This is a go-to dish for us when we have extra basil laying around. It’s a quick, easy and light dish to add to any week night menu. It has a unique, delicious flavor with the fish sauce and vinegar topping. You can put your own twist on it with different peppers and onions. I like to eat this over cooked brown rice, but be creative and serve it with any side instead. I didn’t include the rice into the nutrition information so you can easily switch it up. Enjoy!
Serves: 2 | Serving Size: 1/2 of dish
Ingredients:
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves – plus extra if desired
- 2 – 3 green or red Thai chilies (substitute options: Serrano or jalapeno peppers – but watch that extra heat!)
- 1 garlic clove – peeled
- 3 teaspoons fish sauce – divided
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar – plus extra for serving
- 1 teaspoons sugar – plus extra for serving
- 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 shallot – sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- red pepper flakes for serving
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
Directions:
- In a food processor, pulse the basil, Thai chilies and garlic in until finely chopped. Transfer 2 teaspoons of basil mixture to small bowl and stir in oyster sauce, vinegar, sugar and 2 teaspoons fish sauce. Transfer remaining basil mixture to 10-inch skillet.
- Without cleaning food processor bowl, add chicken and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce – process until meat is coarsely chopped, transfer to bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Stir shallot and oil into basil mixture in skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic and shallot are browned. Stir in chopped chicken and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once chicken is almost cooked through, add reserved basil sauce mixture and continue to stir until chicken is cooked through.
- Serve over one cup of brown rice, using extra fish sauce, sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes as desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information: *rice not included in nutritional information*
Per serving: Calories: 239; Total Fat: 9g; Cholesterol: 116mg; Sodium: 447mg; Total Carbohydrates: 7g; Dietary Fiber: 0g; Sugars: 5g; Protein: 30g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 471mg; Vitamin A: 2%; Vitamin C: 1%; Calcium: 1%; Iron: 4%
Modified from: America’s Test Kitchen. “Thai Chicken with Basil.” The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook. Boston: American Test Kitchen, 2014. 119. Print.
