Thai Spicy Basil Fried Rice

Thai Basil Spicy Fried Rice. This is the best Thai chicken fried rice as it’s packed with a spicy savoury umami flavour that totally hits the spot.

The Thai basil really elevates this dish making it perfect for dinner or lunch. Ready in just 30 minutes.

Hit the spot!

I am OVERLY excited to share this recipe with you! It is my version of spicy Thai basil fried rice recipe. It honestly satisfies all your taste buds thanks to the umami flavour of the fish sauce and oyster sauce, to the spiciness of the chilies.

Addictive

You will not be able to stop at one bowl for this authentic Thai basil chicken fried rice. You will want seconds, so if you're feeding your family, you may want to quadruple the portion size. My spicy Thai basil fried rice recipe is similar to Pad Gra Pow, but the rice and the chicken topping is all mixed in.

Easy to make!

This Thai spicy basil fried rice recipe is easy to make and only calls for 30 minutes of your time if you have day old, cooked rice. Making it a fantastic meal for those long days after work when you're craving Thai food, but you don't want to make a trip to the restaurant to get some. You may think this recipe is complicated due to its complex flavours but it’s really not.

What you’ll need

For this spicy Thai basil chicken fried rice, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• cooked jasmine rice, day old leftover rice strongly recommended
• chicken breast
• Thai basil leaves
• red chili
• garlic
• vegetable oil

Sauce:

• oyster sauce
• fish sauce
• regular soy sauce
• white granulated sugar

Chicken marinade:

• fish sauce
• regular soy sauce

Optional:

• lime
• fried egg(s)

How to make Thai basil chicken fried rice

Below are brief steps with visuals to show you how to make spicy Thai chilli and basil fried rice. Please scroll down to the recipe card below to find full instructions and details.

Marinate chicken with marinade ingredients as listed. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle (or food processor), pound (or pulse) red chili, and garlic until oils and juices release.

In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients.

In a hot wok set over medium high heat, add oil. 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. 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.

Throw in fresh basil and mix again.

Remove off heat and enjoy optionally with a fried egg and lime juice.

Cooking Tips

Below are tips on making Thai basil chicken fried rice:

Use day old leftover rice

Using day old leftover rice prevents your rice become sticky and 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.

Separate cooked rice with hands

To ensure your rice doesn’t stick together, separate the granules with your hands prior to cooking.

Pound the chili and garlic

Using a mortar and pestle will help the juices and oils release from the chili and garlic if you pound it. You may also use a food processor but less oils will release due to the processing motion.

Prepare ingredients in advance

This step is crucial as the cooking process only takes about 5 minutes in a ripping hot wok and the last thing you want to be doing is fumbling around your kitchen looking for the next ingredient to toss into the pan.

Slice chicken thinly but not overly thinly

Because we are cooking this in a hot wok, the high heat will cook the chicken fast, so you want the chicken sliced thinly but not too thin! About 0.75 cm per slice.

Pre-mix the sauce

Since the cooking process is about 5 minutes and the heat is blazing hot, we want to combine our sauce ahead of time so we can easily pour it over the rice to fry.

FAQ

Below are frequently asked questions about this Thai spicy basil chicken fried rice recipe:

Is Thai fried rice different than Chinese fried rice?

Yes, Thai fried rice usually uses fish sauce for seasoning with oyster sauce, unlike Chinese fried rice. Thai fried rice also doesn’t usually contain soy sauce, however for the purposes of taste, I like to add a tiny bit to mine.  

Can I substitute the fish sauce?

Fish sauce is essential to Thai cooking especially in this fried rice dish, so it’s highly recommended for that umami taste. However, if you don’t have this ingredient or do not want to add this ingredient to your pantry, then you may omit. Just add more oyster sauce as needed.

If you’re vegan, vegan fish sauce is available for purchase at some grocers or online.

Can I replace the oyster sauce?

Yes, you can substitute with vegetarian stir fry sauce especially if you’re trying to avoid animal products.

May I remove or substitute the chicken?

Yes, you can remove or sub the chicken with your protein of choice. Shrimp, beef, pork or tofu will work.

What kind of rice do you use?

1–2-day old cooked Thai Jasmine rice for best texture.

Can I use brown rice?

Yes.

Other recipes you may like!

If you enjoyed this Thai spicy basil fried rice, you may enjoy these other fried rice recipes:

Thai Railway Fried Rice
Shrimp Fried Rice
Kimchi Sausage Fried Rice
Spam Fried Rice
Tomato Egg Fried Rice
Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice

Try it!

Well, I hope you give my Thai Basil Spicy Fried Rice a try! It always excites me when you make my recipes and I hope this is one you try and most importantly, enjoy.

Sharing is caring

If you enjoyed my Thai spicy basil fried rice with chicken, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture of your re-creation and make sure to tag me @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories as I would love to see it!

Did you enjoy it?

If you genuinely enjoyed my best Thai basil chicken fried rice, please leave a 5-star review. I would greatly appreciate it 🙂

Take care,
Christie

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