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(This article was originally published on July 12, 2022 and was last updated on September 15, 2022)
You’ve spent the season growing Thai Basil and come up with a bountiful harvest. Now you find yourself wondering, what can I do with Thai basil? If you’re ready to get started cooking with Thai basil, but you’re in need of some inspiration, look no further. 17 recipes with Thai basil that you can try at home!
Thai basil is offers an infusion of flavor that can transform a dish from normie to unexpected. Often used in Asian-inspired or Asian-fusion recipes, Thai Basil can give a creative twist to “western” style dishes, as well, such as pesto or grilled veggies and herbs, and goes well with plenty of veggies, fruits and other flavors.
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Indeed, Thai basil can be grown at home, and can be used in many different ways. Below, I’ve rounded up some incredible Thai basil recipes, so you no longer have to wonder how to use Thai basil!
17 Thai Basil Recipes to Eat Up Your Garden's Harvest
Branch beyond sweet basil with these Thai basil recipes that will give you plenty of ideas for your Thai basil harvest.
Delicious, saucy, drunken noodles in an addictive sweet and spicy sauce that are easy to make in 20 minutes and packed with delicious Thai basil flavor. Inspired by a classic Thai recipe but not 100% "authentic," you'll still find classic ingredients like soy sauce, dark soy sauce, thai chilies, (vegetarian) oyster sauce, and - of course - thai basil leaves in this version.
Thin slices of venison and chewy udon noodles coated in a spicy-sweet sauce. Shiitake mushrooms and Thai basil add layers of flavor to a delicious stir fry. Despite using classic Thai food ingredients like fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and brown sugar, in the sauce, this is not your average classic Thai dish!
Thai basil chicken is one of those classic Thai recipes, and this version is incredibly quick to make. This Thai Basil Chicken recipe (Gai Pad Krapow) uses ground chicken, is packed with flavor and ready in 20 minutes.
If you love Thai Basil Chicken and Thai Basil Beef, give this twist a try. Quick, easy and aromatic, this Thai Basil Turkey Fried Rice recipe is a mashup of the traditional Thai Basil Beef combined with Fried Rice! Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner and ready in just 30 minutes! Use Thai chilies if you like spice, or adjust to your liking.
Thai Basil Beef is a super easy one-skillet meal loaded with tender, juicy beef and absolutely bursting with flavor! This easy dinner recipe is perfect for a healthy weeknight meal the whole family will love.
A quick and easy, incredibly flavorful one-pot three-cup chicken recipe, loaded with aromatics like Thai basil leaves, garlic, and ginger and braised in a sweet soy sauce which caramelizes into a very syrupy sauce mixture that goes amazing with rice. This recipe uses chicken wings rather than chicken breast, thigh, or ground chicken, making it a great option for using up wings from the grocery store.
Creamy coconut sauce, loaded with veggies, and perfectly cooked shrimp, served over baked sweet potatoes. It’s what foodie dreams are made of.
This Thai basil eggplant stir fry is so delicious! Eggplants sliced and stir-fried with Thai Basil in a chili soy sauce – easy and flavorful.
King Oyster Mushrooms Stir Fry with Thai basil is an easy way to make king oyster mushrooms that are also delicious! Make it using fresh Thai Basil from your garden to make this dish extra fresh too!
This Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry is an easy midweek meal with just 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking. With juicy chicken and thick sticky sauce, this is just like takeout from your local Thai restaurant, but with a healthy twist.
This recipe is a fun fusion between a classic tomato soup and a Thai coconut curry. Classic Thai ingredients like lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, Thai basil, and chiles add a super flavorful and aromatic twist to tomato soup.
In just 15 minutes you can make super tasty fried spaghetti with Thai basil, green curry, coconut milk, chicken, and veggies. A delicious weeknight dinner with a spicy kick, and a great option to use up leftover spaghetti noodles, and stir fry veggies in the fridge that need to be used quickly (red bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, green onion, etc can all work!).
This crunchy and colorful Thai basil salad makes a great side dish, but is hearty enough to eat as a main. It's packed with crunchy veggies, juicy mandarin orange slices, sesame-crusted tofu cubes, and an Asian ginger salad dressing - plus, of course, fresh Thai basil. Quick to make, this salad will tempt your taste buds and leave you nicely full! Made as a vegan recipe, it skips some typically Thai ingredients like fish sauce and oyster sauce.
This refreshing twist on flavorsome ice cream is one that will ignite your tastebuds. The freshness of the lime works really well with the earthy taste of the Thai basil. A winning combination and an ice cream perfect for the summer months.
A summertime staple, this recipe calls for Thai basil which adds and unexpected and fragrant twist to these grilled summer squash. Not typical Thai cooking, this recipe is more likely to be found in Italy, but with the Thai basil swap!
The sweetness of pineapple compliments the subtle liquorice flavor of Thai basil, making this an awesome and flavorful side to add to your healthy recipes collection. Bell peppers add nice crunch, and it's served perfectly over fluffy and fragrant jasmine rice.
These spicy shrimp noodles with Thai basil are easy to make, and full of healthy ingredients and flavor. It's a great recipe for weeknights and absolutely delicious to boot!
I hope this has inspired you to consider trying some of these amazing and delicious Thai Basil recipes. If you decide to try them out, make sure you use actual Thai basil, not cinnamon basil. Thai basil is sometimes mistakenly labelled cinnamon basil, which can lead to some recipe mixups!