Thai Spicy Basil Chicken Fried Rice

I am a connoisseur of Thai Basil Chicken dishes, and this recipe is my favorite with a few modifications. I added 2 tblsp soy sauce to the oil/pepper/garlic after frying a bit. You should also add the fish/oyster sauce at this point before adding the other ingredients or it won't absorb evenly into the food - you'll probably get some bites that taste fishy. I also halved the oyster and fish sauce since the smell was...well..terrifying. With that amount it added perfectly to the flavor but wasn't a noticeable/dominant taste at all (no one would know it is in there). It's important to use fresh garlic. I also prefer to chop the chicken after slicing (or use ground chicken) so it absorbs more of the flavor. The hardest thing about this recipe is finding the Thai basil (different from Italian), I found it in an Asian market. You can substitute stir fry or wide rice noodles for the rice if you prefer. If you use wide rice noodles, it's best to chop them up a bit so they absorb the flavor. Wonderful recipe - I'm so excited I found it! This will be a weekly recipe in my house!

Yummy! I'm a vegetarian who doesn't eat fish products--so I substituted fish sauce for soy sauce, and substituted oyster sauce for a mushroom stir-fry sauce I bought at an asian market. Instead of chicken, I added some delicious fried tofu. Great recipe!

This is a great recipe. Here are my recommended changes: 1) Use 4 to 8 Thai "bird's eye" chili peppers instead of serranos. 2) Add the bell pepper when the chicken and onion are nearly done cooking so it won't overcook. 3) You can change the flavor of this dish a lot depending on when you add the fish/oyster sauce. Add it before the chicken and it will lose most of its characteristic Thai flavor. Add it a couple minutes after the chicken and you will keep some of the fishy Thai flavor. Or, add it with the rice as instructed here and you retain a lot of the fishy flavor!

I did what one reviewer suggested and added the fish sauce and oyster sauce in the oil for a bit before adding the chicken. This is an old trick my mom uses to take the strong fish smell out of the fish sauce. I also had to add two extra cups of rice since it was quite wet. I'll have to try seafood or beef next time. Excellent dish!

This recipe had very genuine thai flavor. Instead of sugar I substituted a bit of honey and only used a drizzle of oil to cut back on the fat. I also used brown rice and added a few handfuls of sugar snap peas to increase the serving size without increasing the calories by much. Excellent recipe and I can't wait to share it with all of my friends

As is, this recipes is just so-so. With a few modifications, it can be great! I use soy sauce instead of oyster sauce and I add a few extra tablespoons of it - but that's just a personal choice. What makes a HUGE difference is using real Thai chilis instead of serrano peppers. I personally use five chilis, but I like it REALLY hot so normal people may want to use 2 or 3. I also cut the oil in half, added 1/4 tsp of salt, and added sliced shitake mushrooms. Awesome!

This recipe is easily one of my very favorite things to cook! All my friends LOVE and RAVE about it! I cook this in my giant, propane, outdoor wok that I bought from Bass Pro Outlets...cooking on it is quite a show for friends! I prep all the veggies in advance so when I'm ready, I just throw everything in (in specific order of course!) I've made the following changes to an already outstanding recipe: I add more sauce (9 tablespoons oyster sauce, 6 tablespoons fish sauce and 3 teaspoon white sugar). I add 2 chunks of finely chopped ginger with the garlic. I also add sliced carrots, mushrooms and diced scallions. I scramble 6 eggs in advance and add them at the end. I occasionally substitute scallops or tofu for chicken. WOW this is great!! Everyone I've made this for wants the recipe!! (I can't figure out how to give this 10 stars, so I'll have to give it only 5!)

This recipe was easy to make and it was very tasty. It is close to the dish I usually order at the Thai restaurants.

Excellent! Took another reviewers advice and added 2 T of soy sauce and added extra chili peppers - we like it hot. Will make again and again!

My family loved this recipe! I could not find sweet Thai basil so I just used the Italian kind. Also I will use less oil next time.

Rice was too wet for my liking. Perhaps too much oil.

This was really delicious. I didn't have fresh basil so I used dried. I also used one tiny Thai bird chili pepper instead of the serrano peppers and it was plenty spicy for us. I also used ground turkey instead of chicken. Came out exceptionally good! The oyster sauce and fish sauce really make it, and the cilantro as a finishing touch was sublime.

