Description
Sizzling Thai basil beef brings spicy, aromatic flavors from Bangkok’s street kitchens. Fragrant herbs and quick stir-frying create a delicious meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (450g / 16 oz) ground beef (or thinly sliced flank steak)
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil if unavailable)
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced, optional for color & crunch)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Thai red chilies (sliced, adjust for spice level)
- ½ small onion (sliced, optional for sweetness)
- 2 tbsps oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (light or low-sodium preferred)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (adds umami, but optional)
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (for deep color, optional)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey (balances the flavors)
- ¼ cup water or beef broth
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or sesame oil)
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Fried eggs (optional but traditional!)
- Extra Thai basil & red chilies (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Sauce Preparation: Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, and water in a vessel until completely blended, allowing flavors to harmonize while preparing other components.
- High-Heat Searing: Ignite wok or skillet to maximum temperature, swiftly stir-frying minced beef until crisp and golden, creating textural complexity with rapid, continuous movement.
- Aromatic Infusion: Introduce chopped garlic and chili peppers into the seared beef, generating an intense fragrant base that transforms the protein’s fundamental character.
- Flavor Layering: Cascade prepared sauce over beef mixture, enabling caramelization that coats each morsel with a glossy, umami-rich glaze while maintaining dynamic texture.
- Herbal Finale: Rapidly fold fresh Thai basil leaves into the sizzling preparation, ensuring immediate removal from heat to preserve their vibrant green color and release their peppery essence.
- Presentation: Transfer the glistening beef atop steamed jasmine rice, crowning the dish with additional fresh basil leaves to amplify the authentic Thai culinary experience.
Notes
- Maximize Meat Texture: Use high-fat ground beef (80/20) to ensure juicy, crispy edges when stir-frying at extremely high heat.
- Prevent Basil Bitterness: Add Thai basil leaves at the very end of cooking and remove from heat instantly to maintain bright color and prevent oxidation that creates bitter undertones.
- Control Spice Levels: Adjust chili pepper quantity based on personal heat tolerance – remove seeds for milder version or use bird’s eye chilies for intense heat.
- Enhance Authenticity: Use genuine Thai basil instead of regular sweet basil for authentic flavor profile, as its distinct peppery and anise-like taste defines the dish’s characteristic essence.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg