This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
30 Minute Thai Red Curry Basil Beef Noodles. Homemade basil garlic oil, Thai red curry beef, and frizzled scallions are tossed with quick-cooking noodles for dinner thatโs ready in minutes. Itโs fresh, saucy, packed with flavor, and perfect when youโre wanting takeout-style noodles made at home. Finish each bowl with a crisp pickled salad made with fresh garden vegetables for the perfect fresh crunch and spice.
Something I love about having a big family is that youโre surrounded by built-in best friends and an endless source of recipe inspiration. I feel really lucky for that.
A few weeks ago, my brother Malachi sent me photos of the dinner he had made. It was his own spin on one of my red curry noodle recipes, and the second I saw it, I started asking questions.
He told me he always tops the curry noodles with ground beef cooked with onions and bacon, then spoons it over the noodles so the curry sauce and basil garlic oil coat everything. He also adds broccoli, which made me smile.
Kai never touched anything green when we were kids!
I loved the idea so much that I recreated it the very next night. I didnโt have any broccoli on hand, so I made a quick pickled garden vegetable salad instead, inspired by my sister Asher, who will happily pickle just about anything.
The whole dinner came together in about 30 minutes with no oven required. The noodles are rich, saucy, and packed with flavor, while the crisp pickled vegetables add the perfect fresh, crunchy contrast. Itโs exactly the kind of dinner we all crave on busy nights, and one I know weโll be making on repeat.
These are the details
Ingredientsย
The Salad
- shredded carrots
- cherry tomatoes
- toasted sesame oil
- lime juice
- rice vinegar
- fresh micro basil and cilantro
The Beef
- sesame or avocado oil
- green onions
- Thai red curry paste
- garlic
- ginger
- chili flakes
- fresh Thai basil or basil
- fresh cilantro
- bacon
- ground beef โ you can easily use ground pork, turkey, or chicken
- brown rice ramen noodles or rice noodles โ I tend to use ramen
- tamari or soy sauce
- roasted and salted cashews
Needed From the Kitchen
Youโll need a large bowl for the pickled salad, a large heatproof bowl for the basil garlic oil, and a big skillet so the bacon and beef have plenty of room to brown. Then just the usual kitchen essentials: a good chefโs knife, a cutting board, and a few mixing utensils.
The Steps
Step 1: Make the Pickled Salad
The salad couldnโt be easier. Add everything to a bowl, toss well, and let the vegetables quick-pickle while you make the noodles and beef.
I love the freshness this salad adds. It balances the rich, saucy noodles perfectly. If you have cucumbers, radishes, shredded cabbage, or snap peas hanging out in the fridge, toss those in too.
Tieghanโs Tip: Grab a bag of shredded carrots to save yourself a few minutes of prep.
Step 2: Make the Basil Garlic Oil
Heat the oil in a large skillet until hot, but not smoking. While the oil heats, add the green onions, curry paste, garlic, ginger, basil, cilantro, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to a large heatproof bowl. Carefully pour the hot oil over the herbs and stir everything together.
This is where all the flavor comes together. The hot oil blooms the curry paste and fresh herbs, creating an incredibly flavorful oil in just minutes. It smells amazing.
Tieghanโs Tip: Have everything chopped and ready before heating the oil. Once the oil is hot, youโll want to pour it over the herbs right away.
Step 3: Brown the Beef
Using the same skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and the fat has rendered. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Stir in the tamari and let everything cook together for another minute.
The bacon adds richness, while the tamari seasons the beef without needing much else. Donโt worry about the browned bits left in the panโthey add even more flavor.
Tieghanโs Tip: While the beef cooks, bring the noodles to a boil so everything finishes at the same time.
Step 4: Cook the Noodles
Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain well, then immediately toss them with the warm basil-garlic oil until every noodle is coated.
The hot noodles soak up all of that fragrant curry basil-garlic oil, making every bite extra flavorful.
Tieghanโs Tip: If the noodles seem a little dry, add a splash of the reserved noodle cooking water before tossing.
Step 5: Build Your Bowls
Divide the noodles between bowls and spoon the beef over top. Finish with the pickled salad and chopped cashews.
I love getting a little of everything in each bite. The saucy noodles, savory beef, crunchy vegetables, and salty cashews are the perfect combination.
