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These colorful 20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls are full of Thai-inspired flavor and made so simply. The beef (or use chicken or pork) is cooked in a spicy chili sauce until caramelized around the edges, then rolled up in tortillas with fresh cucumbers, cilantro, and Thai basil. Serve with extra soy sauce, chili paste, and toasted sesame oil. Each roll is spicy, sweet, tangy, and salty. Enjoy as an appetizer or serve alongside steamed rice for a quick dinner.
My brother Malachi’s girlfriend, Caitlyn, lives in LA. She’s been telling me about beef rolls she’ll sometimes get when she out to dinner. She’s been on me to make a spicy, sweet, salty roll with Thai-inspired flavors for weeks. I was so hesitant at first because a beef roll didn’t sound all that appealing.
But then I actually put some thought into it. I did some research on how beef rolls are made and decided I could make super quick beef rolls at home with delicious flavors. Most classic beef rolls are made using a homemade wrap and thinly sliced marinated beef. They often use a spice used in Vietnamese and Hawaiian cooking, called Chinese 5 Spice. It’s a blend of cinnamon, black pepper, star anise, cloves, and fennel.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Black pepper
- Garlic
- Fresh grated ginger
- Chinese 5 spice
- Tamari or soy sauce
- Thai chili sauce
- Chopped green onions
- Persian cucumbers
- Cilantro
- Thai basil
- Chopped roasted peanuts
- Flour tortillas
- Chili paste
- Toasted sesame oil
Of course, all rolls are made differently, but the process is a bit lengthy. So I took some inspiration from the beef rolls Cait has been telling me about and created my own simplified version. And I love the way they turned out!
Since I like to serve these rolls as a dinner, the first thing I make is a big pot of rice. It actually takes longer to cook the rice than the rolls. It’s totally up to you, whether to add rice, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Especially since I know many of you need fast dinner options.
The details
I like to cook the rice in coconut milk for a creamy, coconut flavor. Simply let the rice steam while you prepare the beef rolls.
For the beef, I used ground beef, garlic, and ginger cooked together with Chinese 5 Spice, Thai chili sauce, and green onions. Cook over medium-high heat. You can easily use whatever you enjoy here, chicken or pork would both be great.
If you’re having trouble finding Thai basil, traditional Italian basil works in a pinch! Or just place extra cilantro or even an additional green onion in a small bowl for a great garnish.
Since most store-bought 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 this stir fry if you’re looking for a healthier sauce option.
Then just put everything together. Layer your warm tortillas (or delicate rice paper rolls if you prefer) with the hot beef, cucumber, cilantro, basil, green onions, and peanuts. Then, tuck and roll the rolls up nice and snug.
I serve these warm, with extra Tamari, chili paste, and toasted sesame oil. Plus, green onions too.
These wraps come together so quickly and have so much flavor, which you know we love! And I really appreciate all the fresh colors – the best kind of recipe! I absolutely love Thai-inspired dishes.
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
Thai Basil Beef and Lemongrass Rice Bowls
Lastly, if you make these 20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls, 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 or Facebook! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls
Servings: 8 rolls
Calories Per Serving: 392 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
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or chicken or pork)
- black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger ( or 1/4 cup candied ginger)
- 1-3 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Thai chili sauce (homemade in notes)
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 4 Persian cucumbers, chopped
- 2 cups cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup Thai basil, chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
- 8-10 flour tortillas, warmed
- chili paste, for serving
- toasted sesame oil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. 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, ginger, and Chinese 5 spice, cook another minute. Add the tamari and sweet Thai chili sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the beef, 3-5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped green onions. remove from the heat. 2. Place one tortilla at a time in the microwave for 15 seconds. Spoon the beef down the center, then top with cucumber, cilantro, basil, green onion, and peanuts. Fold the tortilla over the filling. Then fold the sides and ends of the tortillas over the filling and roll forward. Repeat with remaining ingredients.3. Serve warm with extra soy, chili paste, and toasted sesame oil for dipping. To make this a dinner, serve with rice on the side.
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.
This post was originally published on April 17, 2023
Delicious! The only reason I gave it a 4 is that it tasted very salty. Next time I will try low sodium soy sauce. We had the leftovers served over rice and was just as delicious as the tortilla! So flavorful didn’t even need the dipping sauce
Hey Katherine, So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for making it and your comment. Happy Sunday! xx
Great post! The way you explained everything step by step makes it easy to understand even for beginners. Looking forward to more content like this.
Hey Palmer! Thank you so so much! I’m so glad you are loving these beef rolls! And so glad you found the recipe easy to follow! Thanks again! xT
This is a staple in our house. We LOVE this recipe and usually make with rice to make a dinner out of it. The homemade Thai chili sauce is a must!
Thank you so much Melia! So glad you loved these beef rolls! Have a great week! 🙂 xT
Can’t wait to make these! Question…your wraps look nice and crisped up but I noticed in the directions you say to microwave them. Any tips on how to get them crispy like they look in your photo?
Hi Michele! You can quickly warm up/crisp up the wraps in a pan on the stove if you’re wanting them crispier! Hope this helps! xT
I actually just made your homemade tortillas. They were SO easy and so yum! Much better than store bought…I may never go back:)
Thank you so much!! So glad you loved the tortillas! I agree, so much better than store bought! xT
Any insight on making ahead, freezing, and then re-cooking?
HI Tracy! I would recommend preparing the beef rolls with just the beef in the tortillas, then freeze! Then when you are ready to enjoy, reheat and add all the fresh toppings to them! Hope this helps! 🙂 xT
This is a staple in our house! My husband says this and the short ribs are 2 of his favorite dishes. Absolutely delicious!!!
Side note – MUST make the Thai chili sauce and any extra make shrimp tacos.
Yay!! Thank you so much, Ashleigh!! Love to hear this recipe is always enjoyed by your family, I appreciate you making it!
I’m sorry to say that my family didn’t like this one! Mainly because we all discovered that we dislike the flavor of Chinese five spice – I had never cooked with it before and I was shocked by the cinnamon and clove flavor! One of my family members said “why does this beef taste like a cinnamon roll?” Haha. Maybe I used too much of it? The recipe says to use 1-3 tsp and I used the full 3. I think I will make this recipe again but use different sauce and seasonings with the beef because the concept and simplicity is great! After I wrapped the tortillas I toasted them in a skillet and it gave them a nice crunch which we loved!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Yes, Chinese 5 spice definitely has a unique flavor! Let me know if you make them again:)
I want to make this, but clearly your tortillas are different. They almost have the look of rice paper. If you microwave a store bought tortilla and use it, it will look nothing like the picture and will be much thicker in total. It would be better if your recipe went ahead and included the homemade tortillas. I imagine it makes a world of difference.
Hi Marsha,
Yes, I used my homemade tortilla recipe for these, here is the link:
https://fett-weg.today/homemade-flour-tortillas/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Absolutely delicious! I used wanton wrappers and fried them. Air Fryer also worked well. Family loved them. Amazing flavors!
Hi Stacy,
Amazing! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great day!
We’ve got a peanut allergy in the house. Has anyone tried omitting or substituting almonds, walnuts or pine nuts?
Hi Kim,
I think any other nut you enjoy would work nicely here, cashews would be great! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
It says the microwave but they look crispy?
Hi Amy,
I used my homemade tortilla recipe, so I cooked them on the skillet first. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Could you use corn tortillas?
Hi Leigh,
You could, but I recommend flour tortillas with this recipe:) I hope you love these rolls! xT
Not sure if you have mentioned this before but do you have a preferred brand of flour tortillas you like to use? LOVE all of your recipes and excited to try this one!
Hey Kayla,
I actually love to make my own:) Here is the recipe:
https://fett-weg.today/homemade-flour-tortillas/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I just made this dish tonight and I have to say it’s so so delicious!! Can’t wait to make it again it’s perfect!, light tasty and comfortably filling. Love it! 5 stars!!!
Thanks so much, Tina! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you:) Thanks for making it!
Absolutely delicious and so flavorful. Didn’t even need the rice.
Thanks so much, Kim! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Happy Friday! xT