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My go-to, 30 Minute Vietnamese Beef and Crispy Rice Bowl. Peppery, spicy, sweet, and tangy, this Vietnamese inspired stir fried beef has crispy rice, veggies, and plenty of fresh herbs. It’s colorful, super quick, and addictingly delicious. The best part? It’s all made in just one skillet and comes together in about 30 minutes. A great fresh and flavorful dinner for any night of the week.
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If there was a dinner that my family could eat week after week, it’s this Vietnamese beef bowl. Most of my brothers are the very stereotypical guy’s guy when it comes to eating. They love their chicken and steak, and prefer their veggies in potato form. I wish I was joking, but it’s all true. Thankfully most of their pallets have matured as they’ve gotten older (not sure they have though) and they do eat a pretty colorful…ish diet these days.
I like to think that I was a major part of this.
Anyway, it might be surprising, but it’s not a given that I’ll make a recipe my brothers with actually love. Sure, I make some of their favorite foods for them when they are here, but a lot of those foods will never see the light of day here on HBH. Some of them tell me that many of the recipes I make are too veggie focused or “weird” for them. But then there are recipes like todays. Today’s recipe is one they love, and that makes me so excited. As I’ve said many times before, my favorite thing to do is cook for others. I love being able to so easily please the people I love most with a simple recipe.
It’s truly my favorite thing…which is why, during the holidays, I end up playing not only cook, but often bartender too (because most of my family members love their steak and their cocktails).
Anyway, point is I am finally making a recipe my brothers will approve of, and that’s something I’m happy about today. Also? I’m just excited to share this recipe with you all!
I can’t really pinpoint my exact source of inspiration for this recipe, other than the fact that I’ve just really been craving these fresh flavors. Lots of fresh herbs, spice, limes, and salty, tangy sauces. To be honest, I had some beef in my freezer and found everything else in my fridge/pantry. That’s kind of how this recipe came to be. Not the best story, but it’s true, and it’s recipes like these that are always my favorite.
First things first, the crispy rice. You probably cannot tell, since it’s hiding underneath all the veggies and beef, but yes, my rice is indeed crispy, and it’s very good. Up until this recipe I’d never made crispy rice at home. But after realizing how simple and easy it is to make with leftover rice (which I almost always have on hand), I will be making it often.
As the rice crisps it takes on a more toasted flavor and lends a nice crunch. It’s a fun switch up from your average steamed rice.
Once you have the rice crisped, move onto the beef.
Now, I want to discuss the cut of beef you should use. I used very high end beef tenderloin, BUT only because this is what I happened to have in my freezer. Yes, it’s beyond delicious, melts in your mouth, and you really can’t mess it up. That said, I understand that most of you may not want to shell out the cash for beef tenderloin. If that’s the case, no worries. Use a very affordable flank steak. It really does work just as well.
I pan cooked the beef and then tossed in a little sweet, salty, and slightly spicy sauce. This nicely glazes the meat and it’s really delicious. The two key ingredients here are oyster sauce and fish sauce. You can usually find both in the Asian isle at most grocery stores.
At this point, it’s assembly time. I layered my rice and beef with radicchio, carrots, and lots of fresh basil and mint. You can really use any combo of vegetables you’d like though. If you are looking to add another layer… Yes, I do think a crispy fried egg, or even a soft boiled egg, would be really good here.
I know it’s a bit early, but this bowl almost reminds me of a springtime recipe. It’s kind of cozy, but still colorful and fresh. So the perfect balance.
If you make this Vietnamese beef bowl, 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 also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
30 Minute Vietnamese Beef and Crispy Rice Bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin or flank steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1/4 cup sesame or extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 1 cup shredded radicchio or purple cabbage
- 4 carrots, shredded or cut into ribbons
- 1 Persian cucumber, sliced
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, and or mint, roughly chopped
- chopped peanuts, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Season the steak all over with pepper.2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Add the beef and toss to coat. 3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the rice and season with salt. Toss to coat in oil. Press the rice evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Let cook, without stirring, until the rice begins to turn golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Spoon the rice out of the pan and onto a plate.4. Return the skillet to high heat and add the remaining oil. Spoon the steak out of the sauce, reserving any sauce left in the bowl, and cook, undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Stir and cook, undisturbed for another 2-3 minutes. Pour the remaining sauce, 3 tablespoons water, and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce thickens and begins to coat the steak, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat5. Divide the rice among bowls and top with cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers. Spoon the beef and sauce overtop. Squeeze with lime. Top with green onions, basil and peanuts. Eat!
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.
I have eaten this for 5 days straight now for lunch and dinner. Quite possibly the easiest and most delicious thing to make.
Tips:
cold leftover rice is better to fry
make extra marinade. If you let the beef marinate in the fridge, most of the yummy goodness will be soaked up
works with chicken and/or pork
You will not stop talking about this to friends so be prepared to talk about it a lot.
Haha wow this is so great! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi, is there a sub for the fish sauce I can use in this recipe? So excited to try this!
Hey Skim,
You can use soy sauce in place of the fish sauce. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Spectacular recipe —- thank you!!
Thank you Susan! xTieghan
AMAZING! I’ve never used oyster or fish sauce in my kitchen and was timid at first to see how the flavors would combine but I promise you, you will not be disappointed! We omitted the red pepper flakes so it wasn’t spicy but we couldn’t have been happier. Also had to use sirloin instead because of a beef shortage here but it did the trick.
That is so amazing Madison! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
Yum, yum and yum! So good! Thank you!
Thank you so much Jenni! xTieghan
This beef dish is amazing and reminds us of our favorite dish at one of our favorite restaurants.
And the crispy rice is a game-changer!!!! — had to make double in a separate skillet bc my kids loved it.
I will definitely be making this dish often.
Thank you so much! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
Fast, flavorful, filling – fantastic. So colorful and appealing to the senses!
Thank you so much Wendy! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Do you think this recipe would work with ground beef??
Hey Emily! I am sure ground beef will work wonderfully! Great idea! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Any plans for a meet and greet..and cook..or a schedule for cookbook signings..would be amazing to meet you.
I have a few places I am going to!! Mainly CA and NY though! xTieghan
This looks delicious, but I have a shell fish allergy; what is a good substitute for the oyster sauce? Can it be omitted?
Hi Cari! I would use an equal amount of hoisin sauce or soy sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Omg made this last weekend n it was a hit with the family once again. It’s on repeat again this week so that the hubs can actually have some since our daughter ate most do it lol. Thank you so much.
That’s awesome to hear Lucy! Thanks for sharing!
Could I use arugula instead of the cabbage in this recipe?
Hey Roseanne,
Sure, that will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was amazing!!! Our new favorite recipe of yours.
Thank you Katia! xTieghan
The crispy rice really ups the ante and makes this dish spectacular! I subbed coconut aminos for soy sauce, cilantro for basil and used tenderloin. Will def make again!
Yum! so glad this turned out amazing for you Marta! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks amazing! My boyfriend loves rice bowls. I’m not a huge rice fan but I’m trying to be more open to trying recipes with it. Will give it a go this weekend.
I hope this bowl changes your mind! Let me know how it turns out for you both, Janet! Thank you! xTieghan
nice recipie and lovely photos. i made a variation of this dish before seeing yours. I used tri-tip instead of flank (and with only a couple tweaks I’ve substituted salmon as the protein in prior efforts). I used light brown sugar instead of honey and zested a lime and it’s juice into the sauce but I like your idea of a splash of lime at the table—this provides a nice acid balance to the sauce’s sweetness. I also used a generous grating of fresh ginger to go with the mint and basil. And.a final tweak is I minced a fresh jalapeño pepper into the sauce instead of the pepper flakes. You found a sneaky way to get your kids eating a salad without realizing it! Beautiful dish, keep up the good work.
So glad this turned out amazing for you John! Thank you so much! xTieghan