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Under 30 minute Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken. The super fast Thai chicken rice bowl that looks like takeout, but tastes so much better and is healthier too. Quick-cooking and lean ground chicken, tossed in a sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce with garden fresh red bell peppers, cashews, and summer’s most flavorful basil. Serve this Thai basil chicken recipe over steamed rice and top with fresh mangos. Every bite is saucy, sweet, spicy, and hinted with basil. It’s delicious and healthy. Major bonus? This is all made in one pan without the use of your oven. Perfect for hot summer days.
I think the number one question I get asked is how I stay inspired to create new recipes. I must admit, it can be really, really challenging. There are weeks that I feel completely defeated, as though nothing I’ve created was delicious enough, pretty enough, or worthy of sharing with you all. Obviously, I am my own worst critic, but while it can sometimes be a challenge, I still love it.
When inspiration is running low, I try to look at all the things around me. Everything from the people, the season, the flowers, the colors, even the food I have on hand. Right now, it’s the season and the produce that are inspiring me most.
I mentioned in my favorites post this past Sunday that our garden…greenhouse to be specific…is overflowing with herbs, salad greens, bell peppers, and soon to be cherry tomatoes. It’s the most beautiful scene and I love clipping fresh herbs every day. It makes me so happy.
The herb we have the most of? BASIL, so much sweet basil. Way more than I know what to do with…I see lots of pesto and pizza in the future. And, of course, this Thai chicken too, which as you’ve probably guessed was created thanks to the fact that our basil plants are completely overflowing and our bell peppers are ready for picking.
Often times I sway towards Italian dishes when working with basil. But currently, I am really inspired by Thai flavors. Enter this chicken.
It’s saucy, spicy, sweet, a touch salty, and just about as delicious as a quick-cooking Thai chicken dinner can get. I really can’t say enough good things about this recipe. It’s one of those dishes that will become a monthly staple.
Why? Well, it’s simple, it’s quick, it’s pretty healthy, and it’s a dinner that most everyone really loves.
Here are the details.
It’s all starts and ends in one pan and is ready in the blink of an eye. Truly.
Brown some ground chicken. Season it up with black pepper, then add in bell peppers, garlic, and ginger. Oh, and some cashews too! The bell peppers really bulk up the chicken and add in a good amount of vegetables. You could also toss in some broccoli and or bok choy, either would be great.
The garlic and ginger add all the flavor, while the cashews add a hearty crunch.
Now, the sauce. It’s a mix up of my very favorite Thai flavors, soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, and chili sauce (sambal oelek). Nothing fancy, but all things good.
And if you think you don’t like fish sauce, I highly, highly recommend you give it a try. It’s such an insanely good sauce that adds so much flavor to Thai dishes. If you ask me, it’s essential.
As soon as the chicken is cooked and the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir in plenty of fresh basil leaves and fresh mint. Serve over steamed rice (white or brown both work, or use quinoa).
And you guys…that’s it. Takes less than 30 minutes to make and is so much better than your local Thai takeout. LOVE!
If you make this better than takeout sweet Thai basil chicken be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken.
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 528 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame or peanut oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 red or orange bell peppers, chopped
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2-3 tablespoons chili paste (sambal oelek)
- 1 cup fresh basil, roughly torn
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, roughly torn
- steamed white or brown rice, for serving
- 1 mango, thinly sliced or diced
Instructions
- 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken. Season with black pepper and brown all over, breaking the chicken up as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, peppers, and cashews, cook another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the soy sauce, fish sauce, chili paste, and honey. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 5-8 minutes. 2. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and mint.3. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of rice. Top with mangos and additional basil. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on July 24, 2019
Another fantastic and under 30 minute recipe! Thank you for the best tasting and healthy meals that I can prepare quickly and I know they will be delicious. I now need to just buy your book.
Thank you so much Eve! I hope you love the book if you end up getting it! xTieghan
We had this for lunch today. I substituted Asian flavored tofu pieces for the chicken. I also totally forgot to add the basil and it was still really good. I only used 1tbl of the chili paste and it gave a nice little heat.
