Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Gra Pow Gai)

This delicious, spicy Thai basil chicken dish features tender chicken stir fried with shallots, chilis, garlic, and lots of fresh Thai basil. Surprisingly, this scrumptious dish is incredibly quick and easy to make - it's ready in less than 20 minutes! And it's healthy too.

this recipe

Jump to:

• What is pad gra pow?
• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Instructions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tips for success
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Every bite of tender chicken is covered in a savoury sauce that can be as spicy or mild as you would like it. Served with a side of fragrant jasmine rice, this authentic Thai basil chicken makes a perfect, easy weekday meal.

Make sure to also try my popular Thai crying tiger steak, one of my top favourite Thai dishes. Or, Thai chicken fried rice for another amazing Thai chicken dish.

What is pad gra pow?

Thai basil stir fry in Thai is pad gra pow (ผัดกะเพรา). Pad gra pow is one of the most popular Thai street food dishes out there. It essentially is any kind of meat stir fried with Thai holy basil. Pad gra pow gai (ผัดกระเพราไก่) is Thai basil chicken stir fry.

The Thai word for Thai holy basil (กระเพรา) is one of those foreign words that has many English pronunciations (or should we say, attempts at). You will also see it written as gra pow, kra pow, kra pao, ka prao, and more.

Ingredients

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts also work well in this recipe.
• Vegetable oil
• Shallot
• Thai chilis - Also called Thai bird's eye chilis. These chilis are small and mighty. Mighty spicy that is! Adjust how much you add to your preference. I used two chilis and it had a nice, medium spicy kick. One chili would be mild-medium, and one chili with the seeds removed would be mild. Or you could omit the chili if you don't want spice at all. Don't forget, chilis can vary greatly in spiciness, so this is just a rough guide.
• Garlic
• Thai basil leaves - See the section below this one for useful information on Thai basil.
• Chicken broth
• Soy sauce
• Oyster sauce - This sauce is sweet, salty, and richly savoury; almost caramelized. It adds a dark caramel colour to dishes. A good quality one will contain real shellfish extracts.
• Fish sauce - Made from salt fermented small fish, this sauce adds a special umami flavour to Southeast Asian dishes. A pleasant briny sweetness accompanies a light ocean/fish flavour. There is no real substitute for it. A good quality one will be reddish-brown and clear with no sediment.
• Brown sugar
• Serve with: Jasmine rice or Thai coconut rice

See the recipe card below for quantities.

fish sauce

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oyster sauce

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soy sauce

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Basil vs. thai basil vs. thai holy basil

The 'regular' basil that we use most commonly in North America is Genovese basil, also known as sweet basil. This variety tastes sweet with a hint of cloves.

Thai basil (bai horapa / ใบโหระพา) tastes similar to sweet basil, but with the addition of an anise- or liquorice-like flavour. It also holds up better in high temperatures, making it a great addition to stir fries. This is the variety that I used for this recipe because I couldn't find Thai holy basil.

Thai holy basil (gra pow / ใบกะเพรา) is the variety used in the most authentic version of Thai basil chicken. The flavour is peppery with a hint of cloves. Unfortunately, it can be fairly difficult to find this kind of basil outside of Thailand. You may have some luck if you happen to have a local Thai grocer.

Substitutions

• Thai basil - Get Thai holy basil if you can find it or Thai basil as a second choice. If you can't find either, use regular sweet basil and add a tiny pinch of ground anise.
• Thai chilis - The best substitute is the cayenne pepper, which has a similar heat level and sweet/fruity flavour profile.
• Chicken thighs - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts also work great in this recipe. Just be careful to not overcook or the pieces of chicken will become tough. You can also use ground chicken or turkey. Or, use another protein of your choice.
• Vegetable oil - You can substitute with a neutral cooking oil of your choice. Just make sure that it has a high smoke point, making it suitable for high heat stir frying. Peanut oil and canola oil are great options.
• Chicken broth - Substitute with vegetable broth.

Variations

• Non-spicy - You can adjust the spice level in this recipe to be as spicy or mild as you would like by adjusting the amount of chilis you use. Omit them completely for a non-spicy version that will still be very tasty.
• Beef - Try Thai basil beef stir fry for a very popular version of pad gra pow that uses ground beef instead of chicken thighs. It is incredibly flavourful!
• Thai fried egg - Add a Thai-style fried egg as an optional but very tasty add-on to this dish. See my Thai basil beef stir fry recipe post for easy instructions on how to make it.

Instructions

I highly recommend doing all preparations ahead of time because this spicy Thai basil chicken dish cooks incredibly quickly. Once you've begun cooking, you won't have time to measure out sauce ingredients or do any chopping.

Equipment

To make this recipe you will need a wok or a large skillet.

wok

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Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 days.

Tips for success

• Cook stir fries over high heat. This prevents the ingredients from steaming and becoming mushy.
• Make sure to remove your wok from the heat before you toss in the Thai basil. The heat from the chicken will be enough to wilt the basil without overcooking it, which would reduce the flavour.

FAQ

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