The basil smelled really good at the farmers’ market on Sunday, so we picked some up with the plan of making basil chicken (I totally forgot that Rebecca is growing a huge pot of basil on her back porch). This recipe comes from Rachael Ray with a few minor tweaks (e.g., she uses twice as much crushed red pepper).
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion, plus 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine water, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and crushed red pepper. Stir to dissolve the sugar; set aside.
- Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons oil, then the sliced and chopped onion, and garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant and softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat for about 1 minute. Working in 2 batches if necessary, spread the chicken in a single layer in the pan without crowding and cook, undisturbed, until the edges change color, about 1 minute. Turn and continue cooking, tossing now and then, until lightly browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the reserved sauce and onion mixture and cook, tossing occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and evenly coated, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the basil, tossing until slightly wilted.
- Serve the chicken over rice or noodles.
Thanks for posting! I look forward to making this one.
This recipe ROCKED. Thanks, Renae (and Rachael Ray)! The flavor was delicious. We did up the red pepper a wee bit and I probably didn’t add enough garlic because I got tired of all the labor involved. Watching Liv taste fish sauce, not once but twice, was the highlight of Basil Chicken. Well, that and actually eating it. Yum.