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
THANK YOU FOR THE QUICK REPLY. I WILL TRY THIS RECIPE TOMORROW.
I read through all the comments and didn’t see anything about the coconut milk. Is it the canned kind or the fresh kind in a carton? Can’t wait to make this.
I like to use canned coconut milk. Hope you love this!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. My husband and I both loved it and I’ll definitely make it again.
Some of the ingredients listed were not in the instructions, unless I missed them? I added the honey, fish sauce at lime juice to the beef at the 5 minute mark as well as the white part of the green onions. The green part of the onions I used for garnish.
So sorry about the missing ingredients!! I will fix that. SO happy you enjoyed it!
minced meat in Asian cuisine? you must be kidding with this recipe!
Making this recipe for the 6th time tonight 🙂 everytime its a success and friends ask me for the recipe…thanks for all your wonderful recipes!!
That is so awesome!! Thanks! 🙂
I came across this recipe on Pinterest and made it the other night – wow! Hubby said it was “fine dining quality” and my 3 year old gobbled it up (we left out the pepper). The only other thing I changed was to make it with ground chicken instead. Great recipe and thanks so much for sharing! This one is going into our regular rotation, for sure!
So happy you guys loved this!! THANKS!!
just made this…. so delicious! We had to improvise with a couple of things (we forgot to get fish sauce and used Korean sweet and spicy chili sauce instead of Thai sweet chili sauce since that’s what we had) and have agreed that we’ll just need to make it all again with the recommended ingredients 🙂 thanks for the recipe! filing it away for future use!
SO happy you loved this and I bet the Korean sauce was awesome!
I cannot find fish sauce anywhere. Is that the name on the bottle? Is it possible to list a brand name here? I live in Salem, OR. I found oyster sauce, but no fish sauce.
Try any Asian store. It is called fish sauce and it very common in asian food. The recipe is excellent.
Thanks Jim!
Hey Sadie!! I use a brand from my grocery store.I have also used Thai Kitchen Fish sauce. You can order here on Amazon. If you do not feel like spending the money to order it, just leave it out, BUT I love fish sauce and think it is a great ingredient. I highly recommend ordering some. The bottle should last you awhile.
Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions. Enjoy!
Honestly, one of the best meals I’ve ever made! Love your blog!
I found a flaw in your pictures.. thats not thai basil.. thats regular basil that you use in Italian cooking. Using that would give it a totally different taste.
Most people dont know the difference, but I saw that when i first saw the pictures.
Hey Mike, I am aware of that actually, but I cannot find Thai Basil where I live. Sorry if that confused you.
You should grow it.. its easy… i have a big plant of it… especially when im making thai basil fried rice.
Hi! Thanks for this amazing recipe! It’s extremely well balanced. I tried it last night night and it’s definitely a keeper! I might eventually try if with steak strips instead of ground beef.
So happy you love this! THANKS! 🙂
Oh and steak strips I am sure would be great!
This Looks Awesome, I am not a fan of ground beef but I will have to try this the way I do meat for chili, I slice into small chunks then pound it with a tenderizer, I love Thai food, it is at the top of my wife and I’s favorite cuisines.
That sounds awesome! Hope you love this and thank you!
easily one of the best Thai food there is! awesome.
Nu Pad Krapau or something..
Thank you so much!
Just made it with ground chicken breast, and hubby was really happy! i wanted to shortcut the rice, and soaked rice noodles instead.. and was really missing coconut milk you have in the recipe. Next time i will follow the recipe to a T. It’s perfection!
So excited you guys love this! THANKS!
I made this tonight with ground turkey! I used quinoa instead of rice for my Paleo daughter and it was awesome. I’ve got a feeling it’s one of those that’s better the second day!
So happy you love this and I love your healthy swaps!! THANKS!