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These colorful 20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls are full of Thai-inspired flavor and made so simply. The beef (or use chicken or pork) is cooked in a spicy chili sauce until caramelized around the edges, then rolled up in tortillas with fresh cucumbers, cilantro, and Thai basil. Serve with extra soy sauce, chili paste, and toasted sesame oil. Each roll is spicy, sweet, tangy, and salty. Enjoy as an appetizer or serve alongside steamed rice for a quick dinner.
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My brother Malachi’s girlfriend, Caitlyn, lives in LA. She’s been telling me about beef rolls she’ll sometimes get when she out to dinner. She’s been on me to make a spicy, sweet, salty roll with Thai-inspired flavors for weeks. I was so hesitant at first because a beef roll didn’t sound all that appealing.
But then I actually put some thought into it. I did some research on how beef rolls are made and decided I could make super quick beef rolls at home with delicious flavors. Most classic beef rolls are made using a homemade wrap and thinly sliced marinated beef. They often use a spice used in Vietnamese and Hawaiian cooking, called Chinese 5 Spice. It’s a blend of cinnamon, black pepper, star anise, cloves, and fennel.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Black pepper
- Garlic
- Fresh grated ginger
- Chinese 5 spice
- Tamari or soy sauce
- Thai chili sauce
- Chopped green onions
- Persian cucumbers
- Cilantro
- Thai basil
- Chopped roasted peanuts
- Flour tortillas
- Chili paste
- Toasted sesame oil
Of course, all rolls are made differently, but the process is a bit lengthy. So I took some inspiration from the beef rolls Cait has been telling me about and created my own simplified version. And I love the way they turned out!
Since I like to serve these rolls as a dinner, the first thing I make is a big pot of rice. It actually takes longer to cook the rice than the rolls. It’s totally up to you, whether to add rice, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Especially since I know many of you need fast dinner options.
The details
I like to cook the rice in coconut milk for a creamy, coconut flavor. Simply let the rice steam while you prepare the beef rolls.
For the beef, I used ground beef, garlic, and ginger cooked together with Chinese 5 Spice, Thai chili sauce, and green onions. Cook over medium-high heat. You can easily use whatever you enjoy here, chicken or pork would both be great.
If you’re having trouble finding Thai basil, traditional Italian basil works in a pinch! Or just place extra cilantro or even an additional green onion in a small bowl for a great garnish.
Since most store-bought 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 this stir fry if you’re looking for a healthier sauce option.
Then just put everything together. Layer your warm tortillas (or delicate rice paper rolls if you prefer) with the hot beef, cucumber, cilantro, basil, green onions, and peanuts. Then, tuck and roll the rolls up nice and snug.
I serve these warm, with extra Tamari, chili paste, and toasted sesame oil. Plus, green onions too.
These wraps come together so quickly and have so much flavor, which you know we love! And I really appreciate all the fresh colors – the best kind of recipe! I absolutely love Thai-inspired dishes.
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
Thai Basil Beef and Lemongrass Rice Bowls
Lastly, if you make these 20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls, 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 or Facebook! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, (or chicken or pork)
- black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger, ( or 1/4 cup candied ginger)
- 1-3 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Thai chili sauce , (homemade in notes)
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 4 Persian cucumbers, chopped
- 2 cups cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup Thai basil, chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
- 8-10 flour tortillas, warmed
- chili paste, for serving
- toasted sesame oil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. 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, ginger, and Chinese 5 spice, cook another minute. Add the tamari and sweet Thai chili sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sauce coats the beef, 3-5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped green onions. remove from the heat. 2. Place one tortilla at a time in the microwave for 15 seconds. Spoon the beef down the center, then top with cucumber, cilantro, basil, green onion, and peanuts. Fold the tortilla over the filling. Then fold the sides and ends of the tortillas over the filling and roll forward. Repeat with remaining ingredients.3. Serve warm with extra soy, chili paste, and toasted sesame oil for dipping. To make this a dinner, serve with rice on the side.
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.
The tortillas looked fried in the photo but I do not see directions for frying. Am I missing something?
Hey Debbie,
I used homemade tortillas and lightly warmed them on a skillet before using to make them more pliable. Not necessary, but you could also do the same:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
How many rolls equate to one serving in the description here?
Hi Emma,
1 serving equals 1 roll. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Amazing!
I made them once with beef and flour tortillas and they were awesome!
But the second time, I used ground pork (omg amazing) and I used fresh spring roll wrappers instead of the tortillas. Made them gluten free and a little lighter.
The kids loved putting them together!
Hey Courtney,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it was enjoyed! x
Could you use rice paper and skip the frying?
Hey Jill,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This has become one of my staples!
I took the sauce a step further and made more of a “peanut” sauce, but with using tahini.
Then I add tamari, toasted sesame oil, sriracha, and a little lime juice. Instead of sprinkling the peanuts on top, I just throw them into the sauce so they soften a bit.
I put the beef over rice with some veggies, cucumber salad, etc sometimes too if I don’t feel like making a wrap – so so easy and flavorful. Thank you!
Hey Katie,
Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and sharing your feedback, I’m so glad to hear it is always enjoyed! xT
This looks so yummy. Would this also work to use egg roll wrappers and fry them? Your tortillas almost looked fried in the pic. Yum!
Hey Jennifer,
Sure, they would be much smaller though! I warmed my tortillas on a skillet:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This is so good. I don’t have some of the fresher ingredients like cucumbers and fresh cilantro. I did have dried Thai basil from my garden so I added that to the mixture. The meat mixture by itself is amazing. It would be excellent over rice. It’s amazing in the tortilla with a touch of sour cream and a mild cheese. Thanks for this recipe Tiegen. Oh and I made your homemade tortillas to go with it. AMAZING. And so easy. I can’t believe I waited so long to make them.
Hey Angela,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend! xT
Do you fry your tortillas after assembling? What kind do you use? Love all your recipes! You are a force for good!!🙏♥️😁
Thanks so much, Carla:) I used my homemade tortilla recipe and just warmed them on the skillet before assembly. Here is the link for the tortillas:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/homemade-flour-tortillas/
I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This recipe is delicious but there is a crucial typo which really threw me off- it says in making the homemade Thai chili sauce to add 1-2 tsp of chili sauce. This should read “chili paste.” I bought that awful artificial chili sauce from the store thinking it was part of the recipe, made it and then realized it meant chili paste. Still delicious!
Hi Kim,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry for any confusion with the chili paste!! So glad to hear they were enjoyed! xT
Sooooo good!!! The sauce on the beef was 😍😍😍. I made them w your tortillas. When I brought the plate of food to my husband, he said “is any part of this purchased from the store?” 🤣. I have never made tortillas from scratch or any kind of bread from scratch until I discovered your naan last month and my life has forever been changed. I made and ate it nonstop for weeks and planned all my meals around it. This week, I decided to try the tortillas and I’m not disappointed!
Hey Anna,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! Thanks for trying the tortillas too! xT
🥰LOVE -yum !
Thanks so much Shauna!!
Easy and delicious. Used gram marsala since that’s what we had. Made steamed broccoli and carrots alongside.
Thank you
Hey Resa,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Can you pre make these for a party then bring them and heat them up in the oven? Or will the cucumber go soggy? Could I replace that with something?
Hey Kelly,
I wouldn’t recommend reheating these in the oven with the cucumber, but you could just serve them at room temp, I think that would be totally fine to do! If you want to serve them warm then I would just omit the cucumber:) Let me know if you have any other questions!
Delicious! We added jasmine rice and a fried egg 🙂
Hi Joyce,
Perfect!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear that it turned out nicely for you! Xx
I made your flour tortillas to go with these and I wish they had been different. They were more bready than pliant–even though I didn’t overwork the dough and rolled them really thin. I will leave out the baking powder next time and see if that helps.
Hi Emmie,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear the tortillas didn’t workout for you. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
Easy and delicious and I don’t even like Thai food!😂
Thanks so much Tara:) Love to hear that this recipe was a hit! xT