Thai Basil Chicken

This recipe came across the rss feed the other day. From Serious Eats. Thai-Style minced chicken with basil and chiles. Let's get started shall we.

If you have access to ground chicken, you can use that. Or, if you have a food processor, you can mince your own. Cube the boneless, skinless chicken breast into 1 inch pieces. Drop them in the bowl of your food processor and pulse the blade 10 times. You have a fairly uniform mince. If you have a large bit or two, just chop them up.

Saute some onions, bell pepper and garlic. Due to an upset tummy in the house, I skipped the chile and added a small pinch of red pepper flake for a little heat. Remove to a bowl and move on to the next step.

In the pan, saute the minced chicken until cooked through, no pink. Stir the veggies back into the chicken.

Add some soy sauce and simmer for a minute. Then add fish sauce and fresh basil. Stir and serve over rice.

Very tasty! Filling, light and easy peasy.

Enjoy.

Thai-style Minced Chicken w/Basil and Chiles
1 pound ground chicken, or boneless, skinless meat chopped in a food processor
2 TB peanut oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced into crescents
1 red or orange bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips and then into diamonds
1 TB minced garlic
1-2 jalapeno or serrano chiles, cut crosswise into rings
1 TB Thai black soy sauce
1 TB Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
1 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Ground pepper to taste
2 cups cooked white rice, for serving

In wok or other stir-fry pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat until just smoking, then add the onion. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add bell pepper and stir-fry for an additional minute. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, then remove the pan from the heat and scrape contents into bowl.

Heat remaining two tablespoons oil over high heat until just smoking, then add chicken all at once. Spread evenly in skillet and cook, without stirring until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir-fry until pink is completely gone and chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.

Return cooked vegetables to pan and add chiles. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the soy sauce and cook for 15 seconds. Follow with fish sauce and basil leaves and cook until just wilted, then season with pepper. Taste for balance, adding soy sauce, fish sauce, or more pepper as needed. Serve immediately with rice.