Thai Basil Beef Recipe
This Thai Basil Beef (Pad Kra Pow) is an easy, speedy one skillet dinner exploding with complex umami flavor, perfect for busy nights or any night! It’s made with juicy ground beef, bell peppers, sweet onions and loads of Thai basil enveloped in a garlicky, savory, salty, sour, spicy stir fry sauce. This Pad Gra Prow is easy to customize with your favorite veggies and you can make it as mild or as numbingly hot as you like. Serve this versatile, deeply satisfying Thai Basil Beef recipe with some hot steamed rice and skip the takeout forever. If you’re feeling extra fancy, add some Chicken Satay and Tom Kha Gai for a complete Asian feast!
Servings 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 tsp EACH ground coriander, ground ginger, white pepper (may sub 1/4 tsp black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce like Sambal Oelek (use more to taste if not using jalapeno/serrano peppers)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 jalapenos or serrano chili peppers, sliced (see notes)
- 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves, picked off the stem (may sub regular basil)
Instructions
- Whisk together the Sauce ingredients together in small bowl, set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a work or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot and rippling, add the ground beef. Break up the beef a little then flatten it against the pan; cook undisturbed for about 45 seconds. The beef will start to sear, turn over once, press flat against the pan and cook for another 30 seconds, then crumble the meat into small pieces while cooking. Drain excess grease. (The beef will not be all the way cooked through at this point.)
- Stir in the onion, bell pepper, chilies and garlic and stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Give the Sauce a stir to recombine then add to the skillet; stir fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add the basil and cook until the beef is thoroughly cooked and onions are slightly tender or tender to your liking. Serve over rice with additional chili sauce, peppers or lime if desired.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Tips
- Where to buy Thai basil: I have had success finding Thai basil with the pre-packaged herbs at Sprouts and Whole Foods otherwise you can find it at your local Asian market.
- Thai basil substitute: Regular basil is the best substitute. While it is milder and lacks the slight anise, cinnamon-y flavor typical of Thai cuisine, it will still be delicious.
- Use a sweet onion! You want half of a sweet onion because it is not as pungent as other onion varieties. It boasts a mild onion flavor with a touch of sweetness that offsets the tart umami of the dish and tastes amazing even when slightly crunchy, like in this recipe.
- Oyster sauce: Is the base of almost ever stir fry sauce and adds that extra punch of flavor that cannot be replicated with other ingredients/sauces. Please use QUALITY oyster sauce such as Lee Kum Kee or Kikkoman. You truly can taste the difference and will be sorely disappointed with less quality brands. The best substitute is soy sauce if you can’t get your hands on it.
- Shellfish allergies: If you’re allergic to shellfish/vegetarian, use LEE KUM KEE Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce instead of oyster sauce and fish sauce.
- Beef Substitute: Use ground chicken or ground turkey, thinly sliced ribeye steak, cubed pork tenderloin, tofu or shrimp. When making with shrimp, cook the shrimp first jut until opaque, remove from the pan and add back at the very end of cooking after the sauce has thickened.
- Tofu: Place firm tofu in a pie plate, top with a heavy plate and weigh down with 2 heavy cans (to release water). Set aside for 10 minutes, then chop into ½-inch cubes. Stir fry them until crispy before adding the vegetables.
- Veggies: Use the equivalent of one bell pepper in any veggies you like such as broccoli, carrots, snow peas, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. Don't add too many veggies or there won't be enough sauce.
- Gluten free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce and gluten free oyster sauce.
- Make Ahead: You can make the sauce and chop the veggies 24 hours ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.
Spice Chart
Pad Kra Pow is typically a spicy dish because it is stir fried with Thai chilies but you can make it as mild or as spicy as you’d like. Here is a general guideline, but remember, even the same pepper variety can vary in heat. Sometimes you’ll get a random super-hot jalapeno in there! You can also omit the chilies and use all chili sauce to taste if you prefer.- Mild: Don’t add any chili peppers, just chili sauce.
- Mild-Medium: 1 jalapeno pepper
- Medium: 2 jalapeno peppers
- Medium-Hot: 1 serrano pepper
- Hot: 2 serrano peppers
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
- How to store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- How to freeze: Cook without the bell peppers or remove them before freezing otherwise they will become mushy. Let the dish cool to room temperature then transfer to a freezer safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat in microwave: Transfer small portions to a microwave safe dish, heat for one minute, stir then continue to heat at 30 second intervals.
- How to reheat on the stove: For larger portions, rewarm gently in a large skillet, stirring often. You may want to add a splash of water if it seems dry.