Thai Basil Shrimp Stir-Fry Recipe

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 06/17/21
Thai Basil Shrimp
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
474 Calories
23g Fat
28g Carbs
42g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 474
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 29%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 319mg 106%
Sodium 3207mg 139%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 42g
Vitamin C 136mg 682%
Calcium 197mg 15%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 771mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This basil shrimp is simple to make and will please anyone who is partial to Thai flavors. The dish comes together quickly and easily in the wok, and the stir-frying method keeps both the juiciness of the shrimp as well as the sweetness of the peppers in the dish, not to mention all of those wonderful nutrients! There are two key ingredients to this dish that make it sing, so be sure to have them on hand: Golden Mountain Sauce, which is a Thai sauce that can be purchased at most Asian food stores (you'll find it next to the fish sauce), and fresh basil. If you can find Thai basil, great! - if not, regular sweet basil works well too.

Ingredients

For the Stir-Fry:

  • 1 pound (450 kilograms) medium to large shrimp, shells removed

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 red or green chile pepper, finely sliced, or more to taste

  • 2 green onions, sliced

  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced

  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced

  • 1 handful dry roasted, unsalted cashews

  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh compressed Thai basil, or sweet basil

  • 3 tablespoons chicken stock

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons Golden Mountain Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar, or brown sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Combine the "stir-fry sauce" ingredients together in a cup, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.

  2. Pound or process together the garlic, chile, and onion to create a paste. Alternatively, mince them all individually and stir together. Set aside.

  3. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat.

  4. Drizzle in oil, then add the shrimp. Stir-fry 1 minute, or until shrimp are light pink on both sides.

  5. Add the garlic-chili paste you made earlier and continue stir-frying 1 more minute.

  6. Add the peppers and chicken stock. Stir-fry 3 minutes, or until peppers have softened but are still bright in color and retain some crispness.

  7. While stir-frying, add the stir-fry sauce you made earlier.

  8. Remove from heat. Stir in the cashews and fold in the basil. (If basil leaves are large, stack them into a neat pile and slice them up into shreds)

  9. Taste-test the dish, adding more lime juice if too salty (this will depend on the saltiness of your stock), or more fish sauce if not salty or flavorful enough. If too salty for your taste, add another generous squeeze lime juice. Add more fresh-cut chili (or some dried chili flakes) for more heat. ​

Taste Test Tip

This dish is meant to be primarily salty-spicy, with the zesty taste of the basil coming through. These flavors are then balanced out by plain (unsalted) rice served on the side. For those who don't like their food too salty, garnish with wedges of fresh lime to be squeezed over before eating.