This Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry has been made a lot around here lately because it’s so easy and downright delicious!
We love a good stir fry around here, but there’s something about this latest one that neither one of us can get enough of. It’s cooked over intense heat for just minutes, and that seared flavor keeps you coming back for more.
The garlic and chili together make a heady combination with the umami flavors of coconut aminos and fish sauce. But then… right at the end Thai basil is tossed in, and lends it’s own distinctive aromas to the mix.
So I hope you’ll trust me when I say, you need this stir fry on your menu STAT! We love it with freshly steamed rice and garlic roasted green beans. I need to get my green bean recipe tested and written down. But for now see my tip below for the easiest side dish you’ve made in a while.
More Whole30 Stir Fry Inspiration:
- Whole30 Chicken Stir Fry with 3 Sauces – perfect for meal prepping!
- Potsticker Stir Fry
- Whole30 Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry
- Ethiopian Berbere Chicken Stir Fry – recipe coming soon!
- Thai Stir Fried Curry Zucchini Noodles
How to make this Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry:
- First up prep whatever vegetable you want to serve this with. Also start steaming some rice, (or cauliflower rice for Whole30).
- Next up, prep the ingredients for the stir fry. There’s not much to do, so you’ll be done in 10 minutes!
- Then heat a large skillet over high heat, and just before it’s smoking, add the oil and stir fry the onion, garlic, and chili together.
- Then add the chicken to the pan, and sauté until browned and fully cooked.
- Finally add the sauce and stir constantly to mix it all together.
- Then remove it from the heat and stir in the Thai basil leaves.
- Serve immediately with your choice of sides!
Start to finish this whole process takes less than 20 minutes with both prep and cooking times. That’s why it’s so important to have everything else ready for dinner before you start stir frying.
Garlic Roasted Green Beans mentioned above:
Heat the oven to 500ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread an even layer of frozen green beans onto the baking sheet. Then sprinkle with sea salt, garlic powder (be generous here), and a drizzle of olive oil – toss together.
When you’re almost ready to serve dinner, pop the baking sheet into the oven on the middle rack and turn the oven up to broil. Watch the green beans carefully because they’re usually done within 5 minutes or so.
If you don’t want to turn on the oven, you can sauté them on the stove top in a large skillet over high heat as well. The key to both methods is the high heat because it adds so much flavor, but do keep a close eye on things so nothing burns!
Lastly if you can find it, definitely use Holy Basil as it’s authentic to this dish. However it does seem to be hard to find, (I haven’t seen it since we left Calgary) but I thought I’d mention it in case you have access to a good Asian grocery, or fun herbs at a local farmers market.
I hope you’ll enjoy this stir fry as much as we have! If you do make them, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here. And over on Instagram where you can tag me at #getinspiredeveryday with your photos.
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Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry (Whole30)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A super flavorful stir fry that comes together in 20 minutes or less!
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon avocado oil
1 cup diced red onion, 1/4″, or shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Thai chili, thinly sliced, see notes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 4-6, cut into 1/2” pieces
Sauce:
1/4 cup coconut aminos, or gluten free soy sauce
2 Tablespoons fish sauce, see notes
1/2 cup lightly packed Thai basil leaves, from 1 – 0.5 ounce package
Instructions
Prepare all ingredients and any side dishes you’d like before starting to cook the stir fry.
Heat a large skillet (15″) over high heat. When the pan is hot but not smoking, add the avocado oil along with the onion, garlic, and chilis. Stir fry stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
Add the chicken to the pan and continue to stir fry over high heat until browned and just done, 2-3 minutes.
Finally add the coconut aminos and fish sauce to the pan stirring constantly for 1-2 more minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil leaves.Â
Serve immediately with your choice of sides.
Notes
For the Thai chili, use as much as you’d like. This stir fry has a bit of heat to it which is part of it’s flavor, but you can always add less. Also if you can’t find a Thai chili, I’ve also used a Mexican red serrano which tasted fantastic too. When you live somewhere without access to a lot of ingredients, it’s ok just to sub in something similar!
Check the label carefully on whichever fish sauce you choose to make sure there’s no additives or sugar.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Thai
This looks absolutely amazing! Super delicious and I love that it’s so quick and good for you. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, and I sure hope you enjoy it!