is cooked and the seasonings form a thin, smooth , sauce. Add the chile peppers and basil; toss and stir fry just until the basil begins to wilt.

Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot or warm with cooked rice ( we love this with Jasmine rice), if you desire. Garnish with some leftover basil leaves.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

My notes: I added some julienned yellow, red ,and orange peppers for some color and crunch at the time I added the jalapenos. I have also added some diced green beans or asparagus to the dish as well.
I did not have Thai basil so I used regular Italian basil and it worked out just fine. I also add about a tablespoon or so more of water if it looks a tiny bit dry toward the end. 

I know this says it feeds 4 to 6 ...but in my house with hungry teenagers it feeds two to three. You can easily double this recipe. BUT....I would not crowd the pan with the chicken, so brown it in batches so the chicken browns nicely and does not stew in the marinade. There is not much sauce left over. I garnish it with cilantro and a slice of fresh lime. You could also add some sliced cucumber and tomato to the plate and you have dinner in a flash. 

Check your chiles for heat before you use them. I made this last night and used two serrano chiles.They were pretty spicy...we enjoyed the dish but in retrospect one chile would have sufficed.
Now why I did not take a picture of this when I made it last night...I will never know. There were from last June and not very good....please excuse the poor pics...but the recipe is too good to not tell you about.

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