For a healthier version, I cut the oil in half and use olive oil and brown rice instead. I also use a package of firm tofu in the mix. Additionally, I'll use extra vegetables such as mushrooms, tomatoes, and bean sprouts in the final phase of cooking. Garnish with lime and a side of Sambal and this dish is set!

Delicious and quick! So easy, even my husband (who hates to cook) can make it, and so flexible that we can use basically any little bits of meat and veggies leftover in the fridge to fill it out.

Brilliant - quick - Delicious!

We loved, loved, loved this recipe. Such a fresh and flavorful dish. I made exactly as written with just a couple of exceptions...I started by boiling my jasmine rice in a tomato/chicken broth, and I added fresh tomato slices and tons of fresh basil and cilantro to the dish. This was as good, if not better, than anything I've had in a Thai restaurant. Next time I might add a little spicy ground pork, too. Sincere thanks for sharing this recipe with us, Erin, I'll use it often.

This recipe is awesome. the only changes that I made was that instead of regular onion I make it with green onions. I have made this recipe at least five times now. Thank you for submitting this recipe.

My family loved this!!! And we are pretty harsh food critics.....I did modify as a few of the reviewers suggested. I added two Tablspn of soy sauce and added the sauce to the wok before the meat. I used the Thai chili peppers instead of the serrano and I did half chicken and half shrimp. I will use a little less oil next time. It seemed a tad much. Also, hunan chili sauce is a great addition if you want to add more spice....but careful, chili sauce is hot so add a very small amount to start!!!

yumm! super easy too!

We love this and make it quite a bit. It is a staple dish for us these days. It has enough heat for the die-hards and yet even wimps like me can enjoy it!TONS of flavor!

I substituted the chicken with shrimp and followed the rest of the recipe without any deviation and it was a smash hit. Easy to follow directions and simple recipe is a win win for me. Thanks for sharing.

My husband and I LOVE this recipe! We add some fish sauce to our cooking water for our rice (we use a rice cooker) and it adds A LOT of flavor to the rice when you fry it. And, make sure your rice is chilled or else it turns out mushy, but still VERY TASTY!

Very tasty. Made just like the recipe and found nothing lacking.

Delicious! Only change was using Sriacha sauce instead of serrano peppers (didn't have any) and adding just a touch of soy sauce at the end. Will definitely make this again and again.

Great recipe.

I thought this was excellent. Real thai chilies do make a big difference. I wouldn't use any other chilies. I use grape-seed oil when I make any fried rice as it's near impossible to find peanut oil where I live currently. I've made this several times with slight modifications to taste (spicy spicy! and more fish sauce) and I definitely dig it.

This was very tasty!

This recipe is great! Tastes amazing just like in the restaurant!

It was our first time cooking thai and was delicious. I wanted it a little spicer though!

Very good, reminded me of a similar dish from my favorite Thai place. I think next time I'll cut back a little on the oyster sauce/fish sauce, as it tasted a little fishy for my palate. Also, I cut back on the serranos when I made it, and I think that detracted from the overall flavor, so unless you're really timid about heat, leave the peppers alone!

Followed this recipe exactly except substituted tofu cubes for chicken. Delicious!! I agree with ErinInVegas, the Thai basil makes all the difference.

One of my very favorite recipes. The type of basil is important.

excellent recipe. Have made it with tofu and that is equally good. The other modification I made one of the many times I've made this was to use quinoa instead of rice, makes for a delicious dish and you can eliminate the chicken when using quinoa.

Absolutely wonderful! So delicious and good! I added celery and shredded carrots to mine to add a little more vegetables - it was still delicious.

Very flavourful and really easy to whip up! The only complaint I have is that I found it a little bit on the salty side - if you are not a salty food fan, I might suggest reducing the fish sauce. Other than that, great flavours and the thai basil was a delightful addition to the overall taste of the dish. I grow my own thai basil... I bought the plant from Lowe's.

My husband is raving about this dish. I paired it with Thai cucumber salad and tweaked the recipe by adding shrimp, soy sauce and additional oyster sauce. I will be making this again!!

Delicious and tastes like it was served in a Thai restaurant. The only change I made was omitting the oyster sauce and did 3T of fish sauce. Also added about 1T of soy sauce. Yummy!

I was searching for recipes to use up some of the thai basil from my garden and I found this one. It is an excellent dish with amazing flavor!

Amazing. My husband had plans to go out for dinner with a friend and was actually wishing he wasn't going out when he smelled and tasted this dish as I dished it out for the kids. I couldn't find oyster sauce at the market, so used 1 tbsp red curry paste and 1tsp sesame oil instead. I will keep looking for oyster sauce and try again.

Great receipe...we love it! Saves us a trip to eat out when we crave Thai.

This recipe is FANTASTIC!! Do not leave out the basil!

hmm. i've made this before, using a very similar recipe, and LOVED it but something was missing in this. it was good, but not sure it was worth all the prep work. not sure why the rice needs to be chilled first b/c the end result is just like i took the chicken mixture and mixed it with jasmine rice that i'd just cooked - in other words, there's nothing "fried ricey" about it, imo. maybe it needed more spice? i used chile paste instead of serrano peppers, but i've done that before and it was great... i'll keep playing with the leftovers & see if i can find the "missing" ingredient!

Simple and delicious! Additional tips: I would marinate the chicken in corn starch water for 10-15 mins to tenderize the meat. Add the peppers after the chicken is nearly cooked so it doesn't become soggy.

Excellent recipe! i couldnt find any thai basil so i just used the one i could find..so fragrant!! also, i didnt have serrano peppers on hand, so used chopped jalapenos. i added some chili sauce (siracha) to the sauce and some more later. also, i didn't have a red pepper so just used green. The blend of flavors was deelicious!!

Next time I will use a little less of the peanut oil but overall this is an excellent recipe!

As good as any restaurant. Love it.

I lament not being able to find Thai Basil in Iowa in the winter, but other than that I followed the directions implicitly. Awesome flavor and just the right amount of heat. I will definitely do this again (maybe with a wee hint of curry. Hmmmm).

This has become a favorite. Easy to make and super good. I substitute the white sugar for 2 tbsp brown, it gives it more of a Thai taste, and substitute the serrano peppers for 1-2 tbsp chili paste (Oelek) but you could use more or less depending on your taste for spice. I just use Minute Rice but make it the night before. It's VERY important that the rice is cold when it goes in. Thanks ErinInVegas, this is super good stuff.

I followed this recipe exactly - I wasn't crazy about it. The fish sauce gave it an unpleasant aftertaste.

I will definately add more peppers, my family loves everything spicy! I didn't have time to cool the rice before I made it, and it made a big difference... Don't make the same mistake! The flavor was great, I always add extra garlic so I think that helped some too... If you make the rice ahead of time, and keep packaged frozen chicken breasts in the freezer, it makes for a really quick meal. Great for my busy family that is always on the run!

I liked this a lot and so did my family! I do feel like something was missing. Couldn't put my finger on it though. Regardless, we enjoyed!!

This was totally worth the chopping (which really was not that much.) I hit our local Asian market for the ingredients, but I also saw that everything needed can also be found at the big-box grocery stores, too. Since we have kids, I omitted the serrano peppers and they cleaned their plates! And my hubby had thirds! That's a huge hit in our house!! I think we are going to try and do this with some kind of seafood next time. Great recipe - thank you so much.

for such a simple recipe this is fantastic. Don't skimp on the Thai basil. I agree though it's not especially "spicy"

Everyone loved this!! I did have Thai basil (yum!)...so the only change I had to make was to use canola oil instead of peanut oil. Will make again...maybe with shrimp?

Excellent dish! I've never cooked with fish sauce or oyster sauce before and their pungent smells on their own had me doubting whether the rice dish would turn out okay. It was fabulous! I added the cilantro and cucumber. My husband would have liked a little more spice or "kick" to it. It was not spicy at all.

Loved it! Made it without chicken, but kept the recipe the same. I also scrambled an egg before starting this recipe, took it out and added it back in right before adding the basil. Thai basil is completely different from regular basil- completely worth finding (readily available in Asian stores). I added sliced mushrooms, frozen peas, and chopped fresh spinach. Garnished with green onions. Yumm!

It was awesome to make one of my favorite restaurant dishes and have it turn out succesfully - and for much cheaper cost! This will become a regular event at my house. My only problem was that my grocery store didn't have serrano or thai chili peppers, so I bought dried arbol peppers from the mexi aisle. Used 10 that I had soaked in water and chopped up, but it wasn't spicy enough so I added a tsp of korean chili paste. Next time I will try soaking the peppers in the oil that I fry with so that I do not lose any of the heat of the pepper to the water. Also, to add some healthy stuff I added a bag of stir fry veggies from the produce aisle - Fantastic! Just a note, if you are like me and do not have a wok - do not try to increase amount of rice - my pan didn't really fry the rice like it should have so it was a little greasy feeling, I think that it would have been okay if I had a larger heat surface like the wok. That being said, I did reduce the amount of oil, 1/4 cup fine with the veggies since as they cook they add their own liquid.