Definitely making this again, hopefully with the basil this time. 🙂
Thank you Heli! So happy to hear that! xTieghan
This was my first time making one of your recipes and it was fabulous! Had to make some substitutions for allergy reasons but it was a favorite! Will be making more soon. Thank you!
I am so glad you loved this one, especially as your first! Thank you so much Lissa! xTieghan
Wow! I made this tonight and my family gobbled it up. The only change I made was to use only one tbsp of chili sauce as we have small kids (ok, it was because I’m a wimp when it comes to spice). Amazing, amazing amazing! I’m adding it to the dinner rotation! Thanks for another great recipe.
Thank you for trying this out, Chris! I am really happy to hear that your family loved this and I hope you all love others as well! xTieghan
This recipe was easy, quick and delicious! I added snow peas just because I had some in the veg drawer.
Love that! So glad this turned out amazing for you Renee! Thank you! xTieghan
I made this this week and it was AMAZING! It truly came together fast and my husband loved it too. I used half the amount of honey called for and it was still sweet enough for my taste. Also used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce with no adverse effect on flavor. Thank you so much for this easy and delicious weeknight recipe!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you for making this Katie! xTieghan
Can this be done with shrimp instead or would it influence the consistency?
Hi Danielle! I love the idea of shrimp and think it will be delicious! I would follow the directions as is, but sear the shrimp on either side, then add the sauce. I think the cooking times will be very similar. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was SO tasty. I’ve never cooked with ground chicken before and it was so good! The meat soaked up the delicious sauce perfectly (loved the sauce, so delicious and so simple!)
Thank you for trying this Jenny! So glad you loved this! xTieghan
Made this tonight and everyone agreed- it is truly delicious! I added mushrooms (had some I had to use up). A keeper I will be putting in my rotation. Would also be great to make ahead for work lunches.
Thank you Kerry! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
This recipe is delicious! Perfect for a busy work week – comes together in half an hour and I had plenty for leftovers for lunch the next day. I made a couple substitutions (ground turkey instead of chicken, and peanuts instead of cashews) to save myself a trip to the store – everything else I already had in the pantry.
I would be careful with how much salt you season the ground meat with. I salted the ground turkey, but found that the sauce was salty enough that it ended up being a bit too much. A squeeze of lime fixed it though!
That is so amazing! I am so glad you loved this recipe Sammi! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this for dinner last night. I followed the recipe exactly (2T chili paste!) and happened to have chipotle lime cashews on hand so I sprinkled them on top after cooking. Yummmm! Very much looking forward to leftovers tonight!
So glad you loved this Emily! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
I made this last night for my family. I really love Thai food and this was delicious and satisfying! A plus is that it was easy and quick. I just discovered half baked harvest and it is now one of my favorite websites!
Wow that is so amazing to hear! Thank you for trying this, so glad you loved it! Also, hope you continue to love my recipes Stephanie! xTieghan
I made this last night using ground pork (what I had on hand) instead of chicken. It was super easy, super fast, and delicious. I served it over coconut lime rice and topped it with mango. Next time, I might bulk up the veg and add a bit more honey and a bit less soy sauce to the sauce. Oh, and more sambal oelek. Two tablespoons gave it a nice zing, but we like things on the spicy side.
I am really glad you enjoyed this Dulcie! Thank you! xTieghan
This is a fabulout recipe! My family loved it and there were no leftovers. The only thing I did was lessen the chili paste a bit because the first time I made this it was a bit spicy for us. Loved the flavors and it is not too complicated for a weeknight dinner. Many thanks Tieghen!
Thank you Sandi! So glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
If you are vegetarian what would you suggest substituting the chicken for?
Hi Kimberly! I’d recommend roughly chopped cauliflower and mushrooms in place of the chicken. I would use around 3 cups chopped cauliflower and 1 cup sliced mushrooms. Alternately, you could do 3 cups chopped cauliflower and 1 (14 ounce) can drained chickpeas. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan