Since the announcement of the extended Circuit Breaker, it meant more work-from-home days for many Singaporeans. Because we’re working at home, many of us have started to make our own meals instead of eating out and splurging on fancy meals.
If you love Thai food as much as I do, you’re in for a yummy treat with today’s recipe. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been to Thai restaurants with my friends because of our love for the spicy, aromatic cuisine. There’s just something about the tangy spice that makes the cuisine easy to love.
One of my all-time favourite Thai dishes is Thai Basil Chicken. From the overwhelming spiciness to the saltiness of the gravy, this is definitely a delicious dish for all. Without further ado, here’s my recipe for Thai Basil Chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast (minced)
- 5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 4 – 10 chili padi stalks (depending on your preference of spice—once you fry the chillies, they won’t be as spicy)
- 1 tbsp of cooking oil
- 1 tsp of oyster sauce
- ½ tsp of light soy sauce
- 1 tsp of dark sweet soy sauce
- ½ tsp of sugar
- 1 handful of Thai holy basil leaves
- White spring onion (chopped)
Tools
- Wok (or a frying pan)
- Spatula
- Plate
- Knife
- Chopping board
Recipe Preparation
Preparation time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 5 minutes
Feeds three to four
- Peel and wash the garlic, then dice them.
- Wash the chillis and cut them up.
- Prepare all your ingredients beforehand to make the cooking process easier.
- Heat up oil in the wok at high heat.
- Ensure that the oil is hot before adding in the chillis and garlic. Once you smell the fragrance from your wok, add in the minced chicken. Be sure you don’t burn the garlic.
- Continue to cook your chicken until it’s almost fully cooked. If it’s too dry, add a splash of water.
- Add the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and dark sweet sauce into the mix. Keep stirring.
- Toss the basil leaves into the wok and fold it into the chicken. Turn off the heat immediately.
- Top it off with some chopped spring onion and fold it in.
- Plate your basil chicken and enjoy it with a side of white rice.
Recipe (In Pictures)
Step 1: Dice the peeled and washed garlic cloves.
Step 2: Wash the chillies and cut them up. You can choose to remove the seeds if you want a lower spice level. Do take note that the chillis lose some of their spice when they’re cooked.
Step 3: Prepare all of your ingredients separately beforehand to ensure a smoother cooking experience.
Step 4: Heat up your oil at high heat, then add the garlic and chillis once the oil is hot. Cook until the garlic is golden brown. I cooked mine for about 30 seconds to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn.
Step 5: Add in the minced chicken and stir until it’s almost fully cooked. I added a splash of water to mine because it was becoming a little too dry for my liking.
Step 6: After cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, add in the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and dark sweet sauce. Keep stirring to ensure the chicken absorbs the flavour.
Step 7: Toss the basil leaves into the mix and fold it into the chicken. Take it off the heat immediately because the basil only needs to cook for 5 seconds. Overcooking it will make it lose its flavour and it will become chewy.
Step 8: Top it off with some spring onions and stir it in for extra fragrance.
Step 9: Plate your Thai Basil Chicken and enjoy it with a side of white rice.
There you go—a super easy recipe for a delicious Thai dish! I used only four chillis and I felt that it wasn’t spicy enough. So keep in mind that if you’re a spice lover, you might want to pile it on. That was my only gripe with the dish—everything else was perfect for me.
Feel free to switch it up with this flexible recipe—you can use chunks of meat instead of mincing it like how I did. You can also use variations of protein like pork, beef, shrimp, sotong, or even tofu! I’m sure you’ll feel accomplished after completing this scrumptious Thai street favourite. What’s more, it only takes 20 minutes to whip up this fragrant dish.
If you’re cooking for your family or for people with a heartier appetite, you’re welcome to double up the ingredients and cook it the same way. Go ahead and fix up a sunny side up if you’re feeling fancy as well—the possibilities are endless with this savoury dish.
Put your apron on and prepare to cook up a storm in your kitchen during this ‘Circuit Breaker’ period. Surprise your family with a delicious, hot meal for dinner!
If you’re looking for further inspiration for your chef endeavours, check out our other simple stay-home recipes. Happy cooking!
Expected Damage: S$8 – S$10 per portion
