Fluffy rice stir-fried with tender chicken, scrambled eggs, red chillies and fresh basil in a savory sauce! This quick and easy Thai Basil Spicy Fried Rice is ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients. A great main dish or meal for busy weeknights!
Jump to:
Thai Spicy Basil Fried Rice features fried rice, tender chicken, Thai basil leaves, red chili, garlic stir fried with a savory sauce packed with umami flavors!
You'll often find this dish served at many Thai restaurants or for takeout. It's my favorite Thai dish because it's so aromatic, thanks to the basil and chilies!
It's quite similar to Pad Kra Pao, but the rice and the chicken is stir-fried into one. This is a great recipe to make if you have cold day-old rice in the fridge!
What I love most about this dish is that it's all made in one pan and uses up leftover ingredients in the fridge.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Day-old cold cooked rice: Ideally leftover cooked rice that has been sitting in the fridge. I like using jasmine rice. Avoid using basmati or short-grain rice.
- Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast: or substitute with skinless boneless chicken thighs, beef, pork, shrimp or extra-firm tofu.
- Thai basil leaves: or substitute with holy basil or Italian basil (regular basil)
- Red chili: or substitute with Thai chilis for a very spicy fried rice. For a milder version, substitute with red bell pepper.
- Garlic Cloves
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
- Fresh lime: optional garnish
- Fried egg(s): optional topping
Sauce
- Oyster sauce: or substitute with vegetarian oyster sauce
- Fish sauce: or substitute with more oyster sauce to taste or vegan fish sauce if you don't like seafood
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- White Granulated Sugar
Chicken marinade
- Fish sauce
- Regular soy sauce
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Use day old leftover rice. This prevents the fried rice from becoming clumpy if you were to use fresh warm rice. Because this rice is saucier than most fried rice recipes, you’ll definitely want to use day old. To learn how to dry out hot cooked rice, see FAQ section below.
- Break up cooked rice with a rice paddle or hands. To ensure your rice doesn’t stick together, separate the granules prior to frying.
- Pound the chili and garlic using a mortar and pestle to release the juices and oils or use food processor.
- Prepare ingredients in advance as the cooking process is fast!
- Slice chicken thinly but not too thinly about ¼-inch thick. Because we are cooking this over high heat, the chicken will cook fast!
- Pre-mix the sauce to ensure even distribution of ingredients.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Thai basil fried rice:
Marinate chicken with marinade ingredients as listed and set aside as you work on other ingredients.
In a mortar and pestle or food processor, pound or grind the red chili and garlic until oils and juices release.
In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Set aside.
In a large pan set over medium high heat, add oil and fry chicken until 75% cooked.
Add chili garlic paste and mix with chicken.
Push everything to the side. Add more oil if needed into empty space. Toss in rice and sauce. Note: it is fine if your rice is a bit moist as this fried rice is more on the saucier side than dry.
Toss in fresh basil. Remove off heat and enjoy optionally with a fried egg and lime juice.
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing this Thai basil fried rice as it won't taste the same after reheating it since there's more sauce in this fried rice.
Pairing Suggestions
Thai spicy basil fried rice serves well with:
- Crying Tiger Beef, Thai Garlic Fried Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
You may use same day cooked rice but spread it out in a thin layer on a large baking sheet. Place it in the freezer for 45-60 minutes fully exposed. Then break up the rice with a rice paddle. Otherwise you'll have clumpy fried rice.
No, a large pan will work too! But if you want that smoky taste that you'll find in most Asian takeout, use a steel wok. When the oil hits the hot steel, it creates a smoke in the air that envelops the food making it taste smoky.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Thai Basil Spicy Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice day old leftover rice (see Note 1 for quantity of uncooked rice)
- ½ lb chicken breast skinless boneless
- 1 cup Thai basil loose cup not packed (or sub with holy or Italian basil)
- 1 red chili pepper finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or as needed for frying
Sauce:
- 1.5 tablespoon oyster sauce or sub with vegetarian stir fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar
Chicken marinade:
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon regular soy sauce
Optional:
- 1 lime garnish
- 1 egg fried
Instructions
- Slice chicken on a bias into ¼-inch thick pieces.
- Marinate sliced chicken with marinade ingredients as listed. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle or food processor, pound or grind red chili, and garlic until oils and juices release.
