Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow Gai)
Authentic Thai ingredients flavor this super simple dinner with coconut milk sauced ground chicken, mushrooms, onion, and lots of fresh herbs.
Servings 6
Calories 242kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken thighs
- ½ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms , sliced
- 1 red bell pepper , cored and sliced
- 1 red onion , thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger , minced
- 3 garlic cloves , minced or pressed
- 1 ¾ cups Thai basil , divided (or basil of your preference)
- ½ cup fresh mint
- 15 ounces canned coconut milk
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce (use light soy sauce for less salty flavor)
- 6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce to taste
- 1 tablespoon chile garlic sauce or Sambal Oelek (or more to taste)
- 8 ounces rice stick noodles (or 8 cups cooked rice)
- ground peanuts and lime , for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a deep sided fry pan over medium heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add the the mushrooms, onion, and red pepper and cook until softened, about 8 -10 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan then add the minced ginger and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the ground chicken. Use a wooden spatula to break the chicken into small pieces as it browns. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, in a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl, whisk the coconut milk, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce and chile sauce.
- When the chicken is cooked through, add the mushroom and onion mixture back to the pan with the coconut milk mixture, 1 ½ cups Thai basil plus mint and simmer until reduced by one third.
- To soften rice noodles, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. In a large bowl, pour the hot water over the rice stick noodles and let the noodles sit and soften for 3-4 minutes. Drain immediately.
- Serve the chicken mixture over cooked rice or softened rice stick noodles. Serve with additional ¼ cup Thai basil for garnish, plus peanuts and lime wedges.
Notes
If using rice stick noodles instead of rice, you can toss the softened noodles directly in the chicken and coconut sauce. Rice stick noodles are super absorbent and will soak up the soupy coconut sauce if cooking in the chicken and coconut mixture.
My husband loves this dish even more saucy than given, so we double the sauce mixture portion of the recipe from coconut milk on down to the rice stick noodles for extra napkin swiping opportunities.
Nutrition
Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 1333mg | Potassium: 676mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1097IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg