If you're craving the bold, aromatic flavors of your favorite Thai restaurant but want to stay on track with your health goals, this Thai Basil Fried Rice with Chicken is the ultimate one-pan meal! I've simplified this classic street-food dish by using ground chicken-a spectacular shortcut that eliminates tedious slicing, cooks quickly, and ensures every bite is packed with protein.
Whether you've got LOTS of fresh basil on your hands, you're using up leftover rice, or prepping a fresh batch for the week, this 30-minute dinner is the healthy meal your weeknight rotation needs!
Recipe Overview: Thai Basil Fried Rice (with chicken)
- Ready In: 30 Minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Calories: 449 kcal per serving
Main Ingredients: Cold Basmati rice, ground chicken, fresh basil, Thai chili paste, and red bell pepper.
Dietary Info: High-protein, Dairy-free.
Weight Watchers Points: 8 WW points per serving.
Difficulty: Easy.
Why You'll Love It: It's a complete meal in one pan! You get the perfect balance of spicy, savory, and sweet, with a spectacular crunch from the fresh veggies and a fragrant finish from the basil.
Summarize and Save this Content on:
Jump to:
- Recipe Overview: Thai Basil Fried Rice (with chicken)
- Summarize and Save this Content on:
- 🥘Ingredient Notes
- 📖 Variations & Substitutions
- 🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Thai Basil Fried Rice
- Expert Tips
- 🌡️Storage
- Serving Size
- 🔢WW Points
- 🥗 What to serve with Thai Basil Fried Rice (with ground chicken)
- ❔Recipe FAQs
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- Thai Basil Fried Rice with Chicken Recipe
🥘Ingredient Notes
You'll need the following ingredients to make Thai Basil Fried Rice:
- Cooked White Basmati Rice: Crucial Tip: The rice must be cold (preferably day-old). Fresh, warm rice will turn into mush in the pan. Using cold rice ensures those individual grains stay chewy and "fried."
- Extra Lean Ground Chicken: This is my favorite "The Lazy Way" protein swap. It cooks in minutes and absorbs the sauce much better than sliced chicken breast.
- Thai Chili Paste (Nam Prik Pao) (affiliate link): This is the "flavor bomb" of the recipe. It adds a smoky, sweet depth that you just can't get from hot sauce alone.
- Fresh Basil: You'll need 2 ½ - 3 full cups. While Thai Holy Basil is traditional, your garden-fresh sweet basil works beautifully and provides that signature aromatic finish.
- Fish Sauce: Don't be intimidated by the smell! It's the secret to authentic Thai umami. It balances the agave and lime perfectly.
- Fresh Ginger & Sriracha Sauce: I decided to add these ingredients for greater depth of flavor after taking the ingredient photo.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Protein Swap: This recipe works really with extra lean ground beef, ground pork, or even shrimp.
- Vegetarian: Omit the chicken and fish sauce. Use crumbled firm tofu and extra soy sauce instead.
- Gluten-Free: Ensure you use a certified gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce.
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Thai Basil Fried Rice
- Step 1: In a large deep frying pan/skillet or wok, heat oil. Sauté the peppers and carrots for 6-8 minutes until they start softening.
- Step 2: Add the ground chicken and garlic. Cook until the chicken is browned.
- Step 3: Add the Thai Chili Paste to the meat and veggie mix. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Step 4: Add the cold rice and green onions. Fry for 3 minutes, breaking up clumps, until the rice is coated in the Thai chili sauce.
- Step 5: Once your rice is fried and coated in the chili paste/sauce, push the rice mixture to the outer edges of your wok or skillet to create a "well" in the center. Crack 2 eggs into the center. Let them sit for 30 seconds to set slightly
- Step 6: Then scramble them quickly with your spatula.
- Step 7: Continue to cook and scramble the eggs until they are mostly cooked, but still a little wet.
- Step 8: When the eggs are mostly cooked but still a bit wet, toss the rice back into the center and mix everything together. Pour in the soy sauce, fish sauce, agave, grated ginger, sriracha sauce, and lime juice. Toss for 1 minute.
- Step 9: Turn off the heat. Fold in the 2 ½ -3 cups of fresh basil. Stir it in until it wilts.
- Step 10: Add some fresh basil leaves on top. Serve with a lime wedge and a few fresh cucumber slices on the side of the plate. This is very traditional in Thailand and adds a "cool" element to the spicy rice.
Expert Tips
- The "Well" Technique: To keep this a true one-pan meal, push the rice to the edges of the wok and scramble the eggs right in the center. It ensures the eggs are fluffy and prevents the rice from getting soggy.
- The Basil Wilt: Never cook the basil! Turn off the heat before folding the leaves in. The residual heat from the rice is enough to wilt them while keeping their color vibrant and their flavor fresh.
- High Heat is Key: Fried rice should be cooked fast and hot. This allows the rice to "sear" and get those slightly crispy edges that define a great bistro-style dish.
🌡️Storage
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: I do not recommend freezing fried rice, as the texture of the rice and veggies can become grainy and soft upon thawing.
