The best thing you can make with a pound of chicken breast is this chilli basil chicken stir fry! Crispy chicken bites infused with mind-blowing aroma of fresh basil leaves is a combination to die for!
I am sure you have had ample amounts of stir fry dishes and it would be very difficult for you to name a favorite one! But not after you taste this chilli basil chicken stir fry! This would undisputedly become your go-to chicken stir fry dish from now on!
Chicken stir fry is one of my favorite preparations when it comes to making something easy yet tasty for a busy day’s meal. And the best thing is you can make endless variations of a stir fry!
This chilli basil chicken stir fry could prove to be the easiest of all as it has barely any chopping involved and hence suited best when you are stuck in other deliverables.
It will enable you to skip the takeaways and opt for healthy homemade meals even when you barely have time to cook!
What is Chilli basil chicken stir fry?
My chilli basil chicken stir fry started as an experimental dish where I wanted to combine my favorite basil leaves with my meat of choice i.e. chicken.
When I first made this many years ago, I was yet to discover Pad Ka Prow, the Thai basil chicken; so my chilli basil chicken stir fry is a little different from the authentic Thai version.
This chilli basil chicken stir fry of mine is a very quick and easy dish that is perfect for a weekday lunch or dinner where I have simply cooked chicken and basil together with tempting aromatics like dried red chillies, garlic and soy sauce.
There is nothing much prep-work to do while making this stir fry; chicken breasts cook very fast and you can use pre-cut chicken cubes too. Basil leaves wilt very quickly once they come in contact with heat.
The aroma of chillies & basil creates a magic to the fried cubes of tender chicken and you get a totally win-win weeknight meal which you and your family will surely adore!
Ingredients for Chilli basil chicken stir fry
Just a few ingredients to make this delicious stir fry!
Chicken breast: Even though I am a chicken-thigh-kinda girl, this chilli basil chicken stir fry is a perfect recipe for using chicken breast. If you do not overcook the chicken breasts, they will remain crispy on the outside and tender & juicy on the inside.
Dried red chillies: I used whole dried red chillies for the spicy kick in my chicken stir fry. You may also use fresh red chillies if you have them handy.
Fresh basil leaves: Fresh basil is the star of this recipe! Use the freshest possible basil leaves that you can get your hands on. The aroma of the fresh basil is mind-bogglingly tempting which you will feel once you try this!
Cornflour: The cornflour, which is also called corn starch in some parts of the world, is responsible for the crispy outer coating of the chicken strips. But please note that I have not used a lot of cornflour but just a little dusting of it as I wanted the flavor of chicken to dominate and not the cornflour.
Egg: I know I am repeating myself (You’ll know if you follow my blog regularly) but egg is that magic ingredient which makes this chicken soft & tender and also adds tons of flavor.
Garlic: This aromatic is a must for any stir fry dish. Slice it to have crispy fried bites of garlic along with chicken & basil.
Soy sauce: Here I have added my signature twist by mixing up dark & light soy sauce! If I had used only dark soy, the amount required to build the flavor would turn the dish too dark; on the other hand if I use only light soy, it wouldn’t have the tempting color of a stir fry. Hence the mix of two!
Sugar: Balance the saltiness of soy sauce with sugar. Either of white or brown sugar will work in this recipe.
Oil: You need a flavorless oil like sunflower or canola to fry up your crispy chicken first and then to finish up your chilli basil chicken stir fry with all the ingredients.
Salt and black pepper: Please do keep in mind that soy sauces are generally very salty (unless you are using low-sodium versions); hence add salt cautiously and only after tasting. Sprinkle freshly crushed black pepper at the very end to add that peppery kick!
How to make Chilli basil chicken stir fry?
Check out the step by step recipe of chilli basil chicken stir fry.
Step 1: Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Then cut them into thin long strips of about 1-inch length.
