Spicy Basil Chicken

I have to thank one of my fellow food bloggers, Krysten Schwartz at http://mrsschwartzkitchen.blogspot.com, for the inspiration for this dish. She does something called "Take Out Fake Out" and posted a basil chicken recipe that made my mouth water!

I had a ton of basil, thanks to a visit to the Farmers Market last week, so I wanted to try this. I made a couple of changes, because my husband doesn't care for the strong taste of soy sauce. And, oddly enough, we were out of white sugar, because we had to feed the bees ! So this is my version of Spicy Basil Chicken. It was a perfect mid-week dinner for us.

Spicy Basil Chicken 

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup basil, cut chiffonade* see note
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil for cooking

For sauce:
1/2 cup ponzu
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon sriracha (more if you like it spicier)


Generously salt and pepper chicken.Prepare sauce and set aside. In a large saute pan or wok, heat oil, and add garlic. Saute until garlic is tender. Add the chicken, and cook until it is no longer pink. Add the sauce, and stir until sauce thickens (just a few minutes). Stir in the basil at the last minute, and serve over rice.

*Note: To cut basil chiffonade, stack several leaves on top of each other. Roll them together tightly, and slice thinly. They look very fancy, but it is very simple !