Thai Stir Fry Chicken with Basil (Gai Pad Grapow)

I met a friend at the supermarket the other day. She was recommending me to buy a cut of chicken meat called "Chicken tenders." Accordingly, the cut is already boneless and the meat is truly tender. Ideal for kids. Most mothers usually use it to cook their own chicken nuggets. Of course it is more expensive than the regular whole or cut chicken. But I figured, if it does not include any bones, and if the meat is truly tender, it can be worth the price. I bought half a kilo to try, without really planning what recipe I will use to cook the chicken. My kids are not really crazy about chicken nuggets, so that would be out of the picture.

I decided to use it in a Thai dish because the cuisine we're trying this month for Regional Recipes is Thai. We love Thai food in restaurants. But the most I did at home is the Tom Yum Soup. I was quite surprised myself. Because I know Thai food is not difficult to do, specially since I am a little familiar with the cuisine and the herbs and spices used in Thai cooking. Maybe I will start exploring more Thai cuisine next year. :)

This is an easy Thai stir fry dish you can prepare in 15 minutes or less.


1/2 K chicken tenders (or chicken breast fillet) cubed
fish sauce, pepper and cornstarch

4 slices fresh ginger
4 T garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 C fresh thai basil leaves
2 T fish sauce
3 pcs finger chillies (substitute chili padi for more spice), sliced


1. Add some dashes of fish sauce to the chicken meat. Season with ground black pepper. Add in some cornstarch. Set aside.

2. Heat some cooking oil in a wok, or cooking pan. Saute the ginger until fragrant. Add in the onions and garlic and saute until fragrant but not burnt. Add in the chicken.

3. Stir fry for a while. Add in the chillies and the fish sauce. Add in some water if it gets too dry. Cover until chicken is cooked. Stir frying and checking once in while. This should take less than 10 minutes.

4. When chicken is cooked, add in the basil leaves. Cook until basil leaves are wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.


This is an easy weekday dinner dish. Fuss-free, tasty and delicious.



Sharing this Thai chicken dish with the Regional Recipes community, with this month featuring Thai recipes. Regional Recipes is launched and hosted this month by Darlene of Blazing Hot Wok. To see last month's delicious Japanese dishes, please check out the round-up done by Wandering Chopsticks.