A super tasty, easy Thai stir fry with a nice kick of heat! The Thai stir fry sauce used in this recipe is like an all purpose Thai sauce. It’s a versatile base and it’s fabulous with chicken, pork and turkey, ground/mince meat or even cut into bite size pieces. It can even be used for noodles. This recipe is a keeper for Thai food lovers!
The Thai stir fry sauce I use in this Spicy Thai Chicken Stir Fry is like the Thai equivalent of Charlie, my All Purpose Chinese Stir Fry Sauce. If you haven’t discovered Charlie yet, pop over because honestly, especially if you are pressed for time, he will be life changing. Yes, I’ve given my Chinese stir fry sauce a name, and yes there is logic – albeit bland / crazy – behind it. You can read about it when you get the recipe for Charlie. 😉
Just like Charlie, the Thai stir fry sauce used in this recipe is similar to many but an exact replica of none. If you scan the Sauce ingredients of Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried Noodles), Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) and Thai Chilli Basil Chicken, you will see similarities to the one I use in this Thai stir fry.
I don’t actually even know if this recipe has a name. It’s probably not something you would find in a Thai restaurant. By this, I mean it’s not a “known” Thai dish, like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew etc.
In many of the Thai cookbooks I have flicked through over the years, I almost always find a generic stir fry that uses a very similar sauce. I even found one in the Spice I Am cookbook (read more about that in the Pad Thai recipe, it’s my current favourite Thai cookbook).
The quantities differ, but generally, the common ground is always garlic (lots), chilli (lots!), soy sauce (varying combinations of light, dark and all purpose), Oyster Sauce (almost always), fish sauce (very common) and sugar (almost always).
Though I use this Thai stir fry sauce to make all sorts of stir fries – even noodles – this recipe I’m sharing today is the one I make most frequently. The main reason being because it’s such an easy Thai stir fry. Because making it with ground chicken means no chopping meat, no marinating. And the flavour of the Thai stir fry sauce really penetrates throughout the whole stir fry.
Serve this over steamed jasmine rice, Thai Fried Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice or Coconut Rice
In Thailand, many dishes are served with a juicy wedges of tomato and cucumber. No dressing, just plain. They are a great pairing with the kapow flavours going on in most Thai dishes. Plus, it rounds out out the meal so we get our veg fix! 🙂
But I also happened to have a big batch of my all time most frequently made Asian-esque salad: a Cabbage salad with crunchy noodles and a sesame dressing. So I stuck it in the photo to give you a little preview because it’s coming soon. I make it so often it borders on the side of obsession. But the sheer convenience, speed and utter tastiness of the salad is what has had me captivated since my early twenties.
It’s coming soon, I promise. Possibly Wednesday, along with another salad. Hmm. Maybe this weeks’ Meat Free Wednesday will be an explosion of my very favourite salads. What do you think? – Nagi x
PS Is it just me, or is there a weird pinkish glow going on in the bottom left corner of the photo below? I must’ve been wearing a hot pink top when I took this shot. Jeez. The perils of fashion and food photography!!! 😉
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Spicy Thai Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tsp light soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 1)
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp cooking oil (I use peanut or vegetable oil)
- 3 Thai or birds eye chillis or other small hot red chilli , finely chopped (Note 2)
- 4 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 1 small onion , halved and sliced (brown, white or yellow)
- 500 g / 1 lb ground / mince chicken
- 3 shallot / scallions stems , chopped into slices
- 1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves (loosely packed)
Serving
Instructions
- Mix Sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Heat oil in a wok or heavy based skillet over high heat. Add garlic and chilli - cook for 15 seconds.
- Add onion and cook for 45 seconds.
- Add chicken and cook, breaking it up as you go. When it changes from pink to white, add Sauce. Cook until the liquid mostly disappears - about 2 minutes.
- Stir through shallots. Then stir through coriander and immediately take off the heat.
- Serve immediately with jasmine rice or other rice - or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice! Add slices of cucumber and tomato wedges (very authentic Thai!). Garnish with extra chilli and coriander if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
WARNING: Explicit sightings of Baby Hands may offend some. It was a really hot day when I filmed this, okay?? My hands swell in heat! 😂
LIFE OF DOZER
You would think a dog this cute would sleep cute too. Curled up in a tight little ball, head snuggled on his paws.
But no. This is how he usually sleeps. Just layin’ it all out there. 🙄 At least he’s using his tail for modesty.
He better not have slobbered on my ugg boot!
Havent made this recipe but add a fried egg on top & holy basil (not thai basil) it is very similar to phad kra pao (IMO)
I made this last night and it was really awesome! My husband hates coriander so I used parsley instead and I am not good with chillies so substituted sambal olek (malaysian chilli in a jar)
Perfect Lyn! N x
Hi Nagi,
We have this at least once a week and I have expanded this and add wombok, spinach leaves, capsicum.. just about anything in the fridge and use double the sauce and even cook it with pork mince and it’s awesome! It always turns out so delicious. Thanks again!
I love all your recipes Nagi,
I have tried many but there’s a few that I keep coming back to, like the Tikka Masala chicken. Delish 🤤😋
Thanks so much Mari, I truly enjoy hearing what people think of my recipes!
Do you have Moo-Serong recipes? If so, can you please share it with us? Love your recipes easy to follow and very detailed. Thanks for sharing. My family lives Thai food
Fantastic after returning from 3 days camping over Easter! Fresh and flavourful, added red capsicums and Thai basil from garden…..cheers Nagi
Fabulous!
Shallots and green onions aren’t the same thing bought 3 shallots thinking it was quite a bit compared to other ingredients then watched the video at home and realized you didn’t know the difference
Hi Rob, we call them shallots here – which is the same as what you call spring onions – N x
Really? In Australia we call it spring onion, shallots is considered the small purplely brown one…
Could you please tell me what kind of salad you served in the picture with this meal?
Oh my… I was going to make Thai red curry tonight, but discovered too late that I didn’t have coconut milk. Had all the ingredients to this recipe, so I decided to give it a try. Subbed the chilis for two teaspoons of the curry paste, chicken thighs, and added the veggies that I had chopped for the curry (broccoli, pepper, pea pods). It was SO good! Tasted just like some of our Thai favorites. Thanks for sharing!
That’s terrific to hear Abby! Thanks for letting me know – N x
Hey,
Did you ever get around to the cabbage salad with crunch noodles recipe? Keep up the good work!
Hi Mike! I have a few – which are you after?? What type of dressing?? 🙂
I can’t seem to find the cabbage salad with crunch noodles recipe (Mike was referring to above). Could you please share it with us (the one shown in the picture above) along with any types of dressings you recommend? Your recipes are amazing and our family has enjoyed trying something new from it almost every week. 🙂 Thank you!
OMG! I think I forgot to post it! I will do it this week. I make it so often! I will sneak it in – maybe even tomorrow 🙂 I’ll try to remember to come and and tell you.
I made this tonight and it was SUPER salty. I’m afraid I messed up on the sauce but I followed recipe exactly. Everyone ate it though. Even my picky son ate it without a single complaint. Used cauliflower rice for me and my daughter and regular white rice for the guys in the house. Any idea what I may have done wrong with the sauce?
It was super salty for me, too but that’s my fault – I put too much sauce in. I should have added a little at a time and tasted as I went along.
Also, note about the chilis – definitely stick to using 2 or 3. I decided to be brave – my inner fierce Korean – and added 5 chilis. It was way too spicy!
Flavor is spot on; I followed the recipe exactly EXCEPT I added some Thai basil and used cut up chunks of chicken breast. Tastes wonderful with jasmine rice on the side. Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it again with rice noodles next time.
Hi Amy! I’m sorry you thought it was salty though terrific to hear everyone ate it! This recipe uses about 1 1/2 tbsp of soy sauces and fish sauces which provide the salt across 500g/1lb of pork which I wouldn’t think is overly salty? I have a fairly sensitive palette when it comes to salt, my mother is not big on salt so my palette leans towards less salty things. All I can think is that perhaps you mismeasured?
