While this recipe—the simple, Thai flavors and quick stir-frying method—works well with almost any kind of ground meat you have on hand, we love it most of all made with ground beef. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Neutral oil—vegetable or canola work best.
- Ground beef
- A bell pepper
- Onion
- A lot of fresh garlic
- Soy sauce or tamari
- Fish sauce
- Brown sugar
- Fresh lime
- Basil—using Thai holy basil (if you’re lucky enough to find it) makes this spicy beef stir-fry worthy of the name “phat ka-phrao” which means “holy basil stir-fry”. If you can’t find Thai holy basil (it can be hard to track down) just use sweet basil.
Thai Beef Basil: 15 Minutes from Start to Finish!
Bold flavors and high heat team up to make for a delectable dinner that you’ll barely believe you made yourself. We’re not trying to put your favorite Thai restaurant out of business, but you’ll be amazed how easy it is to cook Thai basil beef at home. Give it a try next time the craving strikes! Here’s how:
- Whisk a quick sauce: chili paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime juice. P.S. this sauce is good on everything. Marinate chicken in it, drizzle it on fish before roasting—there’s no wrong way.
- Crank the heat! When your oil is nice and hot, begin to stir-fry the beef. After a few minutes add the vegetables.
- Pour the sauce over the stir-fried beef and veggies, and toss in the basil.
- Serve! With white or brown rice, or if you’re trying to avoid carbs, you could even serve it in lettuce cups.
