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Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry is even better than take-out and you control what ingredients you add in creating a customized, healthier dish. Ground chicken is sautéed with a serrano chile for spice and paired with fresh vegetables like zucchini and bok choy and a light, sweet Thai inspired sauce. This works great over rice or with rice noodles. 

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry White Plate
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Who likes spicy food?

I love extra spicy food, especially when it comes to Thai dishes.

When I go to a Thai restaurant or order take-out you can almost always find me asking for some extra spice in my dish.

Today’s Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry is a variation of a Thai dish that many of you have probably had, Pad Krapow Gai.

When I created this stir-fry I used many of the flavors that are in that traditional dish but also mixed things up a bit.

When I asked you guys what recipes you wanted more of a lot of you requested Thai recipes. I was pleasantly surprised.

I love Thai food and don’t share nearly enough of those type of recipes here.

Today’s stir-fry is a nice balance between Thai flavors, fresh vegetables and a sweet, savory sauce.

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry with spoon

The nice thing with a stir-fry recipe is that you can customize it to your liking.

I added zucchini, bell pepper and bok choy but you can feel free to throw whatever vegetables you have on hand.

I also use ground chicken for this Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry but chicken tenders or cubed chicken works great.

One thing I like about using ground chicken is that it not only makes a nice stir-fry over rice but it works great for lettuce wraps.

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry Full White Plate

What should I use to make this dish spicy?

When I make this dish I like to use a serrano chile pepper. I remove the seeds if my husband is eating the stir-fry because he can’t handle as much heat as I can. If you want a bit less heat try a jalapeño. For those that don’t like spice at all, don’t worry! This stir-fry is a great option without the spice too. You won’t even miss it. There are enough flavors going on to keep your tastes buds happy.

What should I add to my stir-fry?

I added zucchini, bell pepper and bok choy to my stir-fry. Some other ideas that works nicely include mushrooms, celery, chunks of tomato, spinach, broccoli, pea pods, edamame and watercress. When I serve this stir-fry I like to put it over brown or jasmine rice but have also served it with rice noodles which works nicely.

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry Half Plate

This dish comes together in under 30 minutes, making it one to keep on hand for busy weeknights.

You can feel good about putting a dish like this on your table packed with fresh vegetables and lean protein.

Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating and comment below! Subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest for the latest.

5 from 1 vote

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry is even better than take-out and you control what ingredients you add in creating a customized, healthier dish. 
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced or 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
  • 1/2 medium zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks
  • 3 cups Thai Basil , or regular basil leaves
  • 2 Bok choy
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable , canola oil
  • 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth, or water
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • brown rice, or jasmine rice
  • Green onions, chopped
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, broth, honey, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper until combined. Set aside.
  • Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot add the vegetable oil, shallot, garlic and chile and sauté for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  • Add the ground chicken, bell pepper, zucchini and and continue to cook until the chicken is browned, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Stir in the sauce along with the basil and bok choy. Let the stir-fry simmer until the bok choy is wilted, about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Remove from the heat and serve over rice garnished with green onions and cilantro.

Notes

  • If you do not like spicy food you can omit the serrano chile/jalapeño and the crushed red pepper. If you like more spice feel free to leave the seeds in the chile or add an additional chile or jalapeño.
  • This kind of stir-fry is great for adding additional vegetables in. Try things like mushrooms, eggplant, spinach and celery.
  • I like to serve my stir-fry over brown or jasmine rice but you can also serve it with your favorite noodles. Rice noodles pair nicely.

Nutrition

Calories: 140kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 641mg, Potassium: 1013mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 13216IU, Vitamin C: 120mg, Calcium: 256mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @acedarspoon or tag #acedarspoon!

About Julia

I'm Julia. Wife, mom to three growing boys, lover of food. Here you will find quick & easy weeknight meal ideas, kid-friendly recipes and a few sweet treats. My roots are from the Mediterranean and many of my recipes incorporate those flavors!

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5 from 1 vote

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6 Comments

  1. Julia says:

    5 stars
    This is better than take-out! We love the fresh vegetables.

  2. Mary says:

    Delciious ! I enjoyed this recipe and will make it a keeper.
    I did though forget to put basil in it bc our local store was out of it.
    But overall 2 thumbs up.

    1. Julia says:

      I am glad you liked it! I think it would still be great without the basil. Hopefully next time you can try it with the basil.

  3. Mary says:

    What’s shoney?

    1. Julia says:

      It is honey! Sorry.

  4. Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says:

    Love how many different vegetables this contains! 🙂