Delish!

Love this dish!! Tastes amazing! The only thing I did different was use Hoisin sauce instead of oyster sauce and I used regular basil. Couldn't find the Thai variety! Awesome meal!

Delicious recipe! I added a tablespoon of sesame seed oil with the peanut oil, two eggs when adding the chicken and bell pepper, and a tablespoon of Thai red chili paste once the rice absorbed the sauce. Like ordering an 8 out of 10 at a Thai restaurant.

Yum. Like others mentioned, I cut down the oil by half- it was more than enough. It could definitely use a tablespoon of soy sauce, or to taste. The Thai Basil is important to use instead of Italian (common) basil. We found ours at an Asian grocery, along with the fish and oyster sauces. The fishy smell of the sauces goes away as you stir-fry, so don't worry about it. I was a little freaked out about it at first, and everything was fine. Our Fav Thai restaurant recently burned down :( and this was my husband's favorite dish from there. It's very similar to the restaurant's dish. I think there is still something missing though but I can't put my finger on what.

super bomb!! i used brown rice and it worked great!

I made it with prawns instead of chicken, and no spicy peppers, so good!

Wonderful recipe! My favorite Thai resturant here in Atlanta taste EXACTLY the same as this recipe. I did modify one thing to get the same taste. I bought a small can of oysters to use just the juice instead of the fish sauce and oyster sauce. I moved to Idaho & mourned not being abe to get this food. Sure, the other Thaii resurants HAD Thai Basal Chickeken but NOT THE delious Thai Chili Resturant Thai Basal Chicken here in Atlanta. Thanks so much!

This recipe is very similar to a dish my husband and I had at King and I Thai, a restaurant in Minneapolis. There, our waitress recommended adding fried eggs to the dish; it's the way their cook serves the staff in the kitchen. She served them over top of the rice with soft yolks. We love the dish this way and it allows to leave out the chicken for a vegetarian meal.

This is the first Thai recipe I have tried that was simple and really tasted authentically Thai and not like an American trying to make Thai food. It was a big hit. 2 modifications I used that the reviewers suggest: 1/2 the peanut oil and add the oyster sauce mix and stir before adding the chicken and veggies instead of after. For vegetarians, tofu would be a simple substitution for chicken.

We eat Thai food every week, and this did not disappoint! Added a bit of chili oil in with the peanut oil and a bit of soy to the fish/oyster. Great!

The oyster sauce in this recipe was overwhelming and made it far sweeter than the recipe we are used to at our local Thai place. Next time, I will probably eliminate the oyster sauce and replace it with 2 Tbls soy sauce as another reviewer suggested. I will also cut the oil by at least half, finely chop/dice the chicken, and increase the basil.

I made this wonderful fried rice for my family and it was a GREAT RECIPE!!! I will be making it again...and again...and again! I altered the recipe (slightly): I used ORGANIC JASMINE BROWN RICE (which gave it a delicious nutty flavor!) I added more veggies then it called for (green beans, carrots, mushrooms and 3 different colored bell peppers). I didn't add the chicken as I grilled and served on the side. I didn't have Thai basil, so I used regular basil instead. My family loved it and we ate it for several meals.

This was a great recipe! I love it with shrimp and beef too!!!!!

I cooked this dish and it was very bland, even though I added more spicy ingredients than it said to. I have ordered this dish many times in Thai restaurants and it has never come out as bad as this recipe.

Loved it! I was short on time so I substituted the rice for couscous, and used chili sauce instead of the serrano peppers (I didn't have any). Will definitely make this again.

Delicious and easy. I had leftover wonton filling (ground pork, scallion, soy sauce, sesame oil) that I used instead of chicken, plus I used Thai chilis in place of the serrano. Otherwise, I followed the recipe to a T. Easy and quite authentic tasting, much like the rice I remember eating in Thailand. Thai basil, though hard to find, is the key to its authenticity.

Iovethis.

Put in shrimp

Despite other suggestions on cutting down on the fishy sauce, I kept with the recipe and everything tasted great! Although I had a lot of rice left over (3 cups would do just fine). I wish I would've added more ingredients like green beans and mushroom to add more variety in the dish, but otherwise I loved it!

Cook the rice 'al dente', not soft, and be sure to REFRIGERATE it. That's the secret. Use enough oil to coat all the rice grains, which may be less than the recipe calls for if your add-ins are oily. Even if you mess it up, this is sure to be a hit in your home because you adjust to your local tastes and markets. Just watch the proportions and you're good.

Amazing!! Now I don't have to spend a ton of money going to the Thai Restraunt. I left off the oyster sauce, I agree Thai basil is a MUST. You can find it at your local Asian Market or and Internationl Market. I'll make this again and again

I put less oil and only 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce and 1 table spoon of fish sauce but added about 3 to 4 tablespoons of soy sauce. I am a vegetarian so I didn't try it but all my family loved it.

Perfect! Didn’t change anything. Added the sauce with the peppers, and was exactly what I wanted for flavor. Wouldn’t change a thing.

This was delicious! I followed some of the other suggestions such as adding the sauce mixture with the oil prior to adding chicken, also added an additional cup and a half of rice to prevent it from being too "wet". I like really spicy, so in addition I added some Thai chili peppers....what a great dish! I will be making this often!

Follow the instructions in the first two most helpful reviews. They will make for bomb fried rice.

This is an outstanding recipe

I usually don't stir fry with rice, rather pour it on top of streamed rice. Add two crispy sunny-side-ups. Stir fired rice best is best served with sliced cucumbers, green onions to reduce greasiness and or saltiness.

This is such an easy recipe. I used a little less fish sauce and may reduce again. I also added carrots and snap peas. This was my 2nd time making this and will be making again I'm sure. Yummy!!

Oh my goodness, It's SO DELICIOUS!!! My kids loved it, my Thai friend loved it, safe to say I will making this more often. Thanks for sharing!

Loved this recipe! I did modify using leftover turkey breast and brown rice. I do not care for fish sauce so we eliminated that and added ginger. Wonderful flavors! I consider the 4 cups of brown rice with veggies as 4 servings. Will definitely make again.

We loved it. Used tofu instead of chicken.

Great recipe. I’ve made it a few times and everyone loves it.

This is a great recipe! Easy, pretty quick and very tasty. I wasn't sure I had Serrano chiles (used green hot ones about 3 inches long and a half inch wide) and also wasn't sure how you crushed a pepper, but it worked out fine. Don't skip or subsitute the Thai Basil. Also, I used leftover brown rice and that worked fine.

Almost different recipe no oyster sauce, no sugar, used ground chicken, fish sauce with soy, shallots, & everything else, but it was delicious. In the future, I will use oyster sauce for a better glazed like coating, but it was powerful in flavor.

My whole family loved this dish. I have to say that if followed the correctly, the recipe as written is excellent. I made some changes only due to what I had on hand. I used boneless thighs instead of breast and I added one tablespoon of soy sauce to the oyster/fish sauce mixture. I also added the mixture to the oil first to get a good flavor. You need to make the rice first (correctly for Jasmine rice collecting the steam in a towel and rinsing and soaking it first) and let it cook to not have an oily sticky mixture. We will make this often!

My husband and I ate at a very popular Thai restaurant a couple weeks and had the Basil Chicken. We loved it. So to find a recipe that received soooooooo many good reviews, I had to make it. This recipe was so spot on I couldn't believe it. Most importantly, my husband thinks I'm a genius. Thank you Chef John!! I'll be making more dishes from your suggestions.

Turned out great in terms of taste. The jasmine rice was a bit problematic for me though. So, I'll use another type of rice I'm a bit more familiar with.

Terrific recipe -- like I would have in a good Thai restaurant. The only thing I might do slightly different next time is chiffonade the basil as my family didn't like the texture of biting into an entire leaf.

Oh my! This was so flavorful! I followed the recipe but for adding 2 tbls of soy sauce as other suggested. The preparation was daunting and several times I thought this is not going to work but, sticking with the instructions yielded a fragrant & beautiful dish. It seemed identical to the dish we had at our favorite Thai restaurant in Charlotte, NC. I will definitely prepare this again!

I tried Sesame Oil instead, so the taste was off. I will try with Peanut oil.

I did have to cook the oyster and fish sauce a little longer in the oil to get rid of the strong scent, and added a lot more rice to soak up the peanut oil. This dish came out so perfect and delicious I was so overjoyed. I am a big fan of this dish I use to eat it all the time at my favorite restaurant in Palo Alto Ca called Bangkok Cuisine. If you like this dish you will not be disappointed. Thank you for the recipe

I have made this recipe with chicken, I have made it with pork and last night I made it with scallops. All three were delicious! Easy to make. Love it!