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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.
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.
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. 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 use extra cilantro or even an additional green onion.
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 if you’re looking for a healthier sauce option.
Then just put everything together. Layer your warm tortillas 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!
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! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
20 Minute Thai Basil Beef Rolls
Servings: 8 rolls
Calories Per Serving: 392 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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
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.
I can’t believe how easy this recipe was but it was packed full of soooooo many flavors! Definitely in my recipe rotation. ❤️
Right?! It’s so good! Thanks so much for trying the recipe Lindsay! Have a great week! xT
I absolutely loved this recipe. So much flavor and quick to make. Definitely will be one I make on a regular basis.
Hi Debbie,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it:) xT
delicious!!! the 5 spice is perfect in this recipe. i used premade sweet chili sauce to save time, and instead of tortillas i used rice paper wrappers to made spring rolls!
Hi Emily,
Happy Sunday!!😃🍊 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Hi, can I use basil paste instead of fresh basil, or will it not taste the same?
Hi Chantelle,
I would highly recommend using the Thai Basil if you can get your hands on some:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
DELICIOUS and SO EASY!! That’s what I appreciate most about your recipes! That sweet Thai chilli sauce is heavenly.
Hey Emma,
Happy Friday!!🍍🥥 Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Any substitute for the Chinese 5 spice?
Hi Tam,
You can use some of the spices that make up the Chinese 5 spice: star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Hi! Would this work well as a meal prep option for lunches? I’m just returning to work from maternity leave and am looking for some nutritious and filling lunch options!
Thanks!
Hey Kim,
Absolutely, sounds like a great idea!! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
I’m really excited to make this. What kind of chili sauce should I use for the 1-2 T in the Thai sweet chili sauce? Thanks!
Hey Shira,
I would use a gochujang or sriracha for this recipe:) Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope it’s delish! xT
Easy to make and yet SO much good flavor! The peanuts and cucumber complement the beef so well. My only substitute was mint instead of basil and it was delicious. Thank you!! Next time I may just make as rice bowls to save a bit of time.
Hey Remi,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
This recipe is DELICIOUS! We made one change…instead of wrapping it all up in a tortilla, we used romaine lettuce leaves to make a lettuce wrap. YUM!
Hey Meg,
Love this idea of wrapping in lettuce! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! xx
Another amazing HBH recipe! My husband made these tonight and we are fans! All the flavors blend together to make one delicious dinner. Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks so much Terri! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xT
These look amazing and I am going to make them this week. The tortillas of our finished rolls almost look fried or grilled or something. If I use store bought tortillas, would I need to do anything to them? Thank you!
Hey Amy,
You can warm them in the microwave or on a skillet:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
what size tortilla’s are you using?
Hey Diane,
Honestly, I didn’t measure them, I made mine homemade! But, they are on the larger side:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
So amazing as always!!! I grilled them after assembly and it was amazing. Also I used pickled ginger with the beef like Teighans been doing lately and it was great. Forgot to get limes and it was still a 10/10 so can’t imagine how much better it will be with that acidic touch. Definitely going in our rotation!
Hey Nicole,
Amazing!! 🍉🍓 Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was delish! Have a great weekend:)
These sounds amazing! 2 questions…
I have a family member who hates cilantro – would you add any other flavour instead? Or just leave it with the basil and flavours of the dish?
My kids are really sensitive to spice… would you omit the chili sauce? Or make a modified, very mild version of it? I’m open to suggestions!
Thanks!
Hey Amy,
I would just skip the cilantro, no big deal! It’s a sweet Thai chili sauce, so there’s not much heat:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx