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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.
I am about to cook for 30 persons, need a quick and delicious meal, this one is so appealing. But 1 pound of meat for 6 servings? Isn’t that too little?
Hi Chelsea! I would not think so, but if you think you need more I would just double the recipe! xTieghan
I am just making this now. Do the veggies ever get cooked or do you put them on top raw?
The veggies are left raw! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
This is a favorite at our house! We make it at least once a month and I always use ground chicken and add cilantro to the veggie mix because I’m in the camp that cilantro makes everything taste better 🙂 The flavors all come together perfectly and the coconut rice is not to be missed!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you and your family love this recipe Theresa!
Really yummy recipe thank you! It definitely took more than 5 mins and n the prep time. ? May be our veggie cutting skills, but not sure. Directions were a little tricky to follow. Would be awesome if it was broken down. For example a heading for “Lemongrass Rice” and list ingredients and instructions. Then another heading for Thai Basil Beef with ingredients and instructions.
Either way it was delish. Your recipes are pulling me out of a cooking slump so thank you!!
Thank you so much Laura! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Great recipe! I used steak strips instead and it still turned out great. The salt from the fish sauce was a bit overpowering, so I would just cut back on it a bit, but otherwise, this was a big hit.
I coated the steak in corn starch before frying it and eventually adding it to the sauce. This gave it a nice texture and helped thicken up the sauce ever so slightly.
I love your recipes. The basil definitely makes this dish pop!!! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much Becca! I am so glad you are enjoying some of my recipes and I hope you continue to!
I just came across this recipe and boy am I happy that I did. 22 years ago while my husband and I lived in Virginia Beach we would go to a Thai restaurant that had a beef dish that he just loved. It has been 20 years since we’ve lived there and he has not been able to find that dish at any restaurant, and I have not been able to find a comparable recipe….until now. I made this last week and he loved it! Said it was just like the dish at that restaurant. Even my picky-eater teenage son liked it. This recipe is definitely going into my favorites. Thanks so much for sharing!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Brook!!
Hello
Wen do do cook the carrots and peppers?
The carrots and peppers do not get cooked, they are used as a topping. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Happy Holiday’s ? 🙂
We love this recipe. I’ve made it a couple times before and scrumptious and easy! This time, I don’t have any basil in the fridge but do have basil paste so will be using that instead. Hopefully it turns out as good!
I am so glad you like this Emm! Thank you!
Good recipe with some changes. First of all, for us it’s way too salty. Next time I’ll cut back on the soy and even remove the fish sauce. Also, since the toppings have so much wonderful flavor, I’d just make the rice plain. I could not taste the lemongrass (fresh from our garden) or the coconut milk. Also, I’d leave out the sesame oil because it overpowers both of those. Even though we use lean beef, it still needed to be drained. So I’d drain the beef first and then put it in with the sauted ginger and garlic. No Thai Basil left in the garden, so I left it out and it still was good. I also sauted the carrot mixture. The thought of fish sauce raw was not appetizing and I liked having the veggies a bit softer than raw. The 20 minutes is misleading. It takes a lot of time just to prep everything, but well worth the effort. Thanks.
Hi Lynda! Sorry this was a bit too salty for you, but I hope when you make it next it turns out just right! Thank you!
We tried this one a few weeks ago… now I’m making it for my husband’s birthday because it’s his favorite meal! Thank you for all your delicious recipes!!
That is so great! Thank you Jen, I am so happy you both love this! Also, Happy Birthday to your husband!
Excellent recipe! I have made a similar version that’s punched in with a little bit of mint, but only a little bit as it can easily overpower the dish. Also looking forward to making the rice component of this dish! Gathering ingredients up for this as I write. Thanks!
Perfect! I hope you love this! Oh and your recipes sounds super good! Thank you!
I absolutely love this recipe! I was wondering if you happen to have the nutrition information for it?
Hey Lindsey!
I actually do not calculate the nutritional information of my recipes, I just try to use wholesome healthy ingredients. Some online calculators work great though, just put the ingredients into it and divide by the amount of servings ? I hope this helped!
I just made this (didn’t change a thing)…and it was the bombest most delicious thing I’ve ever cooked!!!!! Holy flavors. Can’t wait to try your other recipes 😀
YAY!! SO happy you liked it Stella, thank you for making it! I hope you like everything else!
We loved it. In fact, my sister and I made this recipe TWICE and your “Asian Basil Beef and Mango Noodle Salad” all in less than a week! Obsessed. I’ve already pinned a ton of your other recipes and am super excited to try them. And told my friends about the blog 🙂
That is amazing! Thank you so much Stella, I am so happy you love my blog!!
Delicious. Every one of your recipes is delicious. Bravo!!
Thank you Sandra!!
Hello! I made this for dinner tonight. Very good! I made the rice in my pressure cooker, no changes other then doubling it. I didn’t have some of the veggies on hand for the beef, and I had almost 2 lbs of beef, but kept the spirit of the recipe. I enjoyed everything, my husband prefers it with plain rice (but he’s a rice purist). Thanks very much!
Hi Elizabeth! So happy you made this and it went well! Thank you so much!!