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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 bell peppers, cashews, and summer’s most flavorful basil. Serve this chicken 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 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 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!
hi your recipes look amazing
Thanks so much Pauline!
What if i dont have chilli paste, what would it be a good substitute? Chilli flakes/ cayenne pepper powder ?
Thank you!
Hey Bart,
Do you have sriracha? I would use something like that. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi! How many servings is this recipe?
Hey Morgan,
This recipe will make 4 servings. I hope you love the dish, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Looks delicious! How many servings is this?
Hey Alexa,
This will make 4 servings. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Really nice! 7/10 for taste. I’d recommend not using as much mint as the recipe says as I thought that overpowered the other flavours.
Hey Yasmin,
Happy Monday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
Wow. 100% better than takeout. Tastes like an authentic Thai dish. Highly recommend everyone to make this dish.
Hey Phanann,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
WOW! I am not the most savvy in the kitchen but I love a good meal. It was so simple to make and tasted INCREDIBLE! Honestly, it was probably the best thing I ever made.
Hey Jess,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I made this tonight and my family and I just loved it! It was delicious and filling. Made enough for leftovers for lunch tomorrow. 🙂 I like spicy food, but found 2.5 tablespoons (didn’t want to use as much as 3 so the kiddo would enjoy) of the chili paste was a little much. Will probably use 1.5 next time. Regardless, it was super yummy. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hey there,
I am thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was AMAZING. We were blown away with his perfect it was.
For those asking it was perfect with tofu. I pressed the tofu dry then crumbled it with my hands. Coated it lightly with cornstarch. Followed the rest of the recipe exactly. Only note was I added half the oil with the tofu the. Added another splash when I added the peppers etc. since tofu doesn’t release juices.
Thank you for this new favorite!
Hey Jessica,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
pretty good! I made it for the fam last night and used chicken tender cuts, tomato paste instead of chili paste, and added broccoli. They liked it and I keep picking at the serving pan too!
Hey Elisa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
This was delicious. We did not have any leftovers which is rare. They gobbled it up. I was out of Tamari and low sodium soy so I used regular. It was a tad salty for me as I expected but no one else minded.
I am really glad this turned out well for you, Tia! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Love the flavors in this! Very quick to make, which makes it a great weeknight recipe in my book! It was a little salty for my own personal taste, so I would probably cut down on some of the (low sodium) soy sauce next time I make it. Next time I’ll also add 1-2 more veggies — maybe broccoli or asparagus. Also, 2 tbs of the chili paste was a great compromise for my husband who doesn’t love spice as much as me 🙂 Still had a great kick. All in all, we will definitely be making this again!
I am really happy this recipe turned out so well for you, Colleen! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I just love it when you find a recipe that is equal parts easy and equal parts delicious. This recipe is it! It does taste better than takeout and makes me look like a star! This is definitely one of my ‘go to’ dishes ??
Thank you Jennifer! I am so glad you have been loving this one! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I made this two nights ago, and it was absolutely delicious! I think the leftovers last night were even better. :). I doubled the recipe, and the only other “tweak” I made was that I used ground chicken breast instead of ground chicken. My sauce never really thickened, so I ended up having to add some cornstarch at the end. Mine looked a bit more pale in color than yours…do you think it was because of the chicken breast? Or, perhaps I should have browned the meat a lot longer in order to get a richer color?
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that this was a huge hit, and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes with us! 🙂
Hey Betsy,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! I am sorry the sauce didn’t darken the way you would have liked. I find using a cast iron skillet is key for this. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
I made the huge mistake of not noting the fact that the soy sauce was low sodium. I luckily didn’t use the amount recommended, I used 1/4 cup regular and it was way too salty. All the ingredients I love in an Asian dish. I also add chicken broth because I like it a little more saucy and helps hydrate the ground chicken.
I am really glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it!! xTieghan