Quick One-Pan Thai Basil Chicken
Spicy, savory, done in 20 minutes. One pan. No regrets.
It's 6pm, you're tired, and you don't want to think. This is the recipe for that exact moment. Thai basil chicken — known as pad krapow gai — is one of Thailand's most beloved weeknight dishes, and for good reason: ground chicken hits a hot pan, gets coated in a garlicky, slightly sweet, deeply savory sauce, and it's done before you've even set the table. You'll need one pan and about 20 minutes. The result is bold, a little spicy, and genuinely satisfying over a scoop of rice. Honest warning: it's not a subtle dish. It's loud and good.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground chicken
- 6 unit garlic cloves — roughly chopped
- 2 unit Thai red chilies — thinly sliced; use 1 for mild, 3+ for hot
- 2 tbsp neutral oil — such as vegetable or canola
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves — Thai basil strongly preferred; Italian basil works in a pinch
- 4 unit fried eggs — optional but traditional; cook separately or after the chicken
- 4 cup cooked jasmine rice — for serving
Method
- 1 Mix the sauce: in a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
- 2 Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering and just starting to smoke.
- 3 Add the garlic and chilies. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant — don't let the garlic burn.
- 4 Add the ground chicken. Break it apart with a spatula and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until fully cooked through and starting to brown in spots, about 6–8 minutes.
- 5 Pour in the sauce mixture. Toss everything together and cook for 1–2 more minutes until the sauce is absorbed and the chicken looks glossy.
- 6 Remove from heat. Fold in the basil leaves — they'll wilt from the residual heat within 30 seconds.
- 7 If making fried eggs, wipe the pan quickly, add a splash of oil, and fry the eggs over medium-high heat until the edges are crispy but the yolk is still runny, about 2–3 minutes.
- 8 Serve immediately over jasmine rice, topped with a fried egg if using.
Variations
- Vegetarian Swap — Replace ground chicken with crumbled extra-firm tofu or finely chopped mushrooms (cremini or shiitake work great). Press the tofu dry before adding it to the pan so it browns instead of steaming. Swap fish sauce for soy sauce and oyster sauce for a vegetarian oyster sauce or hoisin.
- Faster Swap — Skip cooking rice from scratch — use a 90-second microwavable rice pouch. This gets dinner on the table in about 15 minutes flat.
- No Fresh Chilies — Substitute 1/2 to 1 tsp of red pepper flakes or a squirt of chili garlic sauce (like sambal oelek). Add it with the garlic step.
Notes
Thai basil has a slightly anise-forward, peppery flavor that makes this dish sing — worth seeking out at an Asian grocery store. Italian basil is a workable substitute but mellower. High heat is the key: if your pan isn't hot, the chicken steams instead of browning and the dish loses its depth. Don't skip the fried egg — it's traditional and the runny yolk acts as a sauce over the rice.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet or wok (12-inch+) — A wide, heavy pan holds high heat better and gives the chicken room to brown rather than steam.
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