Thai Basil Rice
Recipe Guy
Fil-Am Fusion | Weeknight Dinner | Asian Rice
Thai basil belongs at the end of this chicken fried rice, where the leaves wilt in the residual heat. Before that, garlic, bird chiles, and a compact oyster-soy sauce mixture season the chicken and grains, with a fried egg making a substantial finish.
About This Recipe
The rice is mixed into the pan, not served underneath a separate chicken stir-fry. Break the ground chicken into small crumbles so it distributes through the two cups of jasmine rice. Whisking the sauce first makes the quick cooking sequence easier to manage.
Garlic and chiles start the pan, while basil waits until the heat is off. That separation keeps the leaves from enduring the entire stir-fry. Have the cooked rice loosened and the serving egg ready before the final toss so the meal can go straight to the table.
Ingredient Notes
Rice
Use cooked rice that was promptly refrigerated. For fresh rice, spread it in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 F); do not leave it on the counter to dry for hours.
Heat
Use a wide skillet or wok and cook in batches if the pan is crowded.
Seasoning
Taste at the end. Soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, kimchi, and ham all bring different salt levels.
Cooking Notes
- Separate the cold rice before heating the skillet. Trying to break a hard clump apart while the garlic and chiles are cooking leaves the aromatics waiting too long.
- Measure the basil leaves and set them apart from the garlic and chiles. They share the aromatics heading but enter at opposite ends of the cooking process.
Thai Basil Rice Recipe
A spicy Thai basil chicken rice bowl with ground chicken, garlic, chiles, oyster sauce, soy sauce, jasmine rice, and a fried egg.
Yield: 2 portions. Serving size: 1 serving (half the batch, with one egg). Nutrition uses this portion count; dividing the batch differently changes the values per serving.
Shopping List
- cooked jasmine rice
- ground chicken
- Thai basil
- garlic
- Thai chiles
- oyster sauce
- soy sauce
- fish sauce
- sugar
- eggs
- neutral oil: 2 tablespoons total
Ingredients
Rice and Protein
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice, preferably cold
- 8 ounces ground chicken
- 1 to 2 large eggs, for frying and serving
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
Aromatics
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 to 3 Thai bird chiles, chopped
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves, loosely packed
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and water in a small bowl.
- Use 1 teaspoon of the oil in a nonstick skillet to fry the eggs until whites and yolks are firm; keep warm. Heat the remaining 5 teaspoons oil in a wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic and chiles and stir just until fragrant.
- Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned and a food thermometer reads 165 F in several parts of the chicken.
- Pour in the sauce and simmer until it coats the chicken.
- Add cold jasmine rice and toss until evenly seasoned and the mixture reaches 165 F throughout.
- Turn off the heat and fold in Thai basil until just wilted.
- Top with a fried egg and serve immediately.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate nutrition for 1 serving (half the batch, with one egg). For two servings with one egg each, including all two tablespoons oil. Three smaller portions contain two-thirds of these values. Calculated from published food data, not laboratory tested; brands and portions vary.
Tips For The Best Thai Basil Rice
- Use cold rice: Warm soft rice clumps and steams instead of frying.
- Prep before heating: Fried rice moves fast, so have sauces, eggs, vegetables, and garnishes ready.
- Cook in layers: Brown protein and aromatics first, then add rice and sauce.
- Finish hot: The last minute over higher heat gives the grains better texture.
How To Serve And Store
Serve hot with cucumber slices, lime or calamansi, and extra chile vinegar. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 F), use within 3 days, and reheat to 165 F.
Common Questions
Can I use fresh rice?
Yes. Spread cooked rice in a shallow container and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours or 1 hour above 90 F. Chill until firm enough to separate; do not dry it for hours at room temperature.
What pan works best?
A carbon-steel wok is ideal, but a large nonstick or stainless skillet works.
Can I make it ahead?
It is best freshly fried. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water, stirring until the rice and protein reach 165 F throughout.
Can I use brown rice?
Yes. Cold cooked brown rice works well and stays separate.
Does the jasmine rice cook from raw in this recipe?
No. The two cups are already cooked rice, preferably cold. Raw rice will not soften in the small amount of sauce, so cook and chill the rice separately before beginning the stir-fry.
When should I fold in the Thai basil?
Turn off the heat after the rice is hot and evenly seasoned, then fold in the leaves just until wilted. Keep the pan moving briefly, but do not resume prolonged cooking after adding them.
Technique and food-safety references: hot-thai-kitchen.com; foodsafety.gov; fda.gov.
