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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.
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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.
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
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
(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.
Love this recipe!! Was wondering has anyone tried making the rice in the instapot?
Thanks so much, Lisa!! So sorry, I have never tried that before! Hope you are having a nice week! xx
Pretty good but too salty. I used low sodium tamari and only 1/4 and it was still too much. Maybe start with just 2-3 tablespoons.
Hi Lydia,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry it was so salty! Have a great Sunday! xx
Absolutely delicious! The salad was such a great addition and while no one is a big tomato fan in my home, we all ended up absolutely loving it! Highly recommend!
Hi Sharon,
Wonderful!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it and your feedback! Happy Holidays! XxT
I make this dish often but had the original saved I think. This version is even quicker so I am saving it as well
Hey Sharon,
So glad to hear that this recipe is always enjoyed, thanks so much for making it so often and your feedback! xx
I love this recipe! But how do you get your shredded carrots to look like that? I shredded mine on a box grater and they’re kind of a mess. What do you use?
Hi Caroline,
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it!! I actually used a veggie peeler and then sliced them into strips with a knife. I hope this helps! xT
OMG!!!! just made this tonight! followed the recipe exactly and it was delish! thank you for an easy peasy recipe that is also so yum!
Hey Carol,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try and your comment! x
Love this recipe! Any suggestions for a substitute for the rice if we don’t have lemongrass? Thanks!
Hey Carly,
No worries, you can just skip the lemongrass:) So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! xT
First HBH recipe that I truly loved & will cook again. I used 2 tblspns of Thai chili paste i/o the sauce and agave vs. honey and turned out great. Great weekday dish.
Hey Kris,
Awesome! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Wow! Creamy rice, savory beef, tangy and pretty salad – delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hey Jessie,
Thanks so much for making this dish and your comment! I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xT
Made it for the first time and my family loved it! The only thing I will change next time is low sodium soy sauce.
Hey Elisha,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this dish turned out nicely for you, thanks for trying it! xx
This was delicious! We especially loved the salad “dressing”. I’ll be making this for future meal preps but keeping the dressing separate so the vegetables are fresher for lunches during the week. Thank you, Hbh!
Hey there,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for trying it and your comment! Happy Friday:)
I made this exactly as written, with no changes or additions. It was perfect! SO delicious!! I love how all the flavors are layered in this dish. They all come together wonderfully. Husband loved it too.
Hi Stephanie,
So glad to hear this! Thanks for making this dish and your comment! Have a great Thursday! xT
This is such a delicious dish! Fantastic flavor combination! After making Thai curry, I use the leftover Thai basil in this dish. I use hot honey in the salad dressing which gives it a little extra kick!
Thank you for trying out the recipe! I’m so so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
I really like snow peas could you add snowpeas to the salad?
Yes, you definitely could! xT
delicious. love the flavours. thanks for creating this recipe.
Hi Kara,
Wonderful! Thanks for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx