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    Thai Fried Rice with Basil

    May 13, 2024

    Tender chicken, broccoli florets, jasmine rice and fresh basil come together to make a Thai fried rice with basil that’s even better than the one your favorite restaurant makes.

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    Thai Fried Rice with Basil and chicken lime and cilantro

    Another Takeout Favorite to Try at Home!

    As much as we love to order takeout and save ourselves some work, we also like to take a stab at cooking our favorite Thai restaurant dishes at home. We’ve been enjoying Homemade Fried Rice for a while now but this vegetable-loaded Thai fried rice is our most recent success. Although we still use a fair amount of oil in this Thai-inspired chicken fried rice recipe, it’s likely quite a bit less than your favorite Thai restaurant does, so making it at home also means a healthier dinner than takeout! Cheaper, healthier, and (arguably) faster—that’s a triple threat that’s probably worth a little extra washing up, right?

    Ingredients laid out for basil Thai fried rice with chicken an onions and broccoli
    broccoli and onion in boiling water blanching
    thinly sliced chicken in a bowl coated with corn starch
    beaten eggs in a bowl with sesame oil
    broccoli and onions blanched on a plate
    cooked pieces of thinly sliced chicken in a bowl

    A Much Less Intimidating Fried Rice Ingredients List Than You’d Expect! Yahoo!

    We’ve pared down the ingredients list for this savory, chicken-studded veggie-and-egg fried rice recipe as much as possible to make sure that it’s approachable and simple for home cooks of all skill levels. No wild goose chase or special outings to far-flung specialty stores required. You can find all of these basil fried rice ingredients at any grocery store—promise! Here’s what you’ll need:

    • Jasmine rice
    • Broccoli
    • Onion
    • Garlic
    • Chicken breast
    • Cornstarch
    • Eggs
    • Coconut aminos
    • Sesame oil
    • Vegetable oil
    • Fresh basil
    • Lime
    • Cilantro
    garlic, onion and broccoli in a frying pan with sesame oil
    scrambled eggs with coconut amigos and sesame oil
    chicken browned in a pan
    fried rice in a pan

    How To Make Fried Rice With Chicken and Basil

    Are you someone that reads a recipe all the way through to the end before you start cooking? Well, if you are, yay! If not, that’s our first tip for you for making sure that this fried rice recipe works out perfectly for you—read the recipe all the way through first! This is a simple recipe, but there are a few trip points.

    Here are a few quick tips for making our Thai basil-and-chicken fried rice:

    1. Cook the rice ahead of time. Like, way ahead of time! At least six hours, if you can manage it. The rice needs to cool and dry a bit after cooking. You could even use leftover rice—making fried rice is an ideal way to use up leftover rice.
    2. Have at least 3 mixing bowls on-hand when you begin. You’re going to cook a lot of the ingredients separately, and then they’ll all come together right at the end to make your gorgeous, sesame oil-slicked, fried rice. You’ll need 3 bowls total—one for the broccoli and onions, one for mixing the chicken, one for whisking the eggs.
    3. When you first add the rice to the pan to fry it, spread it out evenly in the hot pan and then let it fry undisturbed for a full minute. Give it a stir, then let it sit again. This process is a little nerve-wracking if you’ve never done it before but watch your heat and trust your instincts. If you’re really worried it’s burning, give the rice a little stir, but otherwise resist the urge! You want some of those crispy rice bits to develop and letting it fry undisturbed is the key.
    4. You’ve got this!
    Thai Fried Rice with Basil and chicken lime and cilantro
    Thai Fried Rice with Basil and chicken lime and cilantro

    Tools You’ll Need

    More Takeout Copycat Recipes to Try!

    Making your favorites at home isn’t that hard! And it’s often a lot faster than dealing with picking up a to-go order, and healthier, too. Here are four of our go-to to-go copycats:

    Thai Fried Rice with Basil and chicken lime and cilantro
    Thai Fried Rice with Basil, chicken, broccoli, lime and cilantro

    You’re On A Roll!

    We hope you love this Thai basil fried rice recipe as much as we do! If you whip it up, let us know! Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see and celebrate your efforts! Happy eating!

