Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry (High Protein Asian Recipe)
Easy Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry (Gai Pad Krapow) with veggies and egg – a high protein, healthy, and flavorful dish perfect for meal prep and busy weeknights.
Just like Thai Basil Beef Stir Fry (Pad Kra Pao), this Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry is the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory, This easy stir fry is high in protein, paired with fresh vegetables and ready in under 30 minutes – making it ideal for a busy weeknight or your next meal prep session. It is one of those easy recipes that feels fancy but takes minimal effort and with simple ingredients you can find in most grocery stores. Also, it tastes better than your Thai restaurants takeout!
If you like Thai cuisine, check out my Crying Tiger Steak with Thai Dipping Sauce, Thai Green Curry Wonton Soup, One Pot Thai Red Curry Ramen Soup, and Soup Dumplings in Thai Red Curry Sauce.
Why This Is a High-Protein Dish
This dish uses lean ground chicken, which is packed with high-quality protein. Adding a fried egg on top not only boosts the flavor but also ups the protein content, making it perfect for those following healthy recipes or higher-protein diets. Plus, cooking rice with chicken bone broth adds an extra 19 grams of protein – highly recommend!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicious and Flavorful: this dish is packed with the bold and spicy flavor that you love in Asian food
- Fast and Simple: you can make this delicious dish in under 30 minutes
- High in Protein: made with ground chicken and a fried egg on top, this recipe is packed with over 40 grams of protein.
- Better than Takeout: with just a few steps and simple ingredients, Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fy is a great way to enjoy comforting, homemade Thai food anytime.
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make the best Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry:
- Ground Chicken
- Garlic
- Bird’s Eye Chili
- Light Soy Sauce
- Dark Soy Sauce
- Oyster Sauce
- Fish Sauce
- Sugar (white or brown sugar)
- Thai Holy Basil (or regular basil if unavailable)
- Cooking Oil
- Fresh Vegetables like broccoli, red bell pepper, green beans, or bok choy
- Eggs
- Rice (jasmine rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice)
- Chicken Bone Broth: use bone broth instead of water to increase protein. I’m using Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth, which has about 19 grams of protein per container. You can use ONEHAPPYBITE20 to get 20% off.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chili, stir fry for a minute until fragrant. Then add ground chicken and cooks until brown (about 3-4 minutes)
- Mix in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, a pinch of sugar, and chicken broth. Stir to coat.
- Turn heat to low and toss in basil.
- Stir fry for another minute until basil is wilted.
How to Serve Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry
Serve it over rice and veggies. Top with a fried egg and garnish with green onions.
This recipe can fill 4 food containers for meal prep.
Substitutions
- Ground chicken → swap with ground turkey, beef or pork. You can also try tofu or tempeh for a vegetarian version.
- Thai holy basil → use sweet basil or regular basil if unavailable.
- Chicken broth → use water or vegetable broth.
- Bird’s Eye Chili → consider using serrano peppers, habanero peppers or jalapenos if unavailable. You can also use chili powder, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes as alternatives. Just note that the spice level will not be the same.
Equipment
How to Storage and Reheat
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, microwave Thai basil chicken stir fry until warm.
Top Tips for Success
Use medium-high heat to get that classic charred flavor.
Stir Fry Aromatics First – saute garlic and chilies in hot oil until fragrant before adding the ground meat.
Don’t overcook the basil – add the basil leaves at the very end and stir-fry until just wilted.
Adjust the spice level and add more seasoning to suit your taste.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry (High Protein Asian Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb ground chicken
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 10 clove garlic, minced
- 2 bird's eye chili, chopped
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp white or brown sugar
- ½ cup chicken bone broth
- 1 cup Holy Basil or regular basil
High Protein Bone Broth Rice
- 1 ½ cup jasmine rice
- 2 cups chicken bone broth
To Serve
- large eggs
- brocolli, or other fresh vegetables
Instructions
- Heat 2 tsp of cooking oil in a cooking pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chilies. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it up with spatula, until browned and cooked through.
- Add soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Stir and let it cook for 3-4 minutes so the meat absorbs the flavor.
- Toss in the basil and cook until wilted.
- To serve: spoon the chicken over rice, top with a crispy fried egg, and pair it with fresh vegetables for a complete meal.
High Protein Bone Broth Rice
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear.
- In a cooking pot, add rice and bone broth. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid and continue to cook for about 20-22 minutes until the broth has absorbed and rice is tender.
- Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
Made this today, turned out sooo delicious. Definitely going to be one of my meals in rotation. Thank you so much!
love hearing that! Thank you so much for trying the recipe!