Are you looking for a really fast, easy dish to make with all that basil and mint you’ve got growing like weeds in your garden this summer? Perhaps a dinner that tastes just like (better?) than what you can get from your local takeout place? This Thai Chicken Stir-fry with Basil & Mint is the answer to your weeknight dinner prayers.
From start to finish, it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare, and it will make you look like a total BOSS in the kitchen.
And who doesn’t want to look like a total kitchen boss to their family, significant other, roommate, friends, and/or SELF?
A Great Beginner Recipe
Dishes like this Thai Chicken Stir-fry with Basil & Mint make me think about a lot of people who are just getting started in the kitchen.
Those Seamless, GrubHub, takeout menu dependents who think cooking is too hard or complicated, or that it requires a lot of equipment. (To be fair, we can probably blame THAT on all the episodes of Chef’s Table and Mind of a Chef we’re watching on Netflix.)
Or those who’ve ventured into the kitchen to try something out, but had it all end in crunchy spaghetti, undercooked meat, or a tornado of seemingly every appliance, utensil, and plate scattered and splattered everywhere.
Dishes like this are confidence boosters. They prove that cooking can be fast and easy. Just think, you can walk into your now quiet kitchen, slice and chop a few things, take out a pan, and have this on the table (or…let’s be real, the couch) in front of you in FIFTEEN MINUTES.
That’s less time than it takes me to check my email most days. That’s one or two YouTube video’s worth of time. It’s less time than it takes for the delivery guy to get to your house!
So yeah. Hope that was motivating. Now go to the kitchen and make this. You’re just 15 minutes away from kitchen boss status.
Thai Chicken Stir-fry with Basil & Mint: Recipe Instructions
Combine the sliced chicken with the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat. Add the chicken, and stir-fry until opaque. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil in the wok, and add the garlic, onion, and fresh holland or Thai bird chili. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the reserved chicken, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, Thai basil, and mint.
Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until the basil and mint leaves are wilted.
Serve your Thai Chicken Stir-fry immediately with steamed rice.
Thai Chicken Stir-fry with Basil & Mint
Ingredients
- 12 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs (340g, sliced into thin strips)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (plus 2 tablespoons)
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 small onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 fresh holland or Thai bird chili (de-seeded and thinly sliced)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
- 1 cup mint leaves
Instructions
- Combine the sliced chicken with the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat. Add the chicken, and stir-fry until opaque. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of oil in the wok, and add the garlic, onion, and chilies. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the reserved chicken, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, Thai basil, and mint.
- Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until the basil and mint leaves are wilted. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
nutrition facts
I’ve been making this for years and I like your recipe better than mine. I added extra veg from our bountiful gardens.
Love your site.
That’s awesome, Joe!
Could I make this with shrimp?
Can’t see why not, Ronald! Just be careful not to overcook them!
Yet another amazingly delicious recipe. Instead of vegetable oil for the marinade, I used sesame oil with tasty results. The preparation took a bit longer than the 10 minutes specified, but I fuss over the ingredients. It cooked up an a hurry. I served it over Basmati rice and washed it down with a chilled rosé, just perfect for warm summer weather. Excellent recipe, Sarah. I’m so glad I found your family on Andrew Zimmern’s Family Dinners!!
Thank you so much, Carl! We’re happy you found us too!!
Delicious and fast. My 7 year old loved it. That’s a home run. If I wanted to add more veggies, any suggestions? I was thinking of eggplant.
Hi Annie, you could add sliced bell pepper, carrot, onions, snow peas…if you want to add eggplant, check out my dad’s Thai Basil Eggplant with Chicken: https://thewoksoflife.com/japanese-eggplant-chicken-thai-basil-stir-fry/
I dont usually leave comments on the recipes I try but this was so good I had to. I had regular basil in the fridge so I used that, added two teaspoons of thai chilli sauce for heat and one teaspoon of rice wine vinegar for acidity. Also added mushrooms and spring onions. Turned out restaurant quality good. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. I also cut the chicken breast into very thin strips and that made a big difference in how this stir fry turned out compared to the ones where I use thick strips of chicken breast.
I dont usually leave comments on the recipes I try but this was so good I had to. I had regular basil in the fridge so I used that, added two teaspoons of thai chilli sauce for heat and one teaspoon of rice wine vinegar for acidity. Also added mushrooms and spring onions. Turned out restaurant quality good. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. I also cut the chicken breast into very thin strips and that made a big difference in how this stir fry turned out compared to the ones where I use thick strips of chicken breast.
You’re very welcome, Maryam!
Absolutely delicious and easy to make , the chicken was so tender , my first foray into Thai cooking . Thank you .
You’re welcome, Tammy!
i never comment on the internet, but this recipe was awesome thanks. tastiest meal i have ever made. i added some snow peas for a bit of crunch. i was worried about the mint in the dish prior to cooking, but it really works well with the basil. I will definitely be making again thank you!
You’re welcome, Craig! The mint really is a surprisingly tasty addition!
This was amazing. So glad I was able to find Thai basil at one of my local Asian markets, it’s definitely the key to this recipe.
Yes! Great to hear you have access to Thai ingredients near you!