Thai Basil Chicken

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 5 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 2 Servings

Pad gra pow (or “pad krapow gai” or “gai pad krapow”) is a ubiquitous, quick lunch that can be found on nearly every corner of any well-populated area in Thailand. This popular street-food dish is commonly known as Thai basil chicken in the States, but the dish is less about the chicken (which could be any other protein, for that matter) and all about the basil. But not just any ol’ basil.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
8 Thai birds-eye chilies
5 cloves garlic
1/2 small yellow onion
1/2 medium red bell pepper
3 ounces green beans
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, preferably holy basil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound ground chicken
Steamed jasmine rice and fried eggs, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Place 2 tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Trim and thinly slice 8 Thai chilies into rounds. Mince 5 garlic cloves.
Prepare the following, adding each to the same medium bowl as you complete it: Thinly slice 1/2 small yellow onion (about 1/2 cup). Trim and thinly slice 1/2 medium red bell pepper lengthwise (about 1/2 cup). Trim 3 ounces green beans and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup). Pick fresh basil leaves until you have 1 cup.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl the pan to coat the sides. Add the garlic and cook, stirring with a metal spatula, until lightly golden-brown, about 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high. Add the onion mixture and 1 pound ground chicken. Stir-fry, constantly stirring and flipping the ingredients, until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture and chilies and stir-fry until the sauce is absorbed by the meat, 1 to 3 minutes. Add the basil and stir just until wilted. Serve with jasmine rice and top with a fried egg if desired.