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Thai Basil Chicken with Baby Corn and Bamboo shoots

Thai Basil Chicken with Baby Corn and Bamboo Shoots

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Wok or large non-stick skillet A carbon steel wok is ideal for high-heat stir-frying, but a large non-stick or stainless steel pan will also work well.
  • Sharp chef’s knife For prepping all those vegetables and thinly slicing the chicken.
  • Cutting board Preferably separate boards for raw meat and vegetables.
  • Spatula or wok turner Essential for tossing ingredients quickly.
  • Small bowl To mix the sauce ingredients ahead of time.
  • Rice Cooker or Saucepan To prepare jasmine rice for serving.

Ingredients
  

For the chicken and veggies

  • 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs finely chopped or thinly sliced
  • 1 cup canned bamboo shoots drained and julienned
  • 1 cup baby corn
  • 1 small red bell pepper sliced (optional for color)
  • 1 small yellow onion sliced thin
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Thai bird’s eye chilies minced (adjust to taste)
  • 1.5 cups fresh Thai basil leaves not sweet basil

For the sauce

  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce for deeper color
  • 2 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp water

For serving

  • Steamed jasmine rice or sticky rice
  • Fried egg optional, but highly recommended

Instructions
 

Prep everything before you heat the wok

  1. Stir-fries move fast, so get all your ingredients ready before you start. Slice your chicken thighs thinly so they cook quickly and stay tender. Drain and julienne the bamboo shoots, and slice the onion and bell pepper. Mince the garlic and chilies. Pluck the Thai basil leaves from their stems and keep them handy.

Mix the sauce

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, palm sugar, and water. Stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved. This is the flavor bomb that ties everything together.

Sear the chicken

  1. Heat your wok over medium-high to high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Toss in the chicken and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until browned and just cooked through. Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Sauté the aromatics

  1. In the same wok, add a splash more oil if needed. Add the garlic and chilies. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant—don’t let them burn!

Add the vegetables

  1. Throw in the onion, baby corn, bamboo shoots, and bell pepper. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, just until they begin to soften but still keep their crunch. You want the texture to pop when you bite into it.

Bring back the chicken and sauce

  1. Return the chicken to the wok and pour in the sauce. Stir everything together and let it sizzle for another 1–2 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and coats the ingredients.

Finish with Thai basil

  1. Turn off the heat and immediately toss in the Thai basil leaves. Stir until the leaves wilt from the residual heat, releasing that incredible anise-like aroma.

Serve it hot

  1. Spoon the chicken over hot jasmine rice and, if you like, crown it with a crispy-edged fried egg for extra richness.