Thai Red Curry Ground Beef with Peanut Sauce

Are you in search of a new way to spruce up extra lean ground beef? This recipe cooks lean beef in a sweet, spicy, umami Thai red curry sauce until it’s crispy and caramelized. That’s served over rice or noodles and topped off with a low calorie peanut sauce and a few extra garnishes. It’s a low calorie meal prep option with BIG flavors. What’s not to love?

This recipe is a low calorie adaptation of Half Baked Harvest’s curried beef, swapping creamy peanut butter for powdered peanut butter, flank steak for lean ground beef, and a few other macro friendly ingredient swaps.

Her original recipe also comes with a mango salsa that looks great, but I took things in a different direction with crunchy wonton strips and chili roasted peanuts alongside a fried egg (inspired by my Thai ground chicken).

Those on a tighter calorie budget might consider swapping the rice bowls for lettuce wraps or a rice replacement like riced hearts of palm or cauliflower. This beef and peanut sauce are flavorful enough to carry a lackluster supporting cast.

If you like the look of this Thai curry ground beef and are interested in similar recipes, be sure to check out my firecracker beef, Chinese five spice beef, or Beijing beef next.

Have a question about any of the ingredients, preparation steps, or modifications? Leave your question in the comments at the bottom of this post. Otherwise, I hope you dig this ground beef recipe! If you do, recipe reviews are helpful and appreciated.

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Thai Red Curry Ground Beef Bowls

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Thai curried ground beef with a low calorie peanut sauce over rice with fried eggs and crunchy toppings.

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Ingredients

For the Beef

• 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 pounds Lean Ground Beef
• 1 large Onion, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, crushed or minced
• 3 Tablespoons (90g) Thai Red Curry Paste
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) Pickled Ginger
• 3 Tablespoons (45g) Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
• 3 Tablespoons (45g) Maple Syrup
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) Rice Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Water

For the Peanut Sauce

• 1/2 cup (64g) Powdered Peanut Butter
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) Soy Sauce or Coconut Aminos
• 1 Tablespoon (15g) Pickled Ginger, minced (unless using a blender)
• 2 Tablespoons (60g)Thai Red Curry Paste
• 1 Tablespoon (16g) Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1/2 cup Water

Instructions

1. Mix the peanut sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or food processor until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Once hot, add the ground beef. Brown one side for 3-4 minutes until a crust forms before breaking the beef apart and adding the onion and garlic. Mix everything together and continue cooking until the beef is fully cooked, another 5-6 minutes.
3. While the beef cooks, mix the pickled ginger, curry paste, soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, and water together. You can use a blender or food processor for a completely smooth sauce.
4. Once the beef is fully cooked, add the beef sauce and cook until the sauce begins to caramelize around the edges, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Serve the beef over rice with the peanut sauce and garnish with cilantro and scallions, chopped roasted peanuts and wonton strips, lime wedges, and a Thai fried egg, if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6.25 oz beef with 3 Tablespoons (45g) of peanut sauce
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 12gCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 37g

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