Thai Basil Fried Rice - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

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By Chris Joe

5 from 12 votes

Mar 15, 2023

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You won’t need to order this favorite Thai dish once you learn how to make this Thai basil fried rice at home! I can’t express how much I love this dish, and whenever I cook it my kitchen smells INCREDIBLE! I paired mine with shrimp, but you can swap this out for any protein, or even make it vegetarian!

I love the flavors from the subtle heat of the Thai chili peppers and the fragrance from the Thai basil. Finish it off with a squeeze of lime and you can have an authentic Thai dish at home! It’s truly a spectacular way to eat fried rice that will surely be a crowd pleaser!

Watch the Thai Basil Fried Rice Recipe Video Below!

Thai Basil Fried Rice - CJ Eats Recipes (2)

Ingredients You’ll Need For Thai Basil Fried Rice

The ingredients for Thai basil fried rice are quite simple. You may need to take a visit to your local asian market to pick up some of the harder to find ingredients, but I’ll also provide substitutes for them down below!

  • Protein of choice (I used shrimp, marinade to follow)
  • Basmati or Jasmine Rice
  • Eggs
  • Garlic
  • Thai Chili Pepper
  • Oyster Sauce
  • Light Soy Sauce
  • Fish Sauce
  • Palm Sugar
  • White Pepper
  • Onion
  • Shallot
  • MSG (optional)
Thai Basil Fried Rice - CJ Eats Recipes (3)

My Top Ingredient Tips for Thai Basil Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS TIPS

THAI BASIL
I purchase this from my local 99 Ranch (a Chinese grocery chain) – if you cannot find Thai basil, you can sub with regular basil.

MSG
As always, this is optional 🙂

NEUTRAL OIL
My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish.

PALM SUGAR
Palm sugar is commonly used in Thai cooking – it’s made from the sap of coconut palm trees and has a caramel-y color & flavor to it that is most similar to brown sugar. It’s sold in circular blocks; I buy mine from 99 Ranch (a Chinese grocery chain). If you cannot find palm sugar, the best substitute is brown sugar or even white granulated sugar.

THAI CHILI PEPPERS
Thai cooking is known to have a bit of a kick to it, and oftentimes the spice is from using Thai chili peppers! I love using them, as a little goes a long way – however, if you are sensitive to spice, I would recommend starting with half the amount and adjusting accordingly.

Thai Basil Fried Rice: Recipe Instructions

Make Your Thai Chili Pepper & Garlic Paste

The first step in this process is to make your chili & garlic paste. This is one of the elements of the dish that makes it so fragrant! I use a mortar & pestle here, but if you don’t have one you can use a wide knife to chop and smash your paste together. Just be careful to not touch your face after handling the chili peppers! Gloves are also helpful here 🙂

Thai Basil Fried Rice - CJ Eats Recipes (4)

Smash your garlic cloves and thai chili peppers until a paste forms. I’m using 5 cloves of garlic and 3 thai chili peppers, but you can adjust according to your spice tolerance. This was about a 6 out of 10 on the heat scale for me!

Thai Basil Fried Rice - CJ Eats Recipes (5)

My Key Recipe Tips for Thai Basil Fried Rice

RECIPE TIPS

RICE
Do not use freshly steamed rice! The rice should be at least one day old to avoid having too much moisture; too much moisture in the rice will make your fried rice soggy and mushy.

CRUMBLE YOUR OLD RICE
I like to crumble my rice (I’ve found that dried out rice gets clumpy) – this helps each rice grain get cooked and coated in all of the delicious flavors!

SUCCESS IS IN THE PREP!
For a recipe that comes together extremely quickly, the key to pulling this recipe off successfully is having your ingredients prepped and in bowls right next to your wok or pan! Have your premixed sauce, paste, vegetables, rice, and other ingredients ready and easily accessible during the cooking process.

Bring The Dish Together in the Wok

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I LOVE cooking in my wok. It brings an extra element of smokiness and flavor to the dishes I make (wok hei). Follow the recipe video for the full process and by the end, you’ll have a beautiful pan full of Thai Basil Fried Rice!

Thai Basil Fried Rice - CJ Eats Recipes (6)

If you liked this Thai Basil Fried Rice recipe, check out some of the most popular fried rice recipes on the blog!

  • Shrimp Fried Rice
  • Din Tai Fung Fried Rice
  • Chicken Fried Rice
  • Egg Fried Rice

5 from 12 votes

Thai Basil Fried Rice

Servings: 3

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Save

Thai Basil Fried Rice - CJ Eats Recipes (7)

This Thai Basil Fried rice is extremely fragrant, delicious, and so much better than takeout! It's super versitile and can be paired with any protein of your choice.

Ingredients

Shrimp (or Protein of Choice)

Garlic & Chili Paste

  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 thai chili peppers, adjust to your spice preference

Sauce

Other Ingredients

  • 2 cups Basmati or Jasmine rice, uncooked measurement
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2 cups thai basil, can sub regular basil
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil, I used avocado oil

Optional Garnish

  • Thai Basil
  • Lime

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • In a bowl, add peeled and deveined shrimp and marinate with soy sauce, salt, white pepper, neutral oil, baking soda and cornstarch for 15 minutes.

  • In a mortar and pestle, combine garlic and thai chili peppers into a paste and set aside.

  • In a small bowl, mix together oyster sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar, white pepper, and msg.

  • In 3 tbsp of neutral oil over high heat, saute shrimp for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

  • In the same pan, fry the garlic/chili paste for 15 seconds until fragrant, then immediately add shallots and onion. Stir fry for 1 minute.

  • Push the ingredients to the side, then add eggs and scramble (add 1 tbsp more oil if needed to cook the eggs). Mix together.

  • Add the day old rice and mix together over high heat, stir frying until the rice is toasted and relatively dry. Add the premixed sauce and combine.

  • Add shrimp and basil and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes over high heat. Garnish with limes and more basil and enjoy!

Additional Info

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!

Thai Basil Fried Rice - CJ Eats Recipes (8)

About CJ

I’m a third generation Chinese-American home cook who has always loved cooking & eating! Welcome to my food blog, where you can find trusted, tested, easy & approachable recipes for the everyday home cook that taste delicious! I am so glad you're here!

Read more about me

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Thai Basil Fried Rice - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is basil fried rice healthy? ›

1 serving of basil fried rice contains 794 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 60% carbs, 25% fat, and 15% protein. This is a good source of protein (52% of your Daily Value).

What is different about Thai fried rice? ›

This dish differs from Chinese fried rice in that it is prepared with Thai jasmine rice instead of regular long-grain rice. It normally contains meat (chicken, shrimp, and crab are all common), egg, onions, garlic and sometimes tomatoes.

How many calories are in Thai basil fried rice? ›

Simply Asia Thai Specialities Basil Fried Rice (1 serving) contains 41g total carbs, 40g net carbs, 27g fat, 37g protein, and 549 calories.

How to give fried rice flavour? ›

Signature flavor

To give your dish that signature fried rice taste, you'll need to drizzle in sesame oil and soy sauce, but feel free to use as much or as little as you wish. You can even mix in things like garlic powder, ginger root, or Sriracha sauce and chili pepper for a bit of a kick.

How unhealthy is Thai fried rice? ›

Worst: Thai Fried Rice

This rice doesn't have much fiber, and that can leave you feeling tired and hungry. Order the steamed brown rice instead. Research shows that eating plenty of whole grains, such as brown rice, can lower your chances of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Is it okay to eat fried rice every day? ›

Fried rice is not a nutritionally balanced meal on its own, and you should enjoy it in moderation as part of a varied and balanced diet. Adding a variety of vegetables, lean protein sources, and whole grains can help to improve the nutritional value of fried rice.

Why does Thai fried rice taste so good? ›

Thai Fried Rice gets its unique flavor from the fish sauce, soy sauce, and chili peppers, and the jasmine rice is a must. They also added tomatoes to their rice which gives it a subtle hint of sweetness.

What makes fried rice taste like restaurant? ›

The answer: high heat, expert tosses, and something known as 'wok hei. ' As J. Kenji López-Alt writes for Serious Eats, expert cooking with a wok (and the gas range it requires) is one of the main reasons that fried rice from a Chinese restaurant tastes so much better than what you can make at home.

What is the best type of Thai rice? ›

As mentioned, Jasmine rice is the most widely used type of Thai rice and can be used to prepare and accompany a range of recipes including classic Thai curries, fried or grilled meat and seafood, rich saucy dishes and even for fried rice (although best cooked a day ahead for fried rice to harden the texture).

Is fried rice healthy for weight loss? ›

Generally, fried white rice will not help you lose weight, especially the calorie-filled, soy sauce covered take-out varieties! However, if you're eating a dish similar to our recipe, it's much lower in calories and fat with a decent amount of filling fiber, helping you eat less food during the day.

Is Thai basil dish good for you? ›

Research shows that Thai Basil is high in antioxidants, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties, which is why it has been used in traditional healing since centuries ago. Aside from ingesting Thai Basil, you can also bruise the leaves and inhale its aroma to relieve stress.

Is fried rice from a Chinese restaurant healthy? ›

Typical side dishes like fried rice, lo mein noodles, crab rangoon, and egg rolls are high in calories — and fat. Healthier choices include steamed brown rice, sautéed or steamed vegetables, spring rolls, or soups like egg drop soup or hot and sour soup.

Is basil good fried? ›

Wow, it was something so much better than I expected. Fried basil leaves – who knew you could do this. Never in a million years would I have ever thought of frying giant leaves of basil! When basil overruns the garden most of us pick the leaves, toss them in a Cuisinart with oil, garlic and some type of nut.

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