30 Minute Thai Basil Beef Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh garlic 3-4 medium cloves
- 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger or ginger paste*
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemongrass or lemongrass paste*
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef I use 90%, anything less will be too fatty
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce***
- 5 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, divided
- For the rice bowls:
- 1 medium seedless cucumber thinly sliced
- 2 cups sugar snap peas
- 2 cups thinly sliced red cabage
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice*
- nuoc cham see recipe below
- ½ cup salted,roasted cashews roasted cashews
- small fresh basil leaves
Instructions
-
Combine the garlic, ginger* and lemongrass* in a small bowl. Set aside.
-
Heat coconut oil in a large, tall pot** over high heat until very hot. Add ground beef and break apart with a metal spatula to cover the bottom of the pot. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until meat is beginning to brown on the bottom. Turn meat, breaking up again with the metal spatula and redistributing to cover the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring once or twice until beef is uniformly cooked all over. It won’t be super brown at this point, just nicely cooked through. At first, a lot of moisture will come out of the beef but, as it cooks, the moisture will be reabsorbed. You shouldn’t have much fat in the pan (if you’ve used lean beef) but if there is fat accumulated after meat is cooked, pour it off and discard most of it.
-
Once meat is cooked, lower heat to medium and add chopped onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until onion is softened and becomes translucent.
-
Spread beef mixture to the edges of the pot with a metal spatula, leaving an approximately 3-inch cleared area in the center of the pot. Add the sesame oil and heat for 30 seconds, then add the garlic/ginger/lemongrass mixture (from step 1) and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring continuously. (Don’t worry if a little of the beef gets into the mix.)
-
Add the soy sauce, fish sauce and sweet chili sauce to the beef mixture, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until meat mixture is a nice golden brown. (This means the sugars from the chili sauce will have caramelized, creating even more deliciousness.) Add ½ cup of the finely chopped basil and stir for another 30 seconds or until basil begins to wilt. Remove pot from heat and cover to stay warm.
-
Add the remaining basil and stir to combine just before serving.
-
To make the rice bowls, scoop about ½-3/4 cup rice into one side of a bowl. Spread a little of the rice over the bottom of the bowl but keep most of it in a little pile on one side. Add a scoop of beef (about ½-3/4 cup) next to the rice and then ½ cup size portions of the veggies. (If I'm using sugar snap peas, I like to steam them in the microwave.. I just put them in a microwave-safe bowl with a tablespoon of water and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Then I cook it on high for 45 seconds, remove from microwave, uncover and cool.) Garnish with cashews and fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with some of the nuoc cham. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
* Sometimes lemongrass is hard to find. You can find lemongrass pastehowever, in many larger grocery stores (in the produce section), including Super Walmart. It's a good sub and you can keep it in the freezer for a long time. Just thaw slightly before using.
They also have ginger in these little tubes. It tastes very fresh and makes meals like this quick and easy.
** You can actually make this in a large sauté pan, but I hate making a big mess on my stovetop. If you use a tall pot, you eliminate most of the spatter that comes from cooking the beef.
*** don't skip the fish sauce. It's one of those ingredients that give this dish lots of authentic, vibrant Thai flavor. Just a warning though, it's best not to smell it. To be honest, it stinks - but don't let that deter you! The flavor it adds is nothing like the smell! I really like Red Boat Fish sauce. It's been rated as the number one fish sauce by Cook's Illustrated. You can usually find it at special stores like, Whole Foods, Trader Jo's, Sur La Table and online.