Easy Keto Thai Basil Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
Full of the fresh summer basil, lemongrass and Asian flavours, this low carb Thai basil chicken is served with oven roasted cauliflower rice, and topped with a crispy fried egg for a super quick and super easy low carb dinner!
Just 8.3 g net carbs per serving!
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Seriously do it.
One of my favourite things about the summer season is being able to take advantage of fresh local herbs and produce. At the top of that list is fresh summer basil!
Thai basil chicken, is full of bright flavours and served with oven roasted cauliflower rice, and a crispy on the outside, runny on the inside fried egg is satisfying low carb dinner.
What You'll Love
- A full low carb meal including sides can be on the table in under 1 hour
- This recipe is very easy to make
- Can be made with all kinds of basil
- The amount of flavour achieved in such a short time is amazing
What You Need To know
Below are some key details you need to make this recipe perfect every time.
The Basil
Traditionally this recipe uses a specific type of basil called Thai basil.
Thai basil is different from the common sweet Italian basil you may be used to, it has a more peppery taste with notes of anise and licorice.
Unless you grow it yourself you may not have access to Thai basil, in which case you can use whatever basil you can find.
The taste will be different but amazing. For this recipe I often use a mixture of lemon basil and Italian basil from my garden.
The Chicken
I prefer boneless skinless thighs for this recipe, they are quick and more flavourful than chicken breast, however you can use any cut of chicken you prefer.
Marinating the Chicken
For best results allow the chicken to sit in the marinade over night.
However, when I am in a hurry, or I decide to make this last minute, I only marinate the chicken for about 20-30 minutes and its still delicious.
Usually I get the chicken in the marinade first, then let it sit there while I work on the cauliflower rice and the remaining prep for the recipe.
Oven Roasting Cauliflower Rice
What You Need: Foil lined baking sheet, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Temperature: 400°F [205°C]
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
You know its done when: The top layer has crispy brown bits.
A Deeper Dive
The simplest way to get cauliflower rice is to buy it from the store pre-riced.
You can find this with the other frozen vegetables, or if you are lucky, your local grocer will have and prepared in house in the deli or salad bar area.
If you are eating a lot of cauliflower rice, then its the most economical to make it yourself.
3 Ways to Rice Cauliflower
Use a food processor (Recommended):
Many food processors come with various grating discs which can be used to make perfect cauliflower rice very quickly.
Install the larger disc in the food processor and break down the head of cauliflower into florets small enough to fit through the chute on the processor lid.
Feed the chunks into the processor, and press down with the plunger. The spinning disc chops perfect rice every time. If you are making lots of cauliflower rice regularly like myself, then a food processor with a grating disc is a worthwhile purchase.
The regular blade can be used to break down cauliflower as well, just don’t chop it too fine or it will become mush.
This food processor is great for making low carb cauli rice!
Cheese Grater
A simple cheese grater, sometimes called a box grater can make quick work of a full head of cauliflower. Simply break the head into manageable chunks and grate it using the larger holes on a grater.
A Knife
If nothing else, you can use a regular knife to make cauliflower rice. Simply chop the cauliflower into very small rice sized pieces with repeated passes of a large knife until the cauliflower is small enough.
Before I had a food processor, this is how I made cauliflower rice all the time.
Cauliflower Rice in the Oven
Lay cauliflower rice out on a foil lined baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and liberally season with salt and pepper.
Toss with you hands to evenly coat.
Bake at 400°F [205°C] for 35-45 minutes until the top layer is browning and crispy.
Crispy Fried Egg
What You Need: Non-stick pan with lots of oil
Temperature: Medium-High, until oil is just smoking.
Cook Time: 1 minute (first side), 10-15 seconds (remaining side)
You know its done when: Edges are brown and crispy, yolk is still runny.
A Deeper Dive
For this you need a non-stick pan don’t try to be a hero.
You will also need some oil with a high smoke point. Avocado oil, lard, tallow, ghee all work well.
Cover the pan with oil, you don’t want the egg drowning in it but you need quite a bit. Turn it up to medium-high and get it nice and hot!
Now add the raw egg to the pan. It should sizzle, a lot.
Tip: Crack the egg into a small bowl then pour into the pan to avoid broken yolks!
Salt the egg.
Let the egg cook until the bottom and the edges begin to brown slightly, that is the crispy part!
It will take less than a minute.
To cook the top, there are 2 options.
Option 1: Tip the pan to pool the ho oil, and carefully spoon the hot oil from the pan over the top of the egg until its cooked.
Option 2: Once the bottom is cooked, flip the egg over and cook the top for 10-15 seconds and immediately remove.
Serve immediately over a plate full of low carb cauliflower rice and Thai Basil Chicken.
That Basil Chicken FAQ's
What Type Of Basil Is Used In Thai Basil Chicken?
Thai basil. Which is a very peppery, licoricey, kind of basil.
Can I Use Sweet Italian Basil for Thai Basil Chicken?
Of course you can! It will have a slightly different (albeit delicious!) taste and would technically be a Thai, Basil chicken, instead of a Thai Basil Chicken.
What Other Types of Basil Can I use?
You can use any type of basil you can find, or grow. I often use a mix of lemon basil and Italian basil from my garden.
Can I make this without oyster sauce?
Yes, add 1/2 tsp more monk fruit and 2 tablespoons more soy sauce.
Can I Use Coconut Aminos Instead of Soy Sauce?
Yes, you may want to add a bit more of the coconut aminos as they are less intense in flavour than dark soy sauce.
You may also need to add more salt to the marinade when not using soy sauce.
How Can I Make This Spicer?
Add some sriracha or sambal-oelek to the chicken marinade and garnish with fresh chopped Thai chilies.
What can I use instead of monk fruit?
Any low carb sweetener you prefer can be used. You can also use black strap molasses.
Is Thai Basil Chicken High In Carbs?
Sometimes Thai basil chicken contains sugar, and is generally served over rice. This low carb meal on has 8.3g net carbs per serving and just 3.7g when served without the sides.
Can I use Chicken Breast instead of thighs?
Yes, make sure you don’t over cook the leaner chicken breast.
Can I use Skin on Chicken?
Not recommended. The collagen in the skin will drastically change the consistency of this dish. Save the skins for some keto chicken skin chips!
Easy Low Carb Thai Basil Chicken and Cauliflower Rice
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Baking sheet
- Food processor/Cheese Grater
- Large Fry Pan
- Knife and Cutting Board
Ingredients
Low Carb Thai Basil Chicken
- 2 lb chicken thighs 8-10 large boneless skinless thighs
- ⅓ cup soy sauce I like dark soy but any will work
- 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon monk fruit/erythritol sweetener
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 small onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass minced
- ⅓ cup fresh basil chopped
- 1 stalk green onion finely chopped
Cauliflower Rice and Crispy Fried Egg
- 1 large cauliflower riced
- 6 large eggs fried crispy (1 per serving)
- avocado oil for frying and roasting
Instructions
Low Carb Thai Basil Chicken
- Prepare the marinade. In a large bowl, mix together soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, lemon juice, and monk fruit.⅓ cup soy sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon monk fruit/erythritol sweetener, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Marinate the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and add them to the bowl with the marinade. Use your hands to combine well making sure each piece is well coated. Set aside to marinate. For best results marinate over night sealed in the fridge. (Start your cauliflower rice now)2 lb chicken thighs
- Fry the onions, garlic, ginger and lemongrass. Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Once the oil is very hot add sliced onion, minced garlic and ginger, and fry until the onions begin to turn translucent and brown on the edges, around 5 minutes. Add the chopped lemongrass and fry for 2-3 minutes longer.1 small onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon lemongrass
- Cook the chicken. Add the marinated chicken and all of the liquid to the pan and cook the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes until it is cooked through. Continue simmering until the sauce thickens to your liking.
- Stir in Fresh Basil. Once the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the heat and stir in fresh basil, green onion, and red chili.⅓ cup fresh basil, 1 stalk green onion
- Garnish and Serve. Serve over low carb cauliflower rice and top with a crispy fried egg.
Side Dish: Oven Roasted Cauliflower Rice
- Pre-heat oven. Heat oven to 400 °F [205°C]
- Clean and Rice cauliflower. Clean and rice the cauliflower with either the grating disc on a food processor, a cheese grater, or by cutting it very fine with a sharp knife. If using store bought pre-riced cauliflower skip to the next step.1 large cauliflower, avocado oil
- Season the cauliflower rice. Lay the riced cauliflower on a foil lined baking sheet and coat liberally with salt, pepper, and oil, toss with your hands to make sure it's is all well coated.
- Bake the cauliflower rice. Cook on the middle rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top layer is crispy and brown.
- Serve. Remove from the oven, mix, and serve as a low carb rice substitute
Topping: Crispy Fried Egg Topping
- Heat oil until very hot. In a non-stick pan add plenty of oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and heat over high heat. You want this hot hot hot until its almost smoking!avocado oil
- Add the egg to the hot oil. Carefully crack an egg and add it to the hot oil, it should sizzle. Salt the top of the egg and cook the first side until the edges begin to turn crispy and brown.6 large eggs
- Cook the top of the egg (option 1). To cook the top, tilt the pan and carefully spoon hot oil over the egg yolk until the uncooked egg white turns opaque.
- Cook the top of the egg (option 2). Once the edges are crispy, flip over the egg very briefly, just until the white cooks, this will probably take less than 15 seconds. Remove and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated using the recipe calculator and verified database available from Cronometer. Although every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate information this estimate is provided as courteously and convenience only. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Try the free recipe calculator at Cronometer
Try These Other Low Carb Chicken Recipes
Time To Dive In!
Time the break into that yolk and watch the magic happen!
I really hope that you enjoy my take on a Low carb Thai basil chicken. Dishes like this are on regular rotation in our household. Exploring foods from other cultures has been a great way to add some flavour and variety to your low carb lifestyle so I definitely encourage you to give this a try!
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