Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
These colorful Thai Basil Beef and Lemongrass Rice Bowls are full of Thai flavors and made so simply. The beef (or use chicken) is cooked in a sweet Thai basil chili sauce until caramelized around the edges, then added to bowls of lemongrass rice. A fresh, bright, carrot and pepper salad is spooned overtop. The bowl is then finished with flavorful Thai basil, sesame seeds, and peanuts for a balance of spicy, sweet, and savory flavor. Altogether, these bowls are so delicious, plus quick to make.
I’m back at it with another summer bowl recipe, and this one is extra special. This is a recipe I made back in 2014, but I’ve continued to make it on repeat. At this point, it’s such a Gerard family staple, we all love it!
Anytime my brothers are home visiting I end up making this at least once. They love that it’s kind of like take-out, but healthier. And I always make it just spicy enough for their tastes, but with a kick of sweetness too.
Honestly, I mostly love this recipe because it’s so darn easy! If I have all the vegetables prepped, it takes 20 minutes from start to finish.
I make this year-round, but it’s on weekly rotation throughout the summer since we grow so much sweet Thai basil and peppers!
Make the rice
The first thing I make is the rice since it actually takes the longest to cook. For this dish, I love to use lemongrass. Lemongrass is such a star ingredient that’s so underused. When cooked, it has a subtle citrusy, lemony flavor with a little mintiness in there too.
It’s a very light refreshing flavor and I love cooking it into the rice. The lemongrass really complements the basil.
I cook the rice in coconut milk for a creamy, coconut flavor along with lemongrass paste and Thai jasmine rice. Simply let the rice steam while you prepare the beef.
Make the salad and beef
To add color and extra flavor, I made a quick salad with carrots, peppers, and lots of fresh green onions. I kept the dressing simple with a bit of fish sauce, lime, and honey. Then I tossed it all together and let the dressing soak into the veggies, almost like pickling them.
For the beef, I used ground beef, garlic, and ginger cooked together with lots of sweet Thai chili sauce and Thai basil. You can easily use whatever you enjoy here, chicken, pork or even tofu would be great.
If you’re having trouble finding Thai basil, traditional Italian basil works in a pinch!
Since most store-bought sweet Thai chili sauce is full of sugar, I like to make my own chili sauce. I use a mix of honey, chili paste, a touch of ketchup, and then some garlic, ginger, and lime!! It’s really easy to mix up if you’re looking for a healthier sauce option.
Then just put everything together. Load the bowls with rice, beef, lots of salad, roasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, and plenty of garden-fresh Thai basil.
These bowls come together so quickly and have so much flavor, which you know we love! And I really appreciate all the color – best kind of recipe!
Looking for other quick weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites:
Chili Crisp Chicken Mango Cucumber Rice Bowl
30 Minute Caramelized Shallot Beef Ramen Noodles
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Coconut Popcorn Chicken with Sweet Thai Chili Lime Sauce
30 Minute Sticky Thai Meatballs with Sesame Noodles
Better Than Takeout Sweet Thai Basil Chicken
Spicy Chipotle Honey Salmon Bowls
Lastly, if you make these Thai Basil Beef and Lemongrass Rice Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
20 Minute Thai Basil Beef and Lemongrass Rice Bowls.
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 494 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce or tamari
- 2 teaspoons honey
Beef
- 1 pound lean ground beef (or chicken or pork)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- black pepper
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce (homemade in notes)
- 2 cups Thai or sweet Italian basil, chopped
- sesame seeds and peanuts, for serving
Instructions
- 1. To make the salad. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss well and set aside.2. To make the beef. In a large skillet, cook the beef with black pepper over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook another minute. Add the tamari, sweet Thai chili sauce, and 1 cup of fresh basil. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the beef, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining basil. 3. Divide the rice and beef between bowls. Add the salad to the bowl. Top with peanuts, sesame seeds, and fresh basil. Enjoy!
Lemongrass Rice
- 1. Add 1 can coconut milk and 1/3 water to a medium-sized pot. Bring to a low boil. Add in 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice and 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste. Stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook ten minutes on low and then turn the heat off completely. Let the rice sit on the stove, covered, for another 15-20 minutes (don't take any peeks inside!). 2. After 15-20 minutes remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Note that rice can cook differently for everyone, this is just what works for me.
Notes
Homemade Sweet Thai Chili Sauce: Mix 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1-2 tablespoons chili sauce, 2 teaspoons lime zest, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and 1 clove grated garlic in a glass jar. Shake or stir well. Use as directed.