Tieghanโs Tip: Finish each bowl with a squeeze of fresh lime and a handful of extra basil or cilantro if you have it. And if you really want to take these noodles over the top, add a fried egg. Itโs so delicious!
30 Minute Thai Red Curry Basil Beef Noodles
Ingredients
The Pickled Salad
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 cup mixed Thai basil and cilantro
The Beef
- 1/2 cup sesame or avocado oil
- 1/3 cup green onions, sliced
- 1-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- chili flakes
- 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil or basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 strips bacon, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 6 ounces rice noodles, cooked
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/2 cup roasted salted cashews, chopped
Instructions
- 1. To make the salad, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Set aside.2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot, but not smoking.3. In a large heatproof bowl, combine the green onions, curry paste, garlic, ginger, basil, cilantro, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Carefully pour the hot oil over the herbs.4. In the same skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the tamari.5. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain, then immediately toss with the curry herb oil.6. Divide the noodles among bowls. Top with the beef, pickled salad, and cashews.
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 am not sure what went so wrong but it was lackluster in flavor and an odd pairing (used 2 tablespoons of thai curry). Most recipes are a great 4 or solid 5, but so disappointed and the whole family pushed the dish back. I used really fine rice noodles and used store-bought shredded carrots, otherwise followed the recipe. DK.
Hi Kat,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
Glad I tried something out of our usual options. This was so flavorful and next time I wonโt be afraid to add 3 tblspns of the Thai paste. It wasnโt overly spicy but definitely had a smoky flavor and will need to find the Thai basil to get all the flavors.
Hey Tammy,
So kind of you to try this recipe and leave feedback, Iโm glad it was a hit!
Have a nice week!
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! Another family favorite. It was simple, flavorful, and perfect for the summer. Added sliced beets and a tad of honey in the pickled salad and it was great! Doubled the entire recipe for my family of 6 and it wasn’t enough (just in case you have 4 hungry teens).
Hey Fontayne,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for choosing to make it!
This dinner was beautiful and flavorful and a great way to use my abundance of Thai basil from the garden. I took some tips from the comments and a little broth to the bowls, decreased the soy sauce, and passed on the bacon. We loved the freshness of the salad and agreed that I should make it again!
Hey Loni,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for choosing to make it!
Amazing flavors in this dish. Wow! We felt like it needed a little bit of broth though. Maybe like the broth you do for the Asian sesame dumplings so next time Iโd add some beef broth to the meet. I also added some ribbons of carrots to the beef and cooked them down a bit. My family and I couldnโt get over how amazing the flavors were and how it all came together. Sooo yummy.
Hey Sarah,
Your feedback means a lot, thanks for trying the recipe. Happy it delivered!
This recipe tasted ok, it was quite salty. I used carrots, radishes and onions in the pickled salad and cut the herbs in half a cup seemed like a lot and it would have been. Just a warning there were not nearly enough noodles for 6 servings, I would double the noodles.
Hey Kelsey,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback!! So sorry to hear it was just ok!
Amazing!! Didn’t/wouldn’t change anything about this recipe. So delicious and again… THANK YOU T!!
Hey Christopher,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe and taking the time to comment. So glad it was enjoyed!
Very tasty! I added some bell peppers while the meat was sautรฉing. Delicious!
Hey Fernanda,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe and taking the time to comment. So glad it was enjoyed!
Another brilliant recipe! I added a bit of sugar at the end to balance the flavors (for my taste). The salad brightened the dish beautifully! Your take on recipes always elevates flavors! Thank you!
Hi Cheryl,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe and taking the time to comment. So glad it was enjoyed!
Another great recipe! You are my Julia Childs, Tieghan! There’s not a single recipe that hasn’t been loved and this one didn’t disappoint. We were a bit dubious combining beef, bacon & timari but once again it worked out beautifully.
Hey Lori,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe and taking the time to comment. So glad it was enjoyed!
these flavors didn’t quite work for me. followed the recipe exactly except for the bacon. i think it was too many tangy flavors? needs some sweetness maybe?
Hi Chris,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback! Very sorry to hear you didn’t love the flavors.
I love noodles! The beef gets cooked in the bacon fat? The dish gets topped with an oil based salad? This sounds quite heavy. I’d love to see lighter recipes for summer.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Molly!