This quick and easy Thai Basil Beef recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and is so delicious! It’s made with ground beef (or steak) and a homemade Thai basil sauce that’s easy to customize to your preferred spice level. 

Want more 30-Minute Meals? Try Salmon Bowls, Orzo Salad, or Kung Pao Shrimp!

Thai Basil Beef in a bowl served over hot steamed rice, ready to enjoy.

We absolutely love Thai food, wether we make homemade Thai food, or go to our favorite restaurants. My husband’s favorite dish is Pad Gra Prow, AKA Thai Basil Beef, and I love this quick and easy version that mimics the flavors we love, even if it’s not truly authentic! For authentic Pad Gra Prow, try this recipe from Hot Thai Kitchen!

I love this recipe because it uses ground meat, so it’s inexpensive and soaks up more flavor, like I image Thai street food. It’s practical for a regular weeknight meal and you can have it on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Let’s Talk Basil:

There are a few different types of basil used in Thai cooking.

  1. Holy Basil (or hot basil) is known for adding heat to dishes. It can be harder to find so Thai basil is often used as a substitute.
  2. Thai Basil (or Thai sweet basil) has purple stems and a spicy licorice-anise flavor. Thai basil can be difficult to find in American grocery stores but can be found in most Asian grocery stores (I’ve seen it in every Asian grocery store I’ve ever been in!). If you can’t find it, regular old sweet basil will work as a substitute.
  3. Sweet Basil is the type of basil we are all probably most familiar with. It’s the most common type of basil found in grocery stores and is used in all types of sauces, marinades, and other recipes. This is a perfectly good substitute for Thai basil in any recipe, you just loose a little of the pungent taste that comes from Thai basil.

How to Make Thai Basil Beef

Cook Veggies: In a wok or large skillet over medium high heat add the oil, shallots, garlic, ginger and bell peppers. Sauté for 3 minutes. Push the veggies off to the side.

A wok with oil, shallots, garlic, ginger and bell peppers pushed to the side and raw ground beef placed in the pan.

Add Ground Beef: Turn the heat to high and add the ground beef, breaking it up into small bits. I like to spoon the cooked ground beef into my food processor and pulse it a few times to break it into really small pieces.

A wok filled with cooked ground beef, red peppers, shallots, and garlic to make Thai Basil ground beef.

Make Sauce: Stir together the brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch beef broth and water. Add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

Brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, beef broth, and water in a small bowl for a Thai Basil Beef sauce.

Add Basil and stir-fry until wilted.

A Thai Basil Beef stir fry in a large wok with fresh basil on top.

Serve over hot cooked rice.

A close up image of an authentic Thai Basil Beef recipe with chopped green onions on top.

Recipe Variations:

  • Meat: Use ground chicken, ground pork, or extra firm tofu (and vegetable broth) to make it vegetarian. Flank steak would also taste delicious in this recipe. Slice it thinly, against the grain.
  • Oyster Sauce: You could substitute more soy sauce.
  • Vegetables: Use any color bell pepper and add more vegetables if you like. Try shredded carrot, thinly sliced zucchini, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, or mushrooms.
  • Chili Sauce: Substitute sriracha hot sauce in place of the Asian Garlic Chili Paste.
  • Rice: Use any kind of rice you like, or skip the rice and serve it in a lettuce wrap!

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Recipe

Thai Basil Beef served over white rice in a bowl, ready to eat.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes
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Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 shallots , chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger , minced
  • 1 red bell pepper , thinly sliced
  • 1.5 lbs lean ground beef*
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1.5 Tablespoons oyster sauce*
  • 2 or 3 Tablespoons chili paste with garlic*
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1.5 cups holy basil leaves* , chopped
  • 3 green onions chopped, for garnish
  • 5 cups hot cooked rice

Instructions
 

  • In a wok or large skillet over medium high heat, add the oil, shallots, garlic, ginger and bell peppers and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  • Push the veggies off to the side and add the ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. (I like to use a meat chopper to break up the meat in very small pieces.)
  • In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili paste, cornstarch, beef broth, and water and add to the pan. Simmer for 5-10 minutes
  • Add the basil and stir. Serve over hot steamed rice, with chopped green onion on top.

Notes

*Nutritional info does not include rice.
Oyster Sauce: You could substitute hoisin or use more soy sauce.
Basil: Holy basil is recommend, but Thai basil or sweet basil could be substituted.
Meat: Use ground chicken, ground pork, or extra firm tofu (and vegetable broth) to make it vegetarian. Flank steak would also taste delicious in this recipe. Slice it thinly, against the grain.
Chili Sauce: Substitute sriracha hot sauce in place of the Asian Garlic Chili Paste.
Vegetables: Use any color bell pepper and add more vegetables if you like. Try shredded carrot, thinly sliced zucchini, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, or mushrooms.
Rice: Use any kind of rice you like, or make it low carb and serve it in a lettuce wrap!
Add a fried egg on top!
Make Thai Basil Chicken

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 34gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 1854mgPotassium: 818mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1219IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 4mg

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I originally shared this recipe September 2019. Updated July 2020 and August 2023.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is delicious! I can’t stop eating it so I’ll have to leave the kitchen.
    I used a Thai chicken sausage that I took out of the casing.
    How many times a week can I make this????

  2. 5 stars
    This was delicious as lettuce wraps. My Hubby and I devoured it. I will be making it for some friends and will serve it over Jasmine rice. I’m also making it for a potluck fellowship where I will serve it with flour tortillas as a Thai Taco garnished with cilantro and lime 🌮 😀

  3. 5 stars
    Hello! Are you sure I’m supposed to use 1.5 cups of holy basil? 1.5 cups seems too much. Please let me know. Always, thank you for your recipes ❤️

  4. 4 stars
    This looks pretty good except it’s missing one crucial element, lime juice. The acidity of half a lime makes this dish complex , complete and authentic.

  5. 5 stars
    If you going to comment on a recipe, make sure you follow it to a T and use you common sense and taste food before serving.
    I think most recipes should have skill level of cooking, because some do not know to fix an issue that might come up.

  6. 4 stars
    Did the Thai beef dish for tea last night somes mates came to watch rugby so instead of going to take away I cooked that it was great and everyone loved it Ernie

    1. 5 stars
      Very yummy! Added extra bell pepper, some shredded carrots, and topped with green onions and sesame seeds.

      Had to cook down the final meat / sauce / veggie mixture because it was too saucy for our taste, did this before adding the final basil.

      Will definitely be making again!

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