Step 2: Take the chicken in a mixing bowl and add the beaten egg, salt and pepper to taste. Give a good mix so that each chicken strip is seasoned thoroughly and egg coats them on all sides.
Step 3: Now add the cornflour and give another mix so that each chicken piece is coated evenly with a light dusting of cornflour.
Step 4: Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, simmer the flame and add the chicken strips one by one. Do not overcrowd the pan and fry in batches if needed. If the pan is overcrowded, the chicken will not come out crispy.
Step 5: Flip the chicken pieces over after 2 minutes and fry them until both the sides turn light golden brown, for about 2 more minutes. Do not fry them for long as chicken breasts cook very quickly and will turn tough if overcooked.
Step 6: Take them out and place them on a plate lined with absorbent kitchen paper. Fry all the chicken strips similarly.
Step 7: In a small bowl, mix light & dark soy sauce and sugar. Give a good mix.
Step 8: Once all the chicken pieces are fried, add the remaining oil to the same wok. Once oil warms up, add sliced garlic and the chopped red chillies. Stir fry for a few seconds until golden brown.
Step 9: Now add fried chicken strips and the fresh basil leaves. You may chop the basil leaves into thin strips or leave them as is like I did. Quickly stir fry for a few seconds and let the basil leaves wilt down a bit.
Step 10: Then add the soy sauce & sugar mixture. Stir fry on high heat for three to four minutes or until all the sauce is absorbed by the chicken & basil. Your chilli basil chicken stir fry is ready!
Step 11: Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle a little more julienned fresh basil leaves on top. Serve your chilli basil chicken stir fry warm with fried rice!
More delicious stir fry recipes from flavor quotient
- Chicken – 600 gms (about 2 chicken breasts)
- Dried red chillies – 4, chopped
- Fresh basil leaves - About 1 cup tightly packed
- Cornflour – 2 tbsp
- Egg – 1, beaten
- Garlic – 6 cloves, sliced
- Dark soy sauce – 1 tsp
- Light soy sauce – 2 tsp
- Sugar – 1 & ½ tsp
- Oil – 5 tbsp
- Salt and black pepper powder to taste
- Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Then cut them into thin long strips of about 1-inch length.
- Take the chicken in a mixing bowl and add the beaten egg, salt and pepper to taste. Give a good mix so that each chicken strip is seasoned thoroughly and egg coats them on all sides.
- Now add the cornflour and give another mix so that each chicken piece is coated evenly with a light dusting of cornflour.
- Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, simmer the flame and add the chicken strips one by one. Do not overcrowd the pan and fry in batches if needed. If the pan is overcrowded, the chicken will not come out crispy.
- Flip the chicken pieces over after 2 minutes and fry them until both the sides turn light golden brown, for about 2 more minutes. Do not fry them for long as chicken breasts cook very quickly and will turn tough if overcooked.
- Take them out and place them on a plate lined with absorbent kitchen paper. Fry all the chicken strips similarly.
- In a small bowl, mix light & dark soy sauce and sugar. Give a good mix.
- Once all the chicken pieces are fried, add the remaining oil to the same wok. Once oil warms up, add sliced garlic and the chopped red chillies. Stir fry for a few seconds until golden brown.
- Now add fried chicken strips and the fresh basil leaves. You may chop the basil leaves into thin strips or leave them as is like I did. Quickly stir fry for a few seconds and let the basil leaves wilt down a bit.
- Then add the soy sauce & sugar mixture. Stir fry on high heat for three to four minutes or until all the sauce is absorbed by the chicken & basil. Your chilli basil chicken stir fry is ready!
- Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle a little more julienned fresh basil leaves on top. Serve your chilli basil chicken stir fry warm with fried rice! Enjoy!
This looks so good. I’ll be trying this one soon for sure! Thanks for posting!
Great post!. I want to learn this recipe because it is very interesting. I’m sure my husband will like this very much because he really loved the white pepper. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
best stir fry recipe