This one pan Spicy Thai Basil Pork recipe uses only 7 ingredients and will be on the table in less than twenty minutes. Slightly sweet from the coconut aminos and basil, yet with a little kick from the spicy Thai chiles. This recipe is sure to be a household favorite!
This Spicy Thai Basil Pork recipe is one of my easy go to's for busy days. Most stir fry type recipes have include browning the meat, removing it from the pan, adding the vegetables, add the meat back in and then add the sauce. It can be a bit complicated. Not this recipe. Everything is cooked in one pan without removing any ingredients. It is sure to be a hit at your dinner table!
While it's cooking, I recommend tossing some bok choy or broccoli in avocado oil and salt and roast in the oven at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Add a touch of water to a saute pan and cook some cauliflower rice (you can find it in your frozen section at your grocery store or make your own). In a bowl, add a scoop of the cauliflower rice, some Spicy Thai Basil Pork, bok choy or broccoli, and garnish with scallions. Voila! Dinner is ready!
A couple notes about Spicy Thai Basil Pork:
Let's talk about chiles:
Thai chiles can be commonly found dried or fresh in most grocery stores. Remember when adding them to recipes that a little goes a long way! I use two peppers in my recipe but scale back and maybe try the recipe with just one if you are not a fan of spicy foods. Or, if you love spicy foods and my recipe isn't spicy enough as is, maybe add three or four chiles.
Another thing to remember when handling chiles, especially in large quantities, is to wear gloves! I can not stress this enough! A few weeks ago I was making jalapeño poppers for a football game and I had capsaicin burns all over my hands. I didn't think much about the mild heat of jalapeños but in large quantities, it's easy to get burns. Trust me, wear gloves! I walked around my house for a couple hours with frozen vegetables bags on my hands. My husband got a few good laughs....
Let's talk about ground pork:
My recipe uses ground pork. I use ground pork for many reasons:
- I am able to find organic and pasture-raised ground pork near me so I like to use it when I can
- Ground pork browns so well in a cast iron pan giving this recipe tons of flavor
- It's fairly inexpensive
- All of the meat prep is done for you. No cutting necessary
- You really can't overcook it
Can I use ground turkey or chicken instead of pork?
Yes, absolutely! Using ground turkey or chicken will give you a leaner dish. If you decide to use a chicken or turkey, I recommend adding a tablespoon or two of avocado oil to your hot pan before browning your meat. I do not use oil in my recipe since ground pork already has a high fat content.
Need more easy main dish inspiration? Try my Lemon-Rosemary Chicken Thighs or Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs.
Spicy Thai Basil Pork
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 1 cup yellow onion, julienned or diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced about two large cloves
- 2 Thai chiles, most seeds removed and thinly sliced
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 1 lime, juiced
- 8 large fresh basil leaves, chiffon or roughly chopped about ½ cup packed basil leaves
- Salt and peper to taste
Instructions
- Place a cast iron skillet on the stove top over medium heat. A regular stainless steel pan also works well. I am kind of obsessed with my cast iron so it is my go-to pan of choice
- Once hot, add the ground pork to the pan. Make sure to stir every few minutes until the pork is evenly browned. Try to get the pork a little crispy with some deep brown. This gives the dish some depth
- Once browned, add the minced garlic, julienned onions, and sliced Thai chiles.
- Once the onions are about half way cooked, about five minutes, add the coconut aminos and lime juice. Stir to coat all of the pork. Some of the liquid will evaporate. This is okay. Season with salt and pepper
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the chiffon basil. Stir until the basil is incorporated
- Serve warm with roasted vegetables such as bok choy, and broccoli. Add cauliflower rice and garnish with scallions and a lime wedge. Enjoy!
I made this last night for the family and they absolutely loved it! Instead of Thai Chilies, I used a little red pepper flake which was the perfect amount of heat for my four year old. She ate up her whole plate and even asked for seconds! It can be hard finding easy and quick recipes that still have a ton of flavor but this dish has both. I'm excited to try more recipes by Chef Laura!
That's probably the best compliment a chef could get-kids are such picky eaters! So happy to hear you and the family enjoyed this recipe 🙂
This dish came together so quickly! My whole family enjoyed it, including my hard-to-please-so-picky-I-can-barely-stand-it son! Yay! Definitely keeping in our rotation. Can't wait to try more from Chef Laura 🙂
I forgot to give this my 5 star rating!
So glad to hear your son enjoyed it too! Those picky eaters can make dinner time challenging! 🙂
Had this on the annual family vacation week in Door County---voted the BEST recipe of the week by a family of foodies!
Will make again and again---thank you Chef Laura!
Ellen, that makes me so happy!!
This was simple to make and a really good meal. We all liked it and the leftovers were great the next day. I left out the peppers because I thought it might be too spicy for the kids, but maybe it wouldn’t have been? I’d like to try it with the peppers next time.