(had to leave one of these original photos, for memories!!)
See, even my picky littlest brother, Red, was all over this one. Now that is rare.
This post was originally published on July 21, 2022
Wonderful depth of flavor in all the layers and textures. And the sweet chili sauce was amazing, I doubled the batch, hoping to drizzle it over the leftovers….if there are any…..Another winner. Busy moms who are trying to feed their families healthy, interesting and quick meals salute you!
Hi Jill,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
I’d like to know what kind of chili sauce you use for your sweet Thai chili sauce. Heinz makes one with no heat (mostly ketchup I think) and there are several Asian brands that are quite hot. Can you recommend a brand?
My grocery store offered Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce and it was delicious. Just a tiny bit spicy and not overly sweet.
Thanks so much for sharing Deb!!
Hey Lee,
I would use whichever one you like, the Heinz brand will work just fine, I also like Thai kitchen, you could do sriracha or sambal oelek too, it’s really your preference:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
Where does one find lemongrass paste? Anxious to try this!
I found it at Aldi. They had squeeze tubes of basil, ginger, cilantro, and lemongrass paste
Thanks for sharing Lee!
Hi Terry,
You should be able to find it at your local grocery store in the Asian food aisle or just order it online:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This is so delicious! You have the best Thai basil recipes ever! I just love them. I grow and have a lot of Thai basil so you’re recipes are my go to. I was surprised how good this was.
Hi Melody,
Thanks so much for your kind message and sharing your feedback! I am so glad you enjoyed this dish! Happy Tuesday! xx
This was 12/10! My partner told me it was the best meal anyone has ever made for him. Will be adding this to the regular rotation. Thank you!!!
Hi Kate,
LOL that is awesome!! Love to hear that you both enjoyed this dish, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I have tried several of your recipes now and have really enjoyed them – thank you:)
Can you tell me if I can use Sambal Oelek (Ground fresh chili paste) instead of “chili sauce”, to make your homemade Sweet Thai Chili Sauce? Or can you recommend a chili sauce?
Thanks!
I had the same question!
Hey Devon,
Yes Sambal Oelek will work for you!!
I used sambal oelek because that’s what I had and it tasted great. I also used maple syrup instead of honey because my honey was being difficult. probably more runny than intended, but i was pleased.
Perfect, thanks for sharing Kim!!
Hi Jane,
Thanks so much for your kind message! Yes, that will work for you! I hope you love this dish, let me know how it turns out! xx
The flavors in this are ???!! I didn’t have any ground beef and had only chicken breasts so used that instead. My 3 kids who NEVER agree on a meal said this was absolutely amazing and all had seconds. Tieghan you are magical!
Hey Joy!
Perfect! So great that the chicken also worked well for you, thanks for making the recipe!! xT
Made this recipe and loved it. Ended up using different type of rice and had to add extra cup of water to cook it through. And used chopped tomatoes. I thought julienned cucs would go good with it and I was right. This recipe is going into regular rotation for us! Thank you!
Hi Maria,
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
It was absolutely delicious. Definitely took longer than 20 mins. I would do the rice in the Instapot next time to save on time. I will make it again!
Hi Jen,
Thanks for your comment! So glad to hear that this dish was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! ?xTieghan
Was pleasantly surprised with how this turned out. The homemade sauce for the beef went so well with the basil. My partner and I have put this in our repeat list. Thanks so much “HBH”!!
Hey Taylor,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT
First time trying one of your recipes. Took me a little bit to get everything nailed down but totally worth it! Husband requests regular rotation. Can’t wait to try more recipes from you.
Hey Mandy,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
First time trying one of your recipes. Took me a little bit to get everything nailed down but totally worth it! Husband requests regular rotation. Can’t wait to try more recipes from you.
Hey Miranda,
Lovely! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for making it! xTieghan
I’ve never tried Thai Basil before, but this was delicious! I subbed with coconut milk from a carton and skipped the lemongrass paste. I’m so thankful to have another way to use ground beef that is not pasta or hamburgers..
Hey Michelle,
Perfect:) So glad this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Monday! xx
So so so good! I don’t cook often, but this was SUPER EASY, full of flavor, and my fiancé devoured it! This will definitely be on our meal rotation going forward!
Hey Jessica,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Hope you’re having a great Monday! xTieghan
Just made this and it was so good, even though I subbed ground turkey, regular basil, didn’t have lemon grass and used coconut milk from a carton. I love all your recipes because they are so adaptable and always turn out great!
Hi Ann,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT