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    Thai Fried Rice with Basil

    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, and 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 and chicken 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!

    Related Recipes

    Thai Fried Rice with Basil

    Originally published: April 30, 2020

    • Serves: 4
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  40 min
    • Calories: 406
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups long grain white or jasmine rice
    • 3 3/4 tsp sea salt
    • 2 cups broccoli florets
    • 1/2 small onion, 1/2 -inch sliced
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 lb chicken, thinly sliced, cut into bite sized pieces
    • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
    • 2 large eggs, beaten
    • ¼ cup coconut aminos
    • 2 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
    • 3-4 Tbsp vegetable oil
    • 1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned
    • cilantro leaves, optional
    • 1 Lime, cut into wedges

    Method

    1. Cook the rice: Pour the raw rice into a fine mesh sieve and rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear. In a small pot combine the rinsed rice with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1 ½ cups water in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Put a lid on the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, spread it out on a parchment lined baking sheet or two large plates to cool. You should have roughly 4 ½ cup of cooked rice. **We recommend cooking the rice at least 6 hours before making this dish. You can also make the rice a day ahead.

    2. Bring a large 3-quart pot of water seasoned with 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Add the broccoli and onion slices and blanch them in the boiling water, until softened with a slight bite left in them, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the broccoli and onions and set them aside, leaving the seasoned water in the pot.

    3. In a large bowl, add the chicken pieces and season them with 1 teaspoon of the salt, toss until evenly coated. Add the cornstarch to the chicken and toss until every piece is evenly coated. Bring the water you used to blanch the broccoli back to a boil and add the cornstarch-coated chicken. Poach the chicken for 4 minutes. Drain the water from the pot and set the chicken aside with the vegetables.

    4. In a small bowl, beat the two eggs with ½ teaspoon of the sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of the coconut aminos and ¼ teaspoon salt.

    5. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, broccoli and onions and cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer them to a plate.

    6. Add 1 more tablespoon of vegetable oil to the now empty skillet and quickly fry the beaten egg mixture, moving them quickly in the pan just until they’re fully cooked through. As soon as the eggs are cooked, transfer them to the plate with the vegetables.

    7. Next, cook the chicken pieces until beginning to brown, adding a bit more oil if they are sticking to the pan, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to the plate with the vegetables and eggs.

    8. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil to the pan. Add the rice to the pan and spread it out into a thin, even layer. Let the rice cook, undisturbed for 1 minute at a time before tossing it and then frying it for another minute. Do this for a total of 5 minutes. You will begin to see some crispy edges start to form.

    9. Add the chicken, vegetables, eggs, basil and remaining coconut aminos to the pan with the rice and stir still over medium heat until it is all fully combined, another minute longer.

    10. Top with cilantro leaves, and a squeeze of lime juice.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories406
    • Protein30 g
    • Carbohydrates23 g
    • Total Fat19 g
    • Dietary Fiber0 g
    • Cholesterol175 mg
    • sodium1145 mg
    • Total Sugars5 g

    Thai Fried Rice with Basil

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • 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 Eskelsen

      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!

    • jayden mason

      how long does it take to make im asking because might use this in my food gsce

      It takes about 25-30 minutes if you're starting out with leftover cooked rice!

    • Star Farias

      If you don't have coconut amino what else can you use as an alternative in the recipe Thai Fried Rice with Basil?

      Replace it with low sodium soy sauce and a pinch of brown sugar to balance the missing slight sweetness.

    • 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 Hickmott

      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 Hickmott

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

      Thank you, so happy you all enjoyed it!

    • Karen Canegaly

      So tasty! My family loved it, everyone had seconds.
      Definitely a keeper recipe.

      Thanks Karen! This is so wonderful to hear, glad it was a hit for the whole family!