Delicious, mouth watering and a super easy recipe for dinner? Yes, please! This Thai Basil Fried Rice is all of that and more. Customize the spice level, add your favorite veggies and protein and you have a dish that will become a weeknight staple your entire family will love. The whole meal comes together in less than 30 minutes. And yes, this recipe is completely vegan and gluten-free.
Thai basil fried rice - A takeout favorite
I love Thai food! I mean is there anyone who does not enjoy the fragrant and beautiful dishes that we all look forward to eating at a Thai restaurant. Another reason my family loves this dish is because it is so easily customizable to make it vegetarian/vegan. My toddler enjoys this as well and is absolutely child approved. . It's fragrant, spicy(absolutely adjustable) and a filling meal with some tofu added. I wanted to recreate this dish to be able to make it anytime we want and for you guys to enjoy it at home.
Ingredients
A lot of the ingredients I used are staples that you would find in your pantry.
Rice - I used jasmine rice for the dish but you can use any medium or short grain rice you have and it will still come out great.
Thai Basil - This is the real star ingredient of the fried rice. This basil is very different from the Italian basil. It is savory,spicy and has a pungency that gives it the characteristic flavor . It is quite easily available and I know locally here in the Pacific Northwest, you can pick some up easily .
Vegetables - I used yellow onions, bell pepper, broccoli. You can use carrots, zucchini, potatoes etc.
Bird's Eye Chilis - These are the fresh chilis used in Thai cooking that are widely available in Asian stores or in some regular grocery stores. They are pretty high on heat scale.
Tofu - I love using extra firm tofu as a protein in this fried rice. It also holds up well to being mixed in to the ice. I decided to air fry it before using it. You can also pan fry it before using.
Vegan Oyster Sauce - It is easily available in Asian markets and is easily found online.
Vegan Umami Sauce - Fish sauce is another ingredient that is used in fried rice but since we are going the vegan route, I decided to come up with my own vegan umami sauce (for lack of a better word). I don't really care for fishy tasting food so I made up the sauce with no seaweed . It is a simple concoction of soy sauce, coconut aminos, lime juice, sugar and mushroom seasoning.
How to make Thai Basil fried rice
This is a quick overview of the process. The complete set of instructions are in the recipe card below. Please read through the instructions once before making the fried rice.
Prep the vegetables and tofu - I used sliced red bell peppers and onions. Cut the broccoli to any size florets you choose. For the tofu, I cubed it and air fried at 375 deg f for 18 minutes.I tossed it midway to ensure it is evenly browned.You can also pan fry the tofu with some oil.
Steam the rice - I used an Instant Pot to cook the Jasmine rice. You can also cook the rice over the stove top.*
Prep the umami sauce - Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Keep aside.
Bringing it together - In a large pan, sauté the vegetables along with garlic until slightly soft. Then half of the sauce and some of the oyster sauce. Mix well. Add the Thai chilis. Cook for another minute or two. Add the cooked rice along with the remaining sauces. Mix well ensuring all of the rice has been coated.
Add the chopped Thai Basil leaves, fried tofu and mix well. Season with some salt if required. Serve hot.
Finally add the Thai basil leaves and the sautéed tofu.Taste to see if it needs additional salt and add if required. Mix well and serve hot with fresh cucumber and lime pieces.
FAQ
Yes, you can also use marinated tempeh, soy chunks, TVP. You can also use beans like chickpeas, red kidney beans etc.
Any kind of rice will work especially a medium grain rice. You can also use brown rice if that's your choice although the flavor will vary since brown rice is nuttier.
Thai Basil fried rice adds a punch with the flavors and heat from the Thai basil, ginger, chilis and the vegan sauce. Don't forget, the wonderfully fragrant jasmine rice also brings its own complexity to the dish.
Tips to store, reheat and meal prep
Store: The fried rice can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days chilled. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Add a few spoons of water before reheating in the microwave. Rice tends to dry out as it sits in the refrigerator. Adding water helps soften the rice as it reheats. You can also toss the rice in a bit of oil.
To reheat from frozen, I would suggest adding some water again. Reheat either in the conventional oven or in the microwave.
Meal Prep : Prep the vegetables and freeze until ready to use. You can directly add it to the pan from the freezer.
The rice can also be prepped by steaming the jasmine rice and freezing until ready to use. You will have to let it thaw/reheat before using it.
Other delicious Asian dishes to try - Mushroom Sticky Rice with Lotus Root, Vegan Japchae, Paneer Tikka Masala Rice, Tofu Katsu Curry ,Vegan Dumpling Soup
If you gave this delicious Thai Basil Fried Rice a try, do let me know what you thought by leaving a comment or feedback below. Have questions about the recipe? Leave them below and I will get back asap. You can also follow along on Pinterest, Bluesky or Facebook.
Recipe
Thai Basil Fried rice
Ingredients
- 2 cup Jasmine Rice cooked
- 1 Medium sized onion sliced
- 1 Bell Pepper Cut into 1 inch strips or diced
- 12 oz Extra Firm Tofu drained and cubed
- 1 - 2 cup Thai Basil Leaves packed
- 4 Thai bird eye chillis chopped
- ½ cup Vegan Oyster sauce
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon Avocado Oil
- Cucumber Slices optional
- Lime sliced or quartered optional
Vegan Umami Sauce
- 5 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Coconut Aminos
- 1 tablespoon Mushroom Seasoning sub with mushroom stock
- ½ tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the vegan umami sauce and place aside.
- Heat a pan with 2 tablespoon avocado oil and add the extra firm tofu. Saute until the tofu is browned and crisp on the outside. Keep aside. (See recipe notes)
- In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and add the vegetables. Saute for 4-5 minutes at medium-low heat. Now add the chopped chillis and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add half of vegan oyster sauce, umami sauce and mix well. Cook for another 2 minutes. Now add the cooked rice(see recipe notes), remaining sauces and mix until the rice is fully coated with the sauces. Finally add the chopped Thai basil leaves and tofu. Add salt if required and mix well.
- Serve with cucumber and lime pieces.
Notes
- To cook jasmine rice in an instant pot - rinse the rice well to remove extra starch. Place the rice in the instant pot and add water in the 1:1 ratio. So, if you cook 1 cup of rice, add 1 cup of water. Now pressure cook for 3 minutes and let the steam naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing the vent.
- Instead of pan frying tofu, you can use the air fryer to make them crispy. If you have an air fryer, place the tofu pieces and spray with some avocado oil or any other neutral oil. Airfry at 375 deg F for 18-20 minutes. Turn over the pieces at the 9-10 minute mark.
- Feel free to use any other protein ex: chickpeas, soy chunks/curls, tempeh. Do the same with the veggies. Make the dish your own!
- If you find the Thai chillis too spicy, use a milder chili like Fresno chile pepper or jalapeños.
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