Thai Chili Sauce, or nam prik pao, is a common ingredient in Thai cooking. A little bit spicy, a little bit sweet, it also has a savory umami flavor that comes from the addition of shrimp. This Thai chili sauce is so flavorful and delicious that we’ve been guilty of eating it straight out of the jar…with a spoon.
Just try it, and you’ll see why. Thai chili sauce can be found in most Asian grocery stores these days, and with recipes like this Thai Chili Sauce Chicken Stir-fry, it deserves a permanent spot in your refrigerator door––right next to those jars of mustard and strawberry jam.
You can use this recipe as a guide, and customize it however you like––try it with different proteins (beef, pork, or even tofu) and vegetables, and make it your own. This particular Thai Chili Sauce Chicken Stir-fry takes only 9 ingredients to make, and 10 minutes to prepare.
The Thai chili sauce does all the heavy lifting in the flavor department––a complex combination of salty, sweet, spicy, and shrimpy. In other words, all the best words that start with ‘S.’
Thai Chili Sauce Chicken: Recipe Instructions
Add the chicken to a bowl, along with the 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix well and set aside. For more information and preparing chicken for stir fries, see Bill’s post on Chicken velveting 101.
Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, and the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken for 1-2 minutes, until well-seared.
Add the garlic, Thai bird chilies (if using), bell pepper, scallions, Thai Chili Sauce (Namprik Pao), and fish sauce.
Stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
Serve this Thai Chili Sauce Chicken stir fry with steamed jasmine rice.
Thai Chili Sauce Chicken Stir-fry
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast (680g, sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 2 Thai bird chilies (thinly sliced, optional)
- 1 red bell pepper (de-seeded and thinly sliced)
- 5 scallions (sliced at an angle into 2-inch pieces)
- 2 tablespoons Thai Chili Paste (Namprik Pao)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a bowl, along with the 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat a wok over high heat until smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, and the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken for 1-2 minutes, until well-seared.
- Add the garlic, chilies (if using), bell pepper, scallions, chili sauce, and fish sauce. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
I really struggled identifying what was Thai chili paste at the Asian Market. They didn’t have the brand you pictured, there were a lot of chili pastes with basil. If you ever update this recipe, I could use some help. For example, what’s in your product’s ingredient list might have helped!
Hi Bethany, Thai chili paste ingredients include: chilies, onion, garlic, sugar, vinegar, oil and shrimp paste.
We love this dish and make it frequently and would like to serve it for a larger get together. Would doubling it in a 14″ wok work out?
Hi John, I generally wouldn’t double it in that size wok, but cook it in 2 batches!
The write-up mentions the addition of shrimp, but there is no shrimp in the recipe – where do you add it and how much please?
Hi Chip, the dish doesn’t have added shrimp in it, the shrimp is in one of the ingredients—the Thai chili paste! Take another look at the write-up and you’ll see that distinction!
Thanks for that and will do!
This is brilliant and so simple. I’m trying to eat more vegetables so I added some sliced sugar snap beans and baby corn but I’m sure you could add many other vegetables. It tasted so similar to the dish from the decent Thai place in my town so I am happy! thank you for another outstanding recipe.
You’re welcome, Antonio!
The picture shows Thai chili paste but the ingredients list Thai chili sauce. Are the same ?
what I have isn’t a paste, it is liquid sauce.
Hi Lynda, it’s the Thai chili paste shown in the picture! Making an adjustment to the ingredients list to make that more clear.