[Paleo] Thai Style Spicy Basil Chicken One Pan Meal

Ingredients you’ll need:

Chicken

2 lbs chicken thighs, or ground chicken
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp white pepper, or ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbs rice vinegar

Sauce

2 Tbs ghee
1 red onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño or other pepper, halved and sliced thin
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, any color cored and roughly chopped
1/4 t white pepper
3 Tbs coconut aminos
2 tsp of compliant fish sauce*
3/4 c chicken broth, plus 2 Tbs
1 Tbs fresh chili paste (optional)
2 tsp arrowroot flour
1/4 c roughly chopped basil, plus additional leaves for garnish.

Kitchen “stuff” you’ll need:

Large everyday pan, non-stick with a lid (5-7 qts), wooden spoon and sharp knife, cutting board, large mixing bowl, small bowl.

Prep.

Cut chicken thighs into bite size pieces and combine with "chicken ingredients in a bowl" let sit for at least 10 minutes in the fridge, no more than 2 hours. Prepare bell pepper, onion, jalapeño and garlic - combine 2 Tbs of chicken broth and arrowroot flour in a small bowl and have everything else out and ready to go and you're prepared to cook.

Create.

Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium high heat. Once hot add chicken in an even layer and cook for 3 minutes on each side, undisturbed. Saute for an additional 1-2 minutes to ensure the chicken pieces are cooked through. Remove and set aside (if using ground chicken spread in a thin layer on the pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Using your spoon break up into small pieces and continue to brown, stirring occasionally until cooked through and remove and set aside).

In the same pan, add the ghee and melt down. Add the red onion and saute for about 3-4 minutes until fragrant and starting to soften. Add garlic and incorporate and saute for about 1 min. Add jalapeño, bell peppers, and white pepper and continue to saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add coconut aminos, fish sauce, chicken broth, and chili paste and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to simmer for about 8 minutes. Stir pre-prepared chicken broth arrowroot mixture and make sure it is evenly mixed. Add to pan and stir and combine well. Add back the chicken and it's juices back to the pan, stir and allow to simmer further for 3-4 minutes. Add the basil, stir until it darkens and wilts.

Finish.

Serve immediately in bowls over cauliflower rice, roasted hearty veggies like squash or cauliflower, or other favorite base. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

“Date night in, with Thai style chicken and a movie… SOLD!”

Notes:

Chili paste - I use a version that contains no garlic. If yours has garlic I would reduce the minced garlic in the recipe to 2 cloves.

This recipe is not authentic - it is meant to make a takeout style dish less intimidating and compliant with many diets.

Images show the dish served with rice - this is not compliant. Compliant serving suggestions are listed.

Substitutions:

Recipe is meant to give the feel and taste of takeout without buying too many specialty ingredients. Subs below are perfectly acceptable and the dish will turn out fine.

Rice vinegar: Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or lemon juice.

*Fish sauce: Fishy flavor is pretty vital to this dish - however the compliant fish sauces is often expensive or hard to find. Combine 1 tsp of anchovy paste and 1 tsp of rice

vinegar or sub for vinegar if anchovy paste is easier to find or buy.

Basil: I used Italian basil because it's so readily available, Thai basil is great too.

[Paleo] Thai-Style Spicy Basil Chicken