I’ll be keeping my eye out, waiting for that salad recipe with it’s sesame dressing. I love that it has crunchy noodles. I’d probably pour the whole packet in there! I always love a salad with some crunch (aka Caesar Salad with crunchy croutons).
*its (I hate typos like that!)
Third or fourth time I’ve made it and always a hit… I do like to finish it with some fresh ginger because I love it. For others that don’t like ground chicken, try finely dicing breasts ( easier to do if partially frozen).. Delicious Nagi. Thank you
Hi Hath! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this, thanks for taking the time to come bak and let me know! N xx
I made this tonight even though I was worried the ground chicken would be bland. I was determined
To try new recipes this week while on holidays. This recipe did not disappoint. I will make again. I could not find fish sauce at my grocery store so I substituted Worcestershire sauce and used sriracha sauce. It was really good. The sauce will be used again for sure.
Try Hoisin sauce if can’t find fish sauce. Its usually easier to come by and adds great flavor to this recipe as I had to find a substitute as well. Cheers !
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Shirley! Thank you for letting me know – N xx
Another successful recipe. Loved by all, thanks again, u keep me in plenty of different foods and great flavours.
So glad you liked it Kim, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Nagi, Yet another yummy recipe that will be added by popular request to the regular list of meals. Great to make when you come home from a long day, quick and flavour-ful (flavoursome just seemed to modest!). I had hoped for leftovers for my lunch tomorrow (having made extra) but between son and spouse having large second helpings the wok is polished clean!
I’d also note that my spellcheck wants to call you ‘Magi’ which means my iPad also approves – keep up the excellent work.
Liz M
Spellcheck does that to my own name too!!!! So glad you enjoyed this Liz, thanks for letting me know!
This is so good. Cooked this recipe for dinner tonight. No leftovers! Thanks.
Fantastic! So glad to hear that Dave, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Hi Nagi! I’ve only recently started cooking and your website is such a treasure trove! Simple, easy to find ingredients, but still tastes amazing! This sounds like a winner to me as well, but unfortunately I can’t use oyster sauce. My loss, I know, as a lot of asian dishes has oyster sauce as some sort of ‘secret ingredient.’ Is there anything I can use instead though?
Oh, and it’s not just a retriever thing, this sleeping on their backs. My corgi does this too. 🙂 They just look sooo comfortable on their backs! I think it’s probably the doggie equivalent of putting our feet up after a tiring day?
PS Re: pups putting their feet up, I think you’re right!!!
Hi Grace! That’s a tough one I’m afraid. Oyster sauce has lots of things in it which is why it’s kind of like a “secret ingredient” in Asian cuisine. I think subbing it with half mushroom soy sauce and half kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) will be kind of similar. It will still be a tasty stir fry if you use that instead!
Love it!!! I used 3 little Thai chilis, picked red ones over green, spicy but not overly – but I love spicy so maybe 3 would be too spicy for some.
The store had Foster Farm organic boneless skinless chicken thighs on sale so I bought those and ground my own chicken.
Very good, a keeper, thanks for sharing!!’
WOO HOO! So glad you enjoyed it Sarah, thank you so much for letting me know! N xx
I could only find Fresno peppers at the market, and used three of them, seeded. It wasn’t spicy at all, so maybe next time I’d just leave the seeds. BUT it was a big hit with my very picky family, which rarely happens with something new. They even asked to put it into the regular rotation!
Big bonus: I loved how quickly it all came together. A great weeknight meal for a very busy family.
Hi Rochelle! So glad you enjoyed the flavour 🙂 Yes, Fresno chillies are much milder than Thai or Birds eye chillies. Next time you could just add a dollop of minced chilli from a jar or even Sriracha! Just add it towards the end. 🙂 N xx PS Very flattered the family approved!!
Made this last night and it was delicious. Halfway through cooking, I leaned over my wok and didn’t love what I smelled. Was a little worried that it was all going to be for naught, but the final dish was delicious and I look forward to making it again. The cilantro, scallions and ginger (added because of someone’s comment) gave it a really fresh taste. I also used ground pork, as I don’t think ground chicken has much flavor.
Fantastic to hear Michael! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! N x