Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice (Printable Version)

Fragrant Thai-style fried rice with tender chicken, aromatic holy basil, and vibrant chilies. Quick and easy to prepare.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced

→ Rice

02 - 4 cups cooked jasmine rice (preferably day-old)

→ Vegetables & Herbs

03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2-3 Thai red chilies, finely sliced (adjust to taste)
06 - 1 cup holy basil leaves (substitute with Thai basil if unavailable)
07 - 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

→ Sauces & Seasonings

08 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
09 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce
11 - 1 teaspoon sugar
12 - ½ teaspoon white pepper
13 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

→ Garnish

14 - Lime wedges
15 - Sliced cucumber

# Directions:

01 - Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and chilies; stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
02 - Add the sliced chicken and cook until it turns opaque, about 3-4 minutes.
03 - Stir in the onion and bell pepper; cook for another 2 minutes.
04 - Add the cooked jasmine rice, breaking up any clumps with a spatula.
05 - Pour in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Toss everything together until the rice is evenly coated and heated through.
06 - Remove from heat, fold in the holy basil leaves, and stir until just wilted.
07 - Serve immediately, garnished with lime wedges and sliced cucumber.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery, which means weeknight dinners suddenly feel less stressful and more celebratory.
  • The holy basil creates a flavor that tastes like you've unlocked a secret—peppery, slightly licorice-forward, nothing like the green basil sitting in your supermarket's produce section.
  • This is genuinely forgiving; swap the protein, dial the heat up or down, and it still tastes like a confident dish.
02 -
  • Day-old rice is absolutely essential here—freshly cooked rice will clump together no matter how hard you stir, so plan ahead or buy rice from a Thai restaurant's cooler if you're desperate.
  • The holy basil goes in at the very end off the heat, because cooking it actually diminishes that peppery character you're looking for; you want it barely wilted so it stays vibrant.
  • Fish sauce smells like low tide and regret until it hits the hot pan, then it transforms into the backbone of authentic flavor—trust the process.
03 -
  • Keep a small bottle of good chili oil on the table—it adds heat and flavor that people can control themselves, and it's become a quiet ritual at my dinner table.
  • If your wok isn't hot enough, the rice will absorb the sauces and become mushy instead of glossy and separate; patience while preheating is worth it.
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