Spicy Thai Basil Chicken Stir-Fry with Crispy Shallots

This gluten-free take on the iconic Thai street food dish pad kra pao delivers bold, punchy flavor in under half an hour. Ground chicken thighs are seared hot and fast in a wok with a fragrant paste of garlic and Thai bird's eye chilies, then tossed in a glossy savory-sweet sauce built from gluten-free tamari, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and a touch of brown sugar. A final handful of fresh Thai basil wilts into the mix right at the end, perfuming the whole dish with its distinctive anise-like aroma. What sets this version apart is the shower of crispy fried shallots scattered over the top just before serving—they add a crunchy, savory contrast to the saucy, tender chicken below. Everything is piled over a mound of steamed jasmine rice, letting the sauce soak in and mellow just enough to balance the heat. It's the kind of dish you can have on the table faster than delivery, and every component is naturally or easily made gluten-free by swapping in tamari and checking your fish and oyster sauce labels. Because this recipe leans on naturally gluten-free ingredients like rice, chicken, garlic, chilies, and basil, it fits seamlessly into a gluten-free lifestyle with just a couple of smart label-reading swaps for the sauces. It's a nutrient-dense, protein-packed weeknight dinner that doesn't sacrifice an ounce of the fiery, fragrant flavor that makes Thai basil chicken so beloved.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbGround chicken thighs
• 6 clovesgarlic cloves, minced
• 4 piecesThai bird's eye chilies, minced, adjust to taste
• 4 mediumshallots, thinly sliced, for frying
• 0.75 cupNeutral oil, divided, for frying shallots and stir-frying
• 3 tbspgluten-free tamari
• 2 tbspfish sauce, certified gluten-free
• 2 tbspGluten-free oyster sauce
• 1 tbspbrown sugar
• 0.25 cupchicken broth, gluten-free
• 1.5 cupsThai basil leaves, packed, plus extra for garnish
• 2 cupsjasmine rice, cooked, for serving
• 4 piecesFried eggs, optional, sunny-side up for serving

Method

1. Cook jasmine rice according to package directions in a rice cooker or saucepan; keep warm until ready to serve. 20:00
2. Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 6-8 minutes. 8:00
3. Remove the crispy shallots with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; reserve 2 tablespoons of the shallot-infused oil for the stir-fry.
4. Pound the garlic and chilies together into a coarse paste using a mortar and pestle, or mince very finely with a knife.
5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the tamari, fish sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and chicken broth to make the stir-fry sauce.
6. Heat the reserved shallot oil in a wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic-chili paste and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 0:30
7. Add the ground chicken thighs to the wok, breaking them up with a spatula, and stir-fry over high heat until mostly cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. 5:00
8. Pour the sauce mixture into the wok and continue to stir-fry until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the meat, about 2-3 minutes. 3:00
9. Remove the wok from heat and fold in the Thai basil leaves until just wilted.
10. Spoon the basil chicken over bowls of steamed jasmine rice, top with crispy shallots and extra basil leaves, and add a fried egg on top if desired.