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.
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.Â
(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.
Hi. Just making this for supper and I am a little confused. Are we supposed to cook the carrots/peppers at all or just put them on top raw?
Hi Liz,
I do not cook the carrots and peppers. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I love thai food. but, it seems so much of tasks to cook them. Now, that i have came across your posts. It gives me a sense of hope that may be I could cook thai dishes. I have bookmarked your recipe and going to cook it this weekend. I just hope that it turns out as good as yours. wish me luck.
I am sure it will turn out amazing for you! I hope you love this! Always here to help if you have any questions! xTieghan
This is a new favorite in my house now! I made this the other night and everything about it was just gorgeous and delicious. The rice was very subtle and creamy with hints of lemongrass- loved it. I will be making this regularly now and can’t wait to try all your other recipes! Thanks 🙂
Thank you so much Rita! xTieghan
Talk about delicious!!! This meal took me to Flavor Town and my husband devoured it! I’ve been cooking lots of new meals during quarantine but I have to say Half Baked Harvest‘a recipes never disappoint!! Thanks Tieghan, you’ve kicked it out of the park once again!
Aw! I am so glad you have been enjoying my recipes and I hope you continue to!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
During the Covid-19 isolation we are playing our version of ‘Chopped’ via Zoom. I made this for my week 2 dish using the 4 chosen ingredients, lime, rice, basil and ground beef (the only rule is we all have to have the ingredients on hand) and this was so flavourful, just downright yummy. My husband was a super fan and is already asking me to make it again. Highly recommended recipe – Thanks!
Wow so fun!! I am glad this one turned out so well for you and your husband! I might just have to try this with my family… Although I am not sure if everyone would participate haha! I hope you are staying well! xTieghan
HUGE HIT!!!! Adding this to my family’s regular rotation.
Thank you so much Emmy! I am so glad this turned out so well for you all! xTieghan
I’m so excited to make this tomorrow! Question: My grocery store does not sell actual lemongrass, they only sell the lemongrass stalk. Do you know how much of that I should use to flavor the rice? What’s the best method for using lemongrass stalk? Thank you!
Hi Molly! This recipe calls for the lemongrass stalk! Just very finely chop it and use as directed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This recipe was a huge hit with my Asian-spicy-food-bf! Unfortunately basil is not in season and I only had jalapeños. Imagine how much he’ll enjoy this in the spring with an actual hot red pepper?!! The lemongrass rice really gave it a special extra!!
That said, the rice took a long while to cook. I left it simmering on low for about 45 minutes (guessing here, didn’t time it).
So many great textures and flavors, vegetables, protein and a little starch. Thank you for the lovely recipe! 🙂
Thank you so much for trying this Maria! I am really glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed this recipe!! xTieghan
This recipe is always a hit! ??
Thank you Sarah! xTieghan
Fantastic recipe! Full of flavor, texture and color. We loved the lemon grass rice! I drained and heated the veggies in the neat before serving but that was the only change I made. Will definitely make this again.
I am so glad you loved this Judy! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Does anyone ever write a review on how it tasted? Too much about the pretty pictures and can’t wait to try. I would really like to know how this actually tastes. Anyone?
Haha well I have and I love it! So thats one! I hope you do love this recipe, C! Let me know if you try it! xTieghan
Looks amazing but I feel like I’m missing something in the method. What do I do with my bowl of carrots, peppers, green onions, fish sauce, honey, lime juice etc,
It says to add to a bowl and then set aside but I cant see when you add it in to the recipe?
thanks
Hey Becky!! The carrots and peppers are meant for topping the beef. Add this mix of veggies to the top of each plate of food as a fresh finish! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Do you have any pictures of the finished product?
Hey Mathew, there are plenty of photos of the final dish. Are you not seeing them? Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I have made this several times over last couple months and we love it. One question? When cooking beef it says add the oil. The only oil I see is the sesame oil for rice. Could you clarify the step for beef. How much and what type oil?
Hey Toni! I like to use 1-2 tablespoons olive oil when cooking the beef. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Yeeeeesss, a dish that pleases the entire family! Honestly, I find it really hard to find a dish that everyone loves. This one was a hit! The flavours are amazing, the rice was so fluffy with a gorgeous coconut/lemon flavour and it is truly quite simple to pull together. Thank you!! This recipe is a keeper!
I am so happy to hear that Samone! Thank you for trying this one and I hope your whole family loves others of mine! xTieghan