Thai Basil Beef Bowls (With Coconut Rice)
These Thai Basil Beef Bowls pack the best flavor into ground beef and bell peppers before serving it over coconut rice! Serve this delicious dish up to your family after only 30 minutes of cooking! Whether you’re new to Thai cooking or already obsessed, this fast, flavor-packed dinner is sure to scratch that takeout itch—no delivery fees required!
Enjoy more homemade Thai food like my 30 minute Thai Chicken Coconut Soup!
Thai Beef & Basil Rice Bowls Are A Winning Dinner!
These Thai Basil Beef Bowls with coconut rice are packed with a sweet heat that you’ll find to be incredibly satisfying! After only 15 minutes of prep time, 30 minutes of cooking, and just 2 pans you’ll deliver a great weeknight meal to your family that they’ll be asking for again and again!
What really makes this dish pop is the vibrant medley of flavors—fresh basil, zesty lime, bold chili, and a savory-sweet sauce—all mingling together for a Thai-inspired bowl that’s as comforting as it is crave-worthy. Even if you can’t find traditional Thai holy basil, sweet basil works beautifully here, delivering that unmistakable herbal punch. And don’t worry, the whole thing comes together so quickly, you’ll barely believe you made it at home instead of ordering takeout.
Why I Love This Recipe!
- Sweet Or Spicy! If you prefer sweeter beef bowls leave the cayenne pepper out! However if you prefer some heat load on the cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and mabe even some hot chili peppers!
- Swap Out The Beef! Don’t eat beef? The good news is that this dish can also be made with ground turkey!
- Loaded With Flavor! The homemade sauce that coats the beef is loaded with great flavor thanks to the thai chili sauce, brown sugar, and soy sauce!
- Minimal Dishes! This is a simple two pan meal! I love when homemade meals come with very minimal dishes and easy clean-up!
This was absolutely delicious. Had a bunch of leftover coconut rice and so just warmed it up and put this on top. I made the recipe exactly other than the fact that I didn’t have the fresh basil (I omitted rather than using dried). Topped it with avocado and cucumber. It was spicy and tasty, and everyone gobbled it up!! Definitely a keeper. – Lori S.
What Makes Thai Basil Beef So Irresistible?
Imagine digging into a bowl where bold, fragrant basil meets juicy ground beef, crisp-tender peppers, and a sauce that balances sweet, salty, tangy, and spicy notes all in one bite. That’s the magic of Thai basil beef! Traditionally, this dish is made with holy basil for its peppery kick, but sweet basil is a perfectly delicious stand-in—plus, you’ll find it in most grocery stores.
The sauce brings together classic Thai flavors like soy sauce, fresh lime juice, brown sugar, and chili sauce, all punctuated by plenty of garlic and just the right amount of heat. High heat and quick cooking lock in those flavors, creating a dinner that’s bursting with freshness and umami in every forkful.
Thai Basil Beef Ingredients
This Thai Basil Beef Recipe starts by browning up ground beef then sauteing green peppers in olive oil and garlic paste. It then combines the ground beef and sauteed peppers in the same skillet along with the homemade sauce that’s made of soy sauce, lime juice, chili sauce, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper.
You’ll then stir in basil and grated carrots before serving the beef mixture over jasmine rice that’s been cooked in water and coconut milk. Finish off this dish by using red pepper flakes, quartered cucumbers, and scallions for garnish!
How To Make Thai Beef Bowls
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then add it to the pot of boiling water and coconut milk. Cover and simmer, then remove from heat to fluff with a fork after letting it set for 10 minutes.
- Brown the beef in a large skillet then remove from the pan and set it aside. Drain grease from the skillet.
- Saute the chopped peppers in olive oil in the large skillet. Then add garlic paste and satue altogether.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, chili sauce, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
- Add the soy sauce mixture and cooked beef into the skillet with the peppers and garlic. Cooking until the liquid evaporates.
- Stir in the chopped basil then remove from heat and add the grated carrots.
- Serve the beef over coconut rice and garnish with red pepper flakes, scallions, and quartered cucumbers.
Rebecca’s Tips
- If you want to make it even more authentic, try tracking down Thai holy basil at an Asian market, but sweet basil works just as well for a fragrant, flavorful boost.
- If you want to make this recipe with steak instead, I’d recommend choosing either a flank steak, chuck steak, or round steak and thinly slicing them into pieces.
How To Store Thai Beef
Place leftover Beef Stir Fry into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 3 to 4 days!
Is This A Dish That I Can Freeze To Enjoy Later?
I’d recommend using fresh rice and fresh garnish but you could definitely freeze the ground beef and vegetable mixture once it’s been cooked! To do so, allow the mixture to cool completely and then place it into a Ziploc freezer bag and squeeze the excess air out before sealing. Place in the freezer and enjoy within 3 months!
These Thai Beef Bowls are one of my favorite ways to use up the ground beef I have in the fridge or freezer! Make up another satisfying family dinner using ground beef by checking out these recipes!
- Baked Spaghetti Pie – Al dente spaghetti gets topped with meat suace and a layer of melty cheese for a dinner option everyone will love!
- Benihana Chicken – A delicious garlic chicken skillet recipe served with fried rice for a take-out style recipe the whole family will love!
- Classic Patty Melt – Juicy burger covered in swiss cheese and carmelized onions that then gets tucked between bread!
- American Chop Suey – This easy recipe is made with ground beef, tomato, onion, green pepper, macaroni, and spices!
- Sloppy Joes – Kick the canned stuff to the curb and whip up this homemade version that’s ready in 30 minutes!
- Taco Pasta Salad – Ground beef, mexican spices, and fresh veggies get tossed in a ceramy chipotle dressing then topped with cheesy tortilla chips!
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let leave a review in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos, or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there.
Thai Beef Bowls
Ingredients
Rice:
- 1 cup Jasmine rice or Basmati
- 14 ounces coconut milk
- ¾ cups water
Beef:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup lime juice 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons Thai chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 cup fresh basil packed, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot grated
- red pepper flakes optional
- scallions for garnish
- cucumber quartered, for garnish
Instructions
Rice
- Rinse 1 cup Jasmine rice until the water runs clear.
- Bring 14 ounces coconut milk and ¾ cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add the rinsed rice. Cover and turn to medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Beef
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown 1 pound ground beef for about 4 to 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the 1 red bell pepper (chopped) to the pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons garlic paste and saute for 1 additional minute.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup lime juice, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Thai chili sauce, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, if using.
- Add the soy sauce mixture and the cooked beef to the peppers and garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the liquid evaporates.
- Add the 1 cup fresh basil (shopped) and stir for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and add the 1 carrot (grated).
- Serve over the rice and garnish with red pepper flakes, scallions, and quartered cucumber.
Notes
- For extra spice, add hot sauce.
- Ground turkey will also work in this recipe.
- This is a sweet dish on its own if the cayenne isn’t added.
- You can also add hot chili peppers if desired.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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This was absolutely delicious. Had a bunch of leftover coconut rice and so just warmed it up and put this on top. I made the recipe exactly other than the fact that I didn’t have the fresh basil (I omitted rather than using dried).
Topped it with avocado and cucumber. It was spicy and tasty, and everyone gobbled it up!! Definitely a keeper.