Thai Basil Beef Bowls

So I’ve decided I need more Thai food in my life. It’s so uniquely flavorful and it always leaves me craving more. These hearty Thai Basil Beef Bowls are no exception to that! It’s a quick meal to throw together and it’s jam packed with amazing flavors! I love the way the sauce compliments the beef and of course I love the bold flavor of all the fresh basil used here (if you ask me fresh basil is one of the best ingredients known to mankind). If you haven’t tried much Thai food here is a great place to start. It doesn’t use loads of fish sauce, just enough to give it a nice depth of flavor, and it’s is an easy to follow straight forward recipe. And once you buy the ingredients to make the sauce there are so many other recipes you can use those ingredients for (like these Thai Chicken Tacos, or this easy Chicken Chow Mein, or this Chicken Pad Thai. All of them are delicious btw). Then if you are into hot sauce, the Sambal Oelek is good on pretty much anything. Add this recipe to your menu and try something new this week!

Thai Basil Beef Bowls
MMMMMmmmm, this is my kind of deliciousness, Chris! I can see why Scott wanted to eat it a few more times.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 35 mins

Calories: 438 kcal

Ingredients

•     1 tablespoon finely minced fresh garlic 3-4 medium cloves
•     1 tablespoon coconut oil
•     1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh lemongrass or lemongrass paste
•     1 medium yellow onion finely diced
•     1 ½ pounds lean ground beef I use 90%, anything less will be too fatty
•     2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger or ginger paste
•     2 teaspoons sesame oil
•     5 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
•     1 tablespoon fish sauce
•     3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
•     1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, divided

    For the rice bowls:

•     1 medium seedless cucumber thinly sliced
•     2 cups shredded carrots
•     2 cups thinly sliced red cabage
•     2 cups sugar snap peas
•     3 cups cooked jasmine rice
•     1/2 cup salted,roasted cashews roasted cashews
•     nuoc cham see recipe below
•     small fresh basil leaves

Instructions

1. Combine the garlic, ginger* and lemongrass* in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.)
5. 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 1/2 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.
6. Add the remaining basil and stir to combine just before serving.
7. To make the rice bowls, scoop about 1/2-3/4 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 1/2-3/4 cup) next to the rice and then 1/2 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!

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