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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.
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.
Thank you Tieghan! This recipe was absolutely delicious, it will be in repeat at our house too 🙂
Hi Cherie,
So glad to hear you family enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
So good, so flavorful! My family loved this dish. Our daughter, who is quite picky, had two helpings. Will absolutely make again.
Hey Kim,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so glad it was a winner! Happy Monday! xTieghan
Can I make this recipe with plant based Beyond Beef?
Hi Kristin,
Sure, I bet that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Can you make the lemongrass rice with brown rice?
Hi Ani,
Sure, the cook time will differ with brown rice though, I would follow the package instructions! I hope you love the recipe! xx
This was absolutely delicious! My husband and I loved every bite. I made the rice and homemade chili sauce. The rice was a bit al dente when I fluffed it, but I put the lid back on and by the time the rest was finished, it was perfect. We love your bowl recipes. I recently made the pork meatball bowl. Another winner!
Hey Kathleen,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT
Absolutely delicious! I made this for my mom who is Italian and doesn’t particularly like Asian cuisines. However, tonight was an exception and she was impressed! I had to skip the lemongrass and used chili garlic sauce due to pantry limitations. It was delicious!
Hey Miranda!
Fantastic!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! I am so glad both you and you mom enjoyed! xTieghan
This recipe was awful!
Looks pretty in a dish for the food style author, tastes awful!
She has the rice all wrong, takes much more time than stated in recipe.
The salad come out too watery, I strained the salad before serving. The ground beef is so salty! This recipe washed at least $35 of food I threw in compost bin.
Hi Patty,
Thanks for trying this recipe! So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. I do specifically state “Note that rice can cook differently for everyone, this is just what works for me.” Let me know if I can help in any way. Have the BEST Sunday!! xTieghan
Just delicious! We are really enjoying the “bowl” concept. This one was perfect and not too spicy. I picked some cucumbers from my garden today, so I added some to the salad. It was a great addition.
Hey Keri,
Fantastic!! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Happy Sunday! xx
Another delicious recipe! We loved this! The recipe is easy and quick…made with ingredients I always have on hand. This is definitely one of those dishes you will get a craving for! Thanks Tieghan!!
Hi JoAnn!
Amazing!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Have the best Sunday! xTieghan
Another home run from Tieghan! Love this for a muggy day when I wanted something more satisfying than salad.
Flavors are, as always, spot on. I made a couple tiny modifications since I was using ground chicken, which I am sharing here just in case they help anyone else: (1) because chicken is a little leaner than most beef, I added a small amount of oil to the pan before browning — and since the oil was already in there, I added the garlic and ginger before the meat (with beef, I would have proceeded exactly as the recipe suggests); (2) if you enjoy heat and you’re taking the store-bought chili sauce shortcut, as I was, a small-diced green chile added with the garlic and ginger helped temper the sweetness of the jarred chile sauce. Thank you HBH for another hit!!
Hey Sarah!
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback and what worked well for you with this dish! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! happy Sunday!! xx
My husband loved this meal. Definitely will make again. I made it because of the Thai basil. First year growing it so loved seeing a recipe for it. I used a Thai chili sauce my daughter had made and skipped the lemon grass. Not a fan of lemon grass but substituted lime zest instead. I made with beef this time but would definitely try it with turkey or chicken.
Made enough for dinner for us and leftovers for another night this week.
Hi Christine!
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner:)
What kind of chili paste do you use to make the chili sauce? Is it roasted red chili paste? Or sambal oelek? Thanks! I can’t wait to make this!
Hi Holly,
I use an Asian chili paste, sambal oelek will work for you, you can also use sriracha, Thai kitchen brand also has a great option. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I made this two nights ago and we loved it. It has a great flavor all around. Used your recipes for rice and chili sauce too. The rice was a bit Al dente at first, but it sat with lid while I made everything else and it was perfect.
My husband loves your bowl recipes. I made the pork meatballs last week. They had just the right amount of heat. Perfect!
Hey Kathleen,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and making this recipe! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xTieghan
We made this tonight. Super easy and so delicious! Will definitely make again.
Hi Cindy!
Happy Saturday! Thanks for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed:) xTieghan
Made with ground chicken and it was delicious! Will be on repeat for a quick delicious dinner!
Hi Susan!
Amazing! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx