07 May Recipe: 20 Minute Thai Basil Chicken under $5 a serve
A quick, flavour-packed family dinner for under $5 per serve
When the budget’s tight but you still want something fresh and satisfying, this Thai basil chicken delivers. It’s fast, flexible, and easy to bulk out with extra veg—perfect for busy weeknights.
UNDER $5 PER PERSON
Feeds 4 for approx. $17–$18 total
At a glance
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 30 ml olive oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 15 g fresh ginger, minced
- 1/2 capsicum, thinly sliced
- 500 g chicken mince (or turkey mince)
- 10 g brown sugar
- 15 ml fish sauce (or hoisin)
- 60 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml oyster sauce
- 30 ml chilli sauce (adjust to taste)
- 125 ml chicken stock
- 60 ml water
- 5 g cornflour
- 20 g fresh basil leaves
- Cooked jasmine rice, to serve
Method
- Cook the veg
Heat oil in a wok or large pan over medium–high heat. Add shallots, garlic, ginger and capsicum. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. - Add the chicken
Push veg to the side, increase heat and add chicken mince. Break it up and cook until browned. - Make the sauce
In a small bowl, mix sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, chilli sauce, oyster sauce, cornflour, stock and water. Pour into the pan and cook for 3 minutes until slightly thickened. - Finish and serve
Stir through basil until wilted. Serve over hot rice.
Make it stretch (save more)
- Add extra veg (zucchini, frozen beans, mushrooms) to bulk it out
- Swap half the chicken for firm tofu
- Use frozen veg instead of fresh to cut costs
With swaps, this can drop closer to $3–$3.50 per serve
Make ahead & freeze
- Prep sauce and chop veg in advance
- Freeze (without basil) for up to 3 months
- Defrost overnight, reheat, then add fresh basil
Parent takeaway
This is a great “back pocket” meal:
-
- Fast (20 minutes start to finish)
- Flexible with whatever’s in the fridge
- High protein and filling
- Easy to double for leftovers
Quick Thai basil chicken ready in 20 minutes. This easy family dinner feeds four for under $20 and can be stretched to suit tight budgets.
Recipe inspired by Better from Scratch and adapted for CHILDmags audience.
How we estimate recipe costs
Our Budget Meals recipes use approximate prices based on average Australian supermarket costs at the time of publishing (including major supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi). Costs are calculated using standard-sized ingredients and divided by the number of serves. Prices can vary depending on where you shop, specials, seasonality, brands and whether you already have pantry staples at home. The estimates are intended as a general guide to help families compare meal ideas and plan affordable dinners.
