We Had You At “Thai Basil”, Right?
Have you had that revelatory moment yet? You know the one, where you’re eagerly gobbling up your favorite Thai dishes, and you suddenly realize that the thing you love most about Thai food is the abundant use of basil. It shows up in curries, stir-fries, noodle dishes—so many dishes get a fragrant boost from this simple herb. There are many different varieties of basil, though, and in America the most readily available variety is not the kind that’s typically used in Thai cuisine. Authentically Thai dishes would ideally be made with holy basil, but that’s OK! We’re calling for sweet basil here, simply because we know you’ll be able to find it—though if you can find holy basil, by all means use it. Even with this non-traditional swap, this dish is still very delicious and brims with Thai flavors thanks to fresh lime juice, fish sauce, and plenty of garlic and chili paste.
Chili Paste: Let’s Discuss.
For Asian stir-fry recipes like this, when we call for “chili paste” we mean this stuff—simple, spicy, delicious sambal oelek. Sambal brings heat (but not too much) and not much else, which is exactly how we like it. Sriracha has its place, but it is flavored with sugar and other spices and it can complicate things. In our Thai basil beef recipe, sambal stands in for fresh chilis—scooping some chili paste out of a jar is a lot easier than messing around with fresh chilis.
Now You Know You Need Chili Paste! What Else?
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.
5 Thai Recipes We Can’t Get Enough Of:
Swap take-out in favor of staying in and getting cozy with these easy Thai recipes:
- Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
- Thai Steak Lettuce Cups
- No Noodle Pad Thai
- Larb Lettuce Cups
- Slow Cooker Swimming Rama
Tools You’ll Need:
- Large skillet or wok.
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- A rice cooker is handy, but not a must.
Spicy Date Night In, Anyone?
Whether you’re feeding a crowd, or just need a quick dinner for two, Thai beef basil is as easy and delicious as you can get. Snap a photo of your Thai basil beef and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can see and share!
