Shortly after returning home, I snagged some beautiful lemon basil and Thai basil from our buddies at ODGreens. They’re doing some amazing things with hydroponic herbs and vegetables and have a great start up story and cause... and the basil speaks for itself!

With a pile of fragrant Thai basil in my kitchen, but short on time after digging in my garden all afternoon, I decided to make a simple chicken dish. I put my chicken over rice (jasmine rice pairs the best, but I used regular long grain rice here) because that’s what I had on hand, but it would also be tasty with rice noodles. 

Sweet & Spicy Thai Chicken

Servings: About 4

• 4 cups chicken (breast and/or thighs, chopped)
• Thai basil (large handful, stems removed)
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic (chopped or minced)
• Oil for the pan
• Rice (cooked)

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce

Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside. 

Heat a wok or skillet, then add the oil and garlic. Cook for about a minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add the chicken. Note that if you are using thigh and breast meat, put the dark meat in first as the breast will cook faster. Stir occasionally until chicken is almost all the way cooked. 

Add sauce and continue cooking until the chicken is completely cooked through and the sauce has thickened. if your sauce is still too runny, you can add a bit of corn starch to thicken. Add basil and toss to wilt. 

Plate by spooning the chicken and sauce over a generous serving of rice. Serve and enjoy!