A recipe for Thai Basil Chicken Phyllo Rolls! This fun fusion blends the flavors of Thai Basil Chicken with a phyllo sheet wrapping for quite the delicious treat.
I first came across the idea for these Thai Basil Chicken Phyllo Rolls over on Picture the Recipe and it is such a great use for leftover phyllo sheets!
Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapao Gai, ผัดกระเพราไก่) is traditionally a stir-fry dish pairing pieces of chicken with holy basil, garlic, chilies, and a savory sauce. It is often served with rice and a fried egg. This recipe takes those flavors and uses them a filling for baked phyllo rolls.
The combination creates a delicious appetizer or even light lunch alongside a salad.
Serve the Thai Basil Chicken Phyllo Rolls warm from the oven with a Sweet Chili Sauce or other favorite dipping sauce. I used store-bought, but Hot Thai Kitchen has a recipe for homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (น้ำจิ้มไก่).
A Few Tips
I used ground chicken for easy prep. If desired, you can swap for 1 pound (450 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thighs and finely chop for a little more texture.
I minced the garlic and chilies, but you can also mash them in a mortar and pestle.
Brush the phyllo sheets very gently with the oil (or butter) and egg wash to help keep them from tearing.
Prepare all the ingredients and the filling before removing the phyllo from the package. It dries out quickly. Cover any phyllo you aren’t currently using with a lightly damp towel. Work carefully, but a small tear here or there isn’t a big issue.
If using store-bought frozen phyllo, make sure it is completely thawed before removing from the package and unrolling. I usually put the box in the refrigerator the night before or on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours. Don’t thaw the phyllo longer than a day or they will become too sticky to separate and handle.
For even more spice, increase the amount of bird’s eye chilies to around 6 or so.
Notable Ingredients
There are different varieties of Thai Basil. Try to find Thai Holy Basil (Bai Ka Prao, ใบกะเพรา) if possible. It has a more peppery, anise-like flavor. I have grown it in the past (missing my garden right now!) and come across it occasionally in the produce section of specialty markets with Thai ingredients.
Bird’s eye chilies are small, but pack quite the kick. These thin, pointed peppers are green as they grow, then turn red with maturity. Adjust the amount based on personal preference. I kept the seeds in the chilies, but removing them will also decrease the heat level.
On the Scoville scale, these chilies land between the cayenne and habanero. They can be found in the produce section of markets with Southeast Asian ingredients.
Fish sauce (น้ำปลา, nam pla) is a condiment created by slowly fermenting fish (generally anchovies) in a salt water mixture, then pressing to produce a thin liquid. It has quite the strong smell, but provides a savory umami flavor. Brands from different countries will vary a bit in taste and quality. It can be found in some larger grocery stores and markets with Southeast Asian ingredients.
Dark Soy Sauce is also known as sweet soy sauce, black soy sauce, or thick soy sauce. It is available in markets with East/Southeast Asian ingredients or online.
Looking for more recipes with phyllo?
Try my:
- Kıymalı Tepsi Böreği (Turkish Phyllo Pastry with Beef)
- Banitsa (Bulgarian Cheese Pie)
- Fıstıklı Baklava (Turkish Pistachio Baklava)
This recipe was originally posted in August 2013 and updated April 2022.
Thai Basil Chicken Phyllo Rolls Recipe
Adapted from Picture the Recipe
Thai Basil Chicken Phyllo Rolls
Ingredients
Thai Basil Chicken:
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil plus more for brushing
- 1 large shallot peeled and finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 4 red bird's eye chilies stems removed and minced
- 1 pound (450 grams) ground chicken
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 milliliters) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fish sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon (7 milliliters) dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon (7 milliliters) oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup (40 grams) packed Thai basil leaves Holy basil if available
To assemble:
- 8-10 phyllo sheets defrosted if frozen
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) water
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Sweet chili sauce or other dipping sauce, optional
Instructions
To prepare the Thai Basil Chicken:
- In a wok or large pan, drizzle the oil over medium high heat.
- Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until starting to soften and turn golden.
- Stir in the garlic and chilies. Cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until golden and no longer pink.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and sugar until blended and the cornstarch and sugar are dissolved.
- Pour the sauce into the wok and toss to thoroughly coat the chicken. Continue to cook until the sauce has thickened and most of the moisture has disappeared.
- Stir in the basil leaves and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
To assemble:
- Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or lightly grease.
- Remove the phyllo sheets from package and cover with a damp cloth.
- Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the cooled Thai Basil Chicken across the center of the short side closest to you.
- Fold the short end over the filling and fold in the sides to enclose the filling.
- Roll the filling to the other end and place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining filling and phyllo sheets.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with water. Brush the egg mixture over the rolls and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
- Serve warm from the oven with sweet chili sauce if desired.
Linda
These look delicious! Can they be made ahead and either refrigerated or frozen?
Thanks
Tara
Hi Linda! I haven’t personally tried it yet, but you should be able to freeze them after assembly in a single layer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Bake straight from the freezer, but you may need to add a couple of minutes to the cooking time.