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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.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.
How long does the Thai chili sauce last
Hi Barbara,
I would say up to 1 week in the fridge! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This was so good!! I did substitute butternut squash for carrots (they had it already spiralized at the store!) Very good!
Ohh so glad to hear this Tammy, thanks so much for making the recipe and sharing your feedback! Have a great weekend! xx
I made this last night to rave reviews from both my 23 year old son and my 12 year old. My older son prefers cold vegetables vs those in a stir fry, so this was perfect to have the rice and meet hot, but the salad a nice contrast on the side. I had a cucumber so I added that as well. I did the coconut rice with the lemongrass, but the flavor was really subtle. No one really noticed the difference. Especially like that this can be made ahead of time. The salad tastes better as it sits and then we just microwaved the rice and meat after we were back from our baseball game. highly recommend.
Hi Tara,
Amazing! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you:) I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it! xTieghan
This was a firework of flavours! I used crumbled tofu instead of beef, and happily used up a load of fresh thai basil from the garden. Thanks for this wonderful recipe ?
Hey Tally,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and making this recipe! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xTieghan
Made this for dinner this evening. It was delicious. I substituted ground turkey for the beef! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you so much!
Hi Sybil,
Fantastic! Thanks for making this dish and sharing your feedback! Hope you’re off to a great Friday! xx
Another hit! This will definitely be on repeat in our house. Might increase the spice level next time.
Hi Kathryn!
Awesome!! Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx
How do you make lemongrass paste? I never have. I will google it too.
Hi there,
You are not making the lemongrass paste, you can purchase it at your local grocery store:) xx
I made this tonight and we loved it!! Great flavors all around! I loved the homemade version of sweet chilli sauce! So much better and healthier!
Hi Angela,
Happy Friday!!? I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Can you give an example for the “chili sauce” used in the Homemade Sweet Thai Chili Sauce recipe? Not sure what exactly I’m looking for. Thanks, look forward to trying this!
I have the same question. Is that like a Sriracha type hot sauce, or is it like the Asian chili garlic sauce? The dish looks lovely!! Thank you.
Similar to sriracha, thai kitchen also has one that would work!
Another name for it is sweet red chili sauce! It is not spicy like Sriracha or the chili garlic sauce. It looks redish/orange and is a bit translucent. Youll be able to see the chunks of pickled chili seeds inside.
Hi Terri,
You could use sriracha or Thai kitchen brand has a chili sauce as well. I hope this helps! xx
It does! Thanks so much, Tieghan!
Huh? In another comment you suggested Sambal Oelek? I am so confused sometimes with your recipes. It seems like they have different ingredients depending on where you read them? Or the comments don’t match the recipe? One person asked what kind of paste to use for the Sweet Chili Sauce and another asked what kind of Chili Sauce to use for the Sweet Chili Sauce and you said Siracha or Thai Chili Sauce by Thai Kitchen. And there is nowhere in the recipe that calls for paste? I was just about to go to store to buy ingredients and now I am unsure what to get.
Hi Krista,
I would make sure to read the comments thoroughly so you know what they are asking about…if you want to make sweet Thai chili sauce using the homemade recipe provided then you will need chili sauce-really any kind that you like will work. OR you can not use my homemade recipe and just purchase already made sweet Thai chili sauce. I hope this clears things up for you, please let me know if I can help in any other way:) xTieghan
Is it possible to make the rice in a rice cooker with the coconut milk and all the things that go with it?
Hi Patricia,
I’ve never used a rice cooker, so I am not sure how well the measurements given would work, but you could certainly give it a try! I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
Soooooo . . . This was amazing!!!! Annnd you absolutely can put all the things in a rice cooker. We used brown rice because no jasmine rice on hand and my husband has dietary things. Cooked perfectly just added a wee bit more water for brown rice. The salad was amazing and even made the chili sauce! A keeper indeed!!!
Ohhh that is so great to hear Patricia! Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing what worked well for you! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
For all who are struggling to find lemongrass paste, it can be ordered on Amazon.
Thanks Lori!
Hello! I can’t get lemongrass paste at my local grocer, but they do have fresh lemongrass. About how much fresh would replace the paste? Thanks so much! I adore your recipes!?
Hey Mo,
You could use 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Odd question… how do I cut cut my carrots like that?
I was wondering that, too! LOL
Hey David,
I just use a veggie peeler and then slice thin! I hope this helps!
I would use a Julienne Peeler or Sprilizer 🙂
Can I use Gojuchang instead of chili paste? Trying to save a trip to the store:)
Hi Ann,
Sure, that would work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi Rosie,
I use a veggie peeler and then slice them thin from that. Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
If I was going to substitute lemongrass paste for the chopped lemongrass, would you be able to give me an approximate amount to use? Thank so much!
Hi Shea,
I would use about 1 tablespoon of the lemongrass paste. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
I just made this tonight and it was excellent!!! My son had third helpings which says a lot. I used lemon rind instead of lemongrass which worked. The rice is so flavorful!!! That paired with the ground beef and peppers.. in a bowl.. beautiful presentation and easy to prepare! Thank you for your recipes! I am a huge fan!!
Katie
Hi Katie,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xxT