Thais’ love fresh basil, and use many different types. Most of us are familiar with Sweet Basil, and this is easy to find in any market. However, it’s the “Holy Basil”, known as Bai Grapao, which is the most flavorful and authentic.
This basil has an anise type of flavor and gives this dish an amazing flavor and dimension that just doesn’t taste the same with sweet basil. If you can’t find the holy basil, a good quality fresh Thai basil will work as well.
A note about this dish
It’s very common in Thailand to see the street vendors prepare Gai Pad Prik Grapao with ground chicken and I think it’s actually a bit better as the flavors really come together, but either way is fine. I’ve made it both ways, and frankly it just depends on what I have on hand.
You should always use fresh basil for this recipe, as the dried variety will not give acceptable results, unless you can find the authentic dried Thai Grapao.
After watching this dish being prepared, many times on the street in Thailand, I saw them putting an ingredient in that I hadn’t noticed before. I asked my Thai friend what it was, and he said “oh that’s Golden Mountain Sauce”. Once I added that to my existing recipe, it tasted identical to the ones I had at the street food stalls.
Looking for its hotter cousin, try the classic Thai, Gai Pad Prik – Thai Chicken with Chilies
Want to try the shrimp version of this dish, Thai Shrimp and Basil Stir-Fry-Phuket Style
Looking for another authentic Thai Street Food dish, try Authentic Thai Street Food: Marinated Grilled Chicken
My favorite braised chicken, Gai Tung – Thai Braised Chicken with Aromatic Spices
A light Thai salad, Authentic Thai Minced Shrimp and Pork Salad (Lon Kung Moo Sub)
Or try a classic Thai chicken salad, Gai Larb- The Classic Thai Chicken Salad
And finally the Thai dipping sauce that is on every table, Authentic Thai Dipping Sauce Recipe
Looking for a list of recipes I come back to again and again, My Favorite Recipes
A finished dish sent to me from a subscriber:
Done with basmati rice and rice noodles. Excellent presentation and looks delicious.
Ingredients:
¾ lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast or boneless skinless thighs, coarsely ground or cut into pieces and marinated in about 1 Tbsp. of fish sauce, and 1 Tbsp. of light soy sauce.
1/2 sliced large Onion
1/2 sliced sweet Red Pepper
2 finely chopped Thai Chilies
2 Tbsp. of Peanut or another Vegetable oil
3 cloves chopped Garlic
1 tbsp chopped fresh Ginger Root
4 stalks of fresh Basil, pulled apart just before adding to the dish. Chopping fresh basil causes it to turn black while cooking.
Sauce, this will be added at the end.
1 Tbsp. Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp Golden Mountain Sauce
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
1/2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
2 tsp. White Sugar, Brown Sugar or Palm Sugar
Preparation:
Start the heat under your wok, or a large skillet may also be used. After pan has heated for about 2 minutes, add the oil. Then quickly add the ginger and the garlic. Stir-fry for about 1 minute.
Add the chicken and stir-fry until the pinkness is just gone. This takes only about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the onions and peppers, and cook until they soften slightly, then add the sauce and the fresh basil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the basil starts to release its wonderful fragrance. Serve with steamed Jasmine white or brown rice.
This article is part of The Pasadena Chef Cooking School. Explore more cooking lessons, techniques, and ingredient guides here. The Pasadena Chef Cooking School
Thai Chicken with Basil/ Gai Pad Prik Grapao- Top Thai Dish
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Start the heat under your wok, or a large skillet may also be used. After pan has heated for about 2 minutes, add the oil. Then quickly add the ginger and the garlic. Stir-fry for about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken and stir-fry until the pinkness is just gone. This takes only about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the onions and peppers, and cook until they soften slightly, then add the sauce and the fresh basil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the basil starts to release its wonderful fragrance. Serve with steamed Jasmine white or brown rice.