I’m dead serious, pun intended, when I tell you a ground beef and rice bowl of some kind would be a part of my final meal. Over the last ten years of food blogging, I’ve made hundreds of variations with different veggie and sauce combinations.
Every time I make a new one I think it’s my favorite, but THIS one might actually be my favorite. (Just don’t ask me about it next week.)
Let’s jump right in as I run you through the ingredient list, a few cooking process pointers, and garnishing tips for beautiful Thai basil beef bowls.
Ingredients
Ground beef, a blend of peppers and onion, Thai basil, and a homemade stir fry sauce are the four components needed to make this recipe. I’ve tested it with all colors of bell peppers, jalapeño and serrano peppers, and every version turns out great.
And the same goes for proteins. Ground chicken or ground turkey both work great with everything else here.
I like to use coconut aminos as a less salty soy sauce replacement, but soy sauce works fine here in a reduced amount. I would swap two tablespoons of coconut aminos for maybe one tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce and an extra tablespoon of water.
You’ll also notice a lime in the photo above that’s used for garnishing. I’ll cover more pairing ideas below.
Tips for Cooking
My recipe calls for cooking the veggies and beef separately since I use a pan instead of a wok. That way you have plenty of pan real estate for both.
Crowding the pan prohibits browning and flavor development.
I also like to add the sauce (and Thai basil) to the beef on its own so it gets nice and caramelized quickly.
If you’re a “crispy beef” lover like me, you will want to take a look at my hoisin beef bowls or beef and baby broccoli.
Rice, Peanuts, and Pairing Ideas
My recipe calls for four cups of steamed jasmine rice. I typically use a shortcut ingredient in two ten-ounce bags of frozen jasmine rice. I’ve also tried this stir fry with microwave-ready bags of coconut rice.
Want to make your own? Maybe try something like this light coconut rice (made with reduced fat coconut milk).
I first made a chopped peanut garnish for my high protein peanut noodles and have been going back to the well frequently. It’s a simple combination of chopped roasted peanuts, rice vinegar, herbs like green onion or cilantro, and chili flakes.
For the version you see above, I added a bit of chili crisp and freshly sliced serrano pepper.
Add some lime wedges to squeeze over the bowls and you’ll be ready to rock.
And that’s all you need to know. I hope you love these beef bowls and come back to let me know in a recipe review. See you again soon! – Mason
Thai Basil Beef Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 medium Bell Peppers, medium diced
- 1 medium White Onion, medium diced
- 1-2 Serrano Peppers, thinly sliced (optional)
- ½ oz (15-20 leaves) Thai Basil
- 1 pound Extra Lean Ground Beef
- 2 Tablespoons Coconut Aminos
- 1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1 Tablespoon Water
- 2 teaspoons Fish Sauce
- 4 cups Steamed Jasmine Rice
- Optional Peanut Garnish, see notes
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and peppers. Toss to evenly coat in the oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring every couple minutes, until the veggies start to soften and brown in spots. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the beef to the same pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on one side until nicely browned before breaking apart with a spatula and fully cooking.
- Add the sauce to the cooked beef and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce begins to caramelize on the bottom, another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the basil and veggies to the pan. Toss everything together and cook until the basil wilts, about 30-60 seconds.
- Serve over rice.
