Recipes Dinner Poultry Dishes Chicken Main Course Thai-Style Chicken with Basil 4.6 (5) 4 Reviews An abundance of whole basil leaves joins chicken and fiery red chiles for a quick, delicious, and decidedly spicy stir-fry. By Emily Ziemski Emily Ziemski Emily Ziemski is a recipe developer, editor, and food writer with a focus on sustainability and wellness. Previously a senior food editor at Well+Good and food editor at Food52, she's best known for the creation of the Dirty Martini Salad Dressing (for which she apologizes). Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 13, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: © Ben Dearnley Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 4 Jump to recipe Fresh basil adds an aromatic, herbaceous finish to this quick Thai-inspired chicken stir-fry.The chicken marinates in fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar before cooking, building savory, slightly sweet flavor into every bite.With just a few minutes of cooking time, this stir-fry makes an easy weeknight dinner. This quick stir-fry highlights the aromatic flavor of fresh basil, which is stirred into the chicken at the very end of cooking and used again as a fresh garnish. Holy basil is the most authentic choice, but any variety will do. Balancing savory, spicy, and slightly sweet flavors, this is an easy, flavorful main for a Thai-inspired meal. What is holy basil? Holy basil, also known as tulsi, is an herb native to the Indian subcontinent that is widely cultivated throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Western Pacific. While popular in teas, its leaves frequently season Thai curries and stir-fries, where their peppery, clove-like flavor is highly prized. Depending on the specific cultivar, these leaves can feature green, purple, red, or white hues. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen If you have time, let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour for deeper flavor.Though Thai basil is preferred in this recipe, regular sweet basil can be used instead.For a spicier stir-fry, leave some of the chile seeds and ribs intact. Suggested pairing Look for a rich but dry white wine, such as a Pinot Gris from the Alsace region in France. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings 1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1- x 2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon water 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons cooking oil 1 large onion, cut into thin slices 3 fresh red chiles, seeds and ribs removed, cut into thin slices, or 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 cups lightly packed basil leaves, divided Directions In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the fish sauce, soy sauce, water, and sugar. In a large nonstick frying pan or a wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the chiles and garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds longer. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and add it to the hot pan. Cook until almost done, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the marinade and cook 30 seconds longer. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the basil. Serve topped with the remaining 1/2 cup basil. This recipe was first published in Food & Wine’s 1998 cookbook, Quick From Scratch Herbs & Spices; the text was written in part by Emily Ziemski. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.