- Reheating: Reheat in a skillet with a tiny splash of water to bring back the moisture
Serving Size
This Thai Fried rice recipe makes 4 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 8 WW points as written.
Terri's 50/50 Point-Saver Tip: If you want to enjoy a huge bowl of this fried rice for fewer points, try my 50/50 Hack! Swap half of the cooked Basmati rice for cauliflower rice. It brings the dish down from 8 points to just 5 WW points per serving, and you still get that spectacular, hearty texture. It's the ultimate healthy reset for a busy weeknight!"
Reminder:
Be sure to use frozen cauliflower rice and toss it in straight from the bag. It's the fastest way to do it and ensures the "rice" stays firm and doesn't get mushy!
🥗 What to serve with Thai Basil Fried Rice (with ground chicken)
This fried rice is a meal in itself, so I like to serve it with a side of vegetables or salad. My Quick Cucumber Kimchi is the perfect accompaniment for this meal.
❔Recipe FAQs
With 1 ½ tablespoons of Thai chili paste and sriracha sauce, it has a mild-medium warmth. If you love heat, go for 2 tablespoons! If you're sensitive to spice, start with 2 teaspoons.
Yes! Brown rice works well and adds a nice nutty texture, though it won't be as "fluffy" as Basmati.
It's easy to find Thai Chili Paste here, on Amazon (affiliate link). But if, for some reason, you can't get it, you can substitute with 1 tablespoon of Sriracha mixed with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika. It won't be exactly the same, but it's a great hack to get that smoky heat!
Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
Ask AI to answer based on this specific recipe:
This Thai Basil Fried Rice proves that you don't need to order takeout to enjoy a spectacular, high-end meal. It's a simple recipe that turns simple leftovers into a gourmet dinner in just 30 minutes.
Give this zesty, one-pan win a try tonight! If your family loves it as much as mine does, please leave a star rating and a comment below-it's the best way to support my kitchen meanderings!
Thai Basil Fried Rice with Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil olive oil or canola oil
- 1 whole Red Bell Pepper diced.
- ⅔ cup Carrots diced. (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 lb Lean Ground Chicken.
- 4 cloves Garlic minced.
- 1 ½ tablespoon Thai Chili Paste (Nam Prik Pao)
- 3 cups Cooked White Basmati Rice cold.
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup Green onions (about ½ a bunch)
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 ½ tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 3 teaspoon Agave
- 3 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice (or 1 tablespoon lime juice from concentrate)
- 3 teaspoon Fresh ginger, grated
- 1½ tbsp Sriracha sauce - only use 1 tablespoon if you like it less spicy
- 2 ½-3 cups Fresh Basil leaves packed.
Garnish
- additional fresh basil
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Sauté the peppers and carrots for 6-8 minutes until they start softening.1 tbsp Cooking Oil, 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, ⅔ cup Carrots
- Add the ground chicken and garlic. Cook until the chicken is browned.1 lb Lean Ground Chicken., 4 cloves Garlic
- Add the Thai Chili Paste to the meat and veggie mix. Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.1 ½ tbsp Thai Chili Paste
- Add the cold rice and green onions. Fry for 3 minutes, breaking up clumps, until the rice is coated in the red chili oil.3 cups Cooked White Basmati Rice, ⅔ cup Green onions
- Once your rice is fried and coated in the chili paste/sauce, push the rice mixture to the outer edges of your wok or skillet to create a "well" in the center.2 large eggs
- Crack 2 eggs into the center. Let them sit for 30 seconds to set slightly, then scramble them quickly with your spatula.
- When the eggs are mostly cooked but still a bit wet, toss the rice back into the center and mix everything together.
- Pour in the soy sauce, fish sauce, agave, grated ginger, sriracha sauce, and lime juice. Toss for 1-2 minutes.3 tbsp Soy Sauce, 2 ½ tbsp Fish Sauce, 3 tsp Agave , 3 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice, 3 tsp Fresh ginger, grated , 1½ tbsp Sriracha sauce
- Turn off the heat. Fold in the 2 ½-3 cups of fresh basil and stir until it wilts.2 ½-3 cups Fresh Basil leaves
- Garnish: Add some fresh basil on top of the rice dish. Serve with a lime wedge and a few fresh cucumber slices on the side of the plate. This is very traditional in Thailand and adds a "cool" element to the spicy rice.additional fresh basil, lime wedges
Notes
- Protein Swap: This recipe works really with extra lean ground beef, ground pork, or even shrimp.
- Vegetarian: Omit the chicken and fish sauce. Use crumbled firm tofu and extra soy sauce instead.
- Gluten-Free: Ensure you use a certified gluten-free Tamari or soy sauce.
- The "Well" Technique: To keep this a true one-pan meal, push the rice to the edges of the wok and scramble the eggs right in the center. It ensures the eggs are fluffy and prevents the rice from getting soggy.
- The Basil Wilt: Never cook the basil! Turn off the heat before folding the leaves in. The residual heat from the rice is enough to wilt them while keeping their color vibrant and their flavor fresh.
- High Heat is Key: Fried rice should be cooked fast and hot. This allows the rice to "sear" and get those slightly crispy edges that define a great bistro-style dish.
Leave a Reply