“Guess why!?” the huz instructed me the other night.
“..What?” I asked, distractedly.
“Guess why!?” he repeated, with emphasis.
“..Okay…?”
“CHICKEN THIGH!” the huz cackled.
We are so mature.
This conversation happened on a weeknight after work. The huz was in the kitchen, kindly chopping up one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs for me, while I sat at the dining room table skimming that night’s dinner recipe online. Ahh, just a day in the life of the MegGoesNomNom kitchen.
I’ve become a big fan of boneless skinless chicken thighs! They’re cheap, healthy, juicy, and flavorful. (Kung Pao Chicken Tacos are my favorite use for thighs!)
On this particular evening, I was following Cooking Light’s Spicy Basil Chicken recipe.
I followed the recipe exactly, but with the addition of a couple cups of chopped veggies to the dish, including broccoli, red bell pepper, and mushrooms.
The sauce absolutely makes the dish. It sure smells a bit funny, but that’s the fish sauce. Just try not to smell it, and trust that it WILL taste good!
- fish sauce
- soy sauce
- sugar
- sambal oelek (chile-garlic paste)
- water, salt, cornstarch
The final ingredient is the recipe’s namesake: fresh basil.
I suppose this recipe is somewhat Thai? I guess I’ve been on a Thai kick lately.
I served this Spicy Basil Chicken atop cooked white rice, and it was just fantastic! I had pre-cooked my rice the day before, making this recipe a one-pan dinner – my favorite kind!
Spicy Basil Chicken
Recipe lightly adapted from Cooking Light
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1/4 cup minced shallots or red onion
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups chopped veggies (I like bell pepper, broccoli, mushrooms)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/4 teaspoons chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sliced basil leaves
Preparation
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken to pan; cook 13 minutes or until chicken is done. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add veggies, cooking until crisp-tender. Combine fish sauce and the next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add fish sauce mixture to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring to coat chicken. Remove from heat. Stir in basil.
Tip: If you add a large volume of veggies, you may wish to prepare extra sauce.
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My rating: 7.9/10
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Yum, your chicken dish sounds delicious!
🙂 Thanks!
I’m a big believer in the chicken thigh! So meaty! 🙂