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Mains · Thai

Thai Basil Chicken with Crispy Egg

Hand-chopped chicken thigh, a pounded garlic-chilli paste, and a fried egg with lacy, crisp edges.

Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Serves
2

Added .

Illustration of thai basil chicken

Why this version

  • Chopping thigh by hand gives craggy pieces that catch the sauce; shop-bought mince steamed and clumped.
  • Frying the egg in a generous amount of hot oil, spooned over the top, gives the crisp edge and runny yolk this dish is known for.
  • Basil goes in off the heat, for ten seconds, so it wilts but keeps its perfume.

Ingredients

Servings
2 servings
Units
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 3 Thai bird's eye chillies, to taste
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 60 ml water
  • 400 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, finely chopped by hand
  • 120 ml neutral oil, for frying
  • 2 large eggs
  • 30 g holy basil or Thai basil, leaves picked
  • steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method

  1. Pound the garlic and chillies to a coarse paste in a mortar, or chop them finely together. In a cup, stir the oyster sauce, both soy sauces, fish sauce and sugar into the water.

  2. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until very hot. Crack in one egg and spoon the hot oil over it for 1–2 minutes, until the edges are brown and frilly and the yolk is still runny. Lift out onto paper towel and repeat. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the oil.

  3. Return the wok to high heat. Add the garlic-chilli paste and shallot and stir for 15–20 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.

  4. Add the chicken, spread it out, and leave it for 1 minute. Then stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until no longer pink and starting to catch in places.

  5. Pour in the sauce and toss for about a minute, until it coats the chicken and has mostly cooked away.

  6. Take the wok off the heat, add the basil and toss for 10 seconds until it just wilts. Serve over rice, topped with the eggs.

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What we tested

  • Shop-bought chicken mince: released water and steamed into clumps.
  • Italian basil: sweet and pleasant, but missing the peppery clove note of holy basil.
  • Egg fried in a thin film of oil: perfectly fine eggs, but none of the crunch.

Keeping

Best eaten at once. The chicken keeps for 2 days but the basil darkens.

Swaps and notes

Pork shoulder or firm tofu, crumbled and pressed dry, both work in place of chicken.

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