Thai Lime Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe

This chicken stir-fry is my favorite! Like most Thai stir-fries, it cooks up really quickly once you have all the ingredients ready. This recipe features the flavor of lime - both lime juice and lime leaf. Lime leaves are an essential part of this stir-fry, so don't skimp on them. You can buy kaffir lime leaves at most Asian/Chinese food stores - look for them in frozen packets. This chicken stir fry also includes vegetables, so you get everything you need in one dish. Just serve with plain rice or coconut rice, and ENJOY this delicious and aromatic dish!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 chicken breasts, or 5-6 thighs, cut into strips or bite-size pieces
• 2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green), chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 small cooking onion, chopped or cut into thin wedges
• handful of fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• a little white wine or white cooking wine
• SAUCE:
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 1 fresh red chili, or 1 tsp. chili sauce (add more or less according to your preference)
• 6-8 lime leaves, cut into strips with scissors (available frozen in Asian/Chinese food stores)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp. coconut, canola, or other vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
• 1 tsp. dark soy sauce (or 1/2 Tbsp. regular soy sauce)
• 1-2 tsp. brown sugar

• PREPARATION

  For a step-by-step version of this recipe, see: How to Make Chicken Stir-Fry with Bell Peppers, Lime Leaf, and Basil.
  1. First, make the sauce by placing all sauce ingredients in a food processor or mini-chopper. When cutting the lime leaves, be sure to discard any inedible stems.
  2. Process well to form a thick sauce or paste. Taste-test for sweetness/sour balance, adding more sugar to taste (you will adjust the other flavors later). Set aside.
  3. Place 2 Tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chicken.
  4. Stir-fry 6-8 minutes, or until chicken is well cooked. When stir-frying, add a little white wine (1 tbsp. at a time) whenever the wok/pan becomes too dry. This will keep the ingredients cooking nicely without having to add more oil (and fat/calories).
  5. Add the bell peppers, and stir-fry another 2-3 minutes, or until the bell pepper pieces have softened slightly and are bright in color.
  6. Turn heat down to minimum. Now add the sauce, stirring well to incorporate. Tip: Try not to fry or over-heat this sauce, or you'll lose all the great flavor and health benefits.
  7. Do a taste-test for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough, or more fresh chili (or chili sauce) if not spicy enough. If you prefer a "saucier" stir-fry, you can add a few Tbsp. of chicken stock, coconut milk, or cream.
  8. Tilt onto a serving dish, or portion out onto individual plates. Add a generous topping of fresh basil, and serve with either white or brown rice, or my Easy Thai Coconut Rice. ENJOY!