Sunday, May 16, 2010

Sweet Thai Basil Chicken

I'm a huge fan of Asian food, but haven't done much Thai cooking. This turned out to be SO good, and the flavors were unexpected-- kind of sweet and tangy. It was also super easy and even the kids liked it!

*Serves 4
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it – I used 1/2 teaspoon and it perfectly warm but not too spicy)
1 yellow (or other sweet) onion, cut in half and sliced in thin half moon strips
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pound), cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce(these are both in the Asian food section of the grocery store. You might be tempted to not buy them b/c you think you'll never use the whole bottle, but let me tell ya, I've gone through 3 hoisin sauces so far this year)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 bunch fresh basil (about 1/2 cup), torn into pieces
2 large tomatoes, chopped
Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly and cook for 30 seconds to one minute, until fragrant (don’t let the garlic burn!). Add the sliced onions. Cook until translucent, stirring every now and then, about five minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
Add the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sugar and stir until everything is well coated. Reduce the heat to medium low and sprinkle the tomatoes over the top of the mixture. Tear the basil by hand and sprinkle it over the tomatoes. Over medium heat, let the tomatoes and basil sit, without stirring, for about 5-7 minutes. Stir the mixture until everything is well combined and heated through.
Serve immediately over rice.

Recipe from www.melskitchencafe.com

1 comment:

Kristi said...

Made this a few nights ago and Blaine loved it! I am still working on my conversion to eating Asian food : ) It was good though, and Blaine thought it was the best thing ever!