- In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan. Fry chicken until 75% cooked.
- Add chili garlic paste and mix with chicken. Push everything to the side. Add more oil if needed into empty space.
- Throw in rice and toss to mix.
- Pour in sauce and toss again until granules are coated in sauce. Note: it is fine if your rice is a bit moist as this fried rice is more on the saucier side than dry.
- Toss in fresh basil. Remove off heat and enjoy optionally with a fried egg and lime juice.
Casey
I have made this dish multiple times and absolutely love it. I like to throw in some veggies just to make it a complete meal, but either way it is delicious!
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and so happy to hear that you found it delicious, Casey!
Brittany
Made this tonight! It was so good! I didn’t have fish sauce so had to use more soy sauce. Im going to the store to buy fish sauce and make it again! We did it with shrimp
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and leaving such a positive review, Brittany! Glad it worked out with soy sauce as a sub and I hope you enjoy it with fish sauce too 🙂 Have a wonderful day!
Emily
This was excellent! The kids ate it and the adults went back for seconds. I didn't plan ahead and had to use fresh rice, but will do so next time. Also had to sub Sriracha for the chili because their wasn't one to be had anywhere near me. Thanks for the recipe. Will be making again.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Emily! I'm so glad your family enjoyed it and the sriracha is a great idea for a sub!
Sai
Okay this recipe is a 10 out of 10! It was really good. I was hesitant at first when I measured out the sauce, I was thinking I might have to double it but I’m so happy I didn’t. It had the perfect amount of flavor and spice.
I did tweak it a little here and there. Like I added 4 1/2 garlic cloves, I love garlic, and two Thai chili peppers. I also did 1 teaspoon of the sauces for the chicken marinade instead of 1/2 teaspoon. Also I put the garlic and chilis in a plastic bag and smashed it with a bread roller, it worked like a charm.
I topped it off with some bean sprouts and it was amazing!
This is my new favorite go to fried rice recipe. I will be making it again!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making and leaving this very kind review, Sai! I'm so glad you enjoyed it with the tweaks 🙂 Smart idea in placing the garlic and chilis in a bag to grind them. Appreciate you sharing this tip for those without a mortar and pestle! Have a great day - Christie
Stacey Benjamin
I can’t find Thai basil or red chilies in my area. Is there something that I can use to substitute these two ingredients?
christieathome
Hi Stacey, feel free to sub with normal or Italian basil. As for the chilis, if you can find dried whole red chilies and rehydrate them before pounding in the mortar and pestle. The chili is essential to this dish. You could use red chili pepper flakes as a very last resort but only enough to taste.
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
This is one of my husband and my favorite Thai dishes!! We usually use ground pork, but I cannot wait to try your version. We'll make ours nice and spicy and definitely with a fried egg!
Lauren - BasicGinger.com
I am such a sucker for anything with Thai basil, I cannot wait to make this! Beautifully done! Thanks for sharing!
christieathome
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it!
Susan Galbraith
Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice tasted just like my favorite Thai restaurant. I modified the recipe a little adding red bell pepper and onion as well as omitting sugar but added some Sweet Chili Sauce. I only had 1/2 cup basil so shredded a few Kaffir line leaves and mixed in with basil leaves to add at the end.
christieathome
Fantastic! Very happy to read this kind review! Glad the modifications also worked out as well. Thanks for making my recipe, Susan!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
I've been growing Thai basil and only using it for Thai basil chicken, so now I have another use for it 🙂 Looks so delicious - Etienne and I love all things spicy! And Thai!
Alex
We love Thai Basil so much in our household, so this fried rice is definitely a favourite - gorgeous flavours!
Josiah - DIY Thrill
This fried rice looks really tasty!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Your amazing rice dish looks so so tempting!! Making your fried rice with avocado oil is so smart, and I love the basil and chillies you added!
Never Ending Journeys
This fried rice bowl looks so flavorful! I absolutely love how this dish is Thai, too - one of the best cuisines!
Katerina | Once a Foodie
Ohhh yum! This looks amazing, Christie. I might turn the heat down for the kids, by omitting the chillies, but otherwise this is definitely going to become a family favourite around here - we love fried rice and this looks just marvellous.
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
Love all the flavours (and chillies) happening in this Thai spicy basil fried rice! I could use a bowl right now! YUM!