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    Thai Fried Rice with Basil

    Updated on May 13, 2024

    • Serves:  4
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  40 min
    • Calories:  406
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    Ingredients

    • 3¾ teaspoons sea salt
    • 2 cups broccoli florets
    • ½ sweet onion, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
    • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced then cut into bite-sized pieces
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2 large eggs, beaten
    • 2½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
    • ¼ cup coconut aminos
    • 4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 4 cups cooked white rice, preferably day-old
    • ¼ cup fresh basil, julienned
    • fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
    • 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)

    Method

    1. Fill a large pot with 3 quarts of water and 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and onion and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli and onion to a plate, reserving the water in the pot, boiling over high heat.

    2. Meanwhile, add the chicken pieces to a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the cornstarch and toss until evenly coated all over.

    3. Add the chicken to the boiling water and cook until opaque, about 4 minutes. Drain.

    4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ teaspoon of the toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of the coconut aminos, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.

    5. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the garlic, reserved broccoli, and onions and cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer the vegetables back to the same plate.

    6. To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once the oil begins to glisten, reduce the heat to low and pour in the egg mixture. Let stand until barely beginning to set, about 15 seconds, then stir slowly to scramble together until the eggs are just set but still wet, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the eggs to the plate with the vegetables.

    7. Increase the heat to medium, and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same skillet. Once the oil begins to glisten, add the chicken and cook until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the plate with the vegetables and eggs.

    8. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil to the pan. Spread the rice evenly on the bottom of the skillet. Cook, undisturbed, until the rice begins to crisp on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the rice once, then continue to cook, undisturbed, until slightly crispy, another 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken, vegetables and eggs to the skillet. Add the basil, and remaining coconut aminos and cook 1-2 more minutes over medium heat, stirring to combine.

    9. Divide the fried rice between 4 plates. Serve topped with cilantro (if using) and a squeeze of lime juice.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 406
    • Protein 30 g
    • Carbohydrates 23 g
    • Total Fat 19 g
    • Dietary Fiber 0 g
    • Cholesterol 175 mg
    • sodium 1145 mg
    • Total Sugars 5 g

    Thai Fried Rice with Basil

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • jo

      Can I freeze this ? Thank you

      Sure!

    • Jason

      Where’s the basil in the recipe. It’s in the ingredients not the recipe

      It is listed in step 9. Hope you enjoy Jason!

    • Wendy

      can I omit most of the salt? If so, should I add something else instead? We are on low sodium diet.

      You could remove the salt needed in the water to cook the rice and the broccoli, it's not all soaked up in the broccoli but will still bring the sodium level down. Any other steps including salt just season to taste/what your diet allows. Hope you enjoy Wendy.

    • JJ

      I am learning to cook, and how I tend to cook is read the recipe like my life depends on it. Why is cornstarch used here before they are poached? I understand the use of flour when frying the chicken, but why before poaching?

      Same idea as when frying. Keep outside crispy and keeps the inside juicy. Hope you enjoy JJ!

    • Emily

      I always thought water to rice ratio was 2:1 - can you address why you do 1:1 here or is this is a mistake?

      Hi Emily, different rices have different ratios. Feel free to follow whatever ratios you normally use (or is instructed on your rice bag) for your rice. It just needs to be cooked before the rest of the recipe. Hope this helps!

    • Niqua

      OMG this dish was amazing!!! I used frozen rice and added more broccoli at the end but it’s a must cook!!! Everything was so moist even days later🥳

      Thanks Niqua, so happy you loved it!

    • Aleena

      Amazing!! The flavors are to die for.

      Thanks Aleena, glad you love it!

    • Sara

      My kids absolutely love this dish! It seems to have a lot of steps compared to the usual fried rice recipe, but the result is awesome.

      Thanks Sara, we are so glad the whole family loves it!

    • Gareth

      Fantastic recipe. Quick(ish) and tasted delicious. Family thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely make again
      Only thing, I would taste before adding more soya sauce.

      Thanks Gareth, so happy you loved it!

    • Gareth

      Fantastic recipe. Family thoroughly enjoyed it. Will definitely make again.

      Thank you, so happy you all enjoyed it!