Thai beef bowl with coconut rice is a delicious and satisfying meal that combines the bold flavors of Thailand with the comfort of a hearty bowl of rice and protein. These bowls are perfect for a quick and easy dinner that can be made in just a few simple steps.
This Thai beef bowl with coconut rice is served with a delicious Thai style slaw and stir fried vegetables.
The sauce is so full of delicious umami flavor and hits the perfect Thai notes of salty, sweet, sour and spicy.
Thai beef bowls are the perfect weeknight dinner or a delicious way to greet adventurous friends.
They are also kid friendly and can be deconstructed for even picky eaters. Just serve each element individually.
Tips and Tricks With This Recipe:
What cut of meat to use for Thai beef bowls?
Many Thai beef bowls call for lean ground beef. We are going to make this dish with top sirloin for an elevated bowl.
Top sirloin is inexpensive and when cut thin it is very tender.
I like to skewer the meat and get a delicious caramelized char for optimum flavor. The sauce caramelizes perfectly and who doesn’t love meat on a skewer.
You can also use flatiron steak, strip steak or tenderloin.
If you want to change up the recipe all together you can use ground turkey, ground beef or ground pork. For a vegetarian Thai bowl use tofu.
Tips on cutting your steak:
A great tip for getting thinly sliced steak is to place your steak into the freezer for 45 minutes before cutting.
This will allow the steak to freeze up a bit and help you to cut it into thin slices.
Then make sure your knife is sharpened before cutting.
Slice the meat into thin 1/4 inch slices against the grain.
Soak your skewers:
If you are using wooden skewers remember to soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before skewering the meat.
This will prevent them from catching fire. You can also use metal skewers.
Rice or Noodles?
I love using coconut rice as the starch for these Thai basil beef bowls. The slightly sweet coconut flavor goes perfectly with the tangy flavors from the meat.
When picking what rice to use I prefer a jasmine rice or basmati rice. Because they are long grain rice they tend to work the best when adding the additional fat from the coconut milk when cooking.
You can also use Thai vermicelli rice noodles, cauliflower rice or serve it on a bed of lettuce.
What can I substitute for Thai Basil?
There are many varieties of basil. You can see from the picture above the difference between Thai basil and Italian basil.
Thai basil is a unique variety of basil with a pungent flavor. It is very traditional in Thai cooking and gives a very distinct flavor.
You can typically find Thai basil at Asian markets like 99 Ranch or in some specialty markets. I even have found it at Restaurant Depot.
If you can’t find Thai basil you can use a combination of regular fresh basil and fresh mint. But it’s worth the hunt to find it!
Ingredients For Thai Beef Bowl:
To start, you will need to gather a few key ingredients.
The key ingredients include thinly sliced beef, rice, vegetables, aromatics such as garlic, ginger, along with a selection of flavorful Thai sauces.
Possibly Ingredient Substitutions:
Coconut Rice Ingredients:
- Basmati Rice: Make sure to use a long grain rice. You can also use Jasmine rice.
- Coconut Milk
- Salt
Thai Slaw Ingredients:
- Persian Cucumber: Persian cucumbers are smaller than other varieties. You can also use an English cucumber.
- Carrots
- Tomatoes: I used cherry tomatoes but you can also substitute with any type of tomato.
- Lime juice and zest: Fresh juice and zest are essential. I would not substitute with the refrigerated lime juice.
- Sugar: I used granulated sugar, but you can also use brown sugar.
- Rice Vinegar
- Fish Sauce: This is another essential ingredient to Thai cooking. I promise you won’t taste fish.
- Salt
Sauce Ingredients:
- Garlic Cloves: I use the frozen cloves out of convenience. But you can use fresh or frozen.
- Ginger: Again I use the frozen cubes out of convenience. But you can use fresh or frozen.
- Soy Sauce: Use low sodium or regular.
- Sweet Chili Sauce: You can find this in any major grocery store.
Other Ingredients:
- Top Sirloin Steak: I have listed the substitutions in the tips and trick section.
- White Onion: You can use any variety of onion.
- Bell Pepper: Any color will work.
- Cabbage: Any cabbage will work.
- Thai Basil: You can substitute a combination of fresh basil and mint.
How To Make Thai Beef Bowl With Coconut Rice:
To make the rice bowls begin by cooking your rice according to the recipe directions.
While the rice is cooking, combine the sauce ingredients.
In a small saucepan heated over medium-low heat combine soy sauce, fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, ginger and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
Next make the slaw and let sit.
Next heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat along with a cast iron grill over high heat. (We will grill the steak separately).
Add the oil to the large non-stick pan and stir fry the vegetables. Then add 2 tablespoons of the sauce and stir to combine.
Baste the steak skewers in sauce and grill on the cast iron grill for 1-2 minutes per side. The steak should become caramelized and slightly browned.
Remove the steak and set aside.
Once all the elements are cooked, it’s time to assemble your bowls.
To assemble to bowls divide the rice evenly among bowls. Top the rice with the stir fried vegetables, Thai vegetable slaw, steak skewers and then drizzle with desired amount of sauce.
You can also add additional toppings.
Some additional topping are chopped herbs, crushed peanuts, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, lime juice or a sunny-side up egg.
These are listed in the note section of the recipe card and are great ideas for additional toppings.
To serve, you can either mix everything together or keep the ingredients separate, allowing each person to customize their own bowl. Either way, these Thai beef bowls are sure to be a hit with the whole family.
Not only are Thai beef bowls delicious, but they are also incredibly versatile and take less than 30 minutes to make.
Feel free to switch up the vegetables and sauces to suit your taste. Try adding in other protein sources such as chicken or tofu or add additional toppings. The possibilities are endless, so get creative and enjoy!
Other Delicious Thai Dishes To Try:
I am a huge fan of Thai food and here are some other delicious Thai inspired recipes to try. If you want one of your favorite Thai dishes to be on the blog send me a comment below and I will get recipe testing!
Thai Yellow Curry With Chicken and Potatoes
Thai Beef Bowl Recipe:
Thai Beef Bowl With Coconut Rice
Thai beef bowl with coconut rice is a delicious and satisfying meal that combines the bold flavors of Thailand with the comfort of a hearty bowl of rice and protein.
Ingredients
Coconut Rice:
- 3 cups Basmati rice
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
- 4 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt
Sauce:
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 teaspoons ginger, minced
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
Thai Slaw:
- 3 small Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber, julienned (cut into thin matchsticks)
- 2 large carrots, julienned
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Bowl Ingredients:
- 1 white onion, sliced thin
- 1 bell pepper, sliced thin
- 2 cups cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 cup Thai basil
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 2 pounds top sirloin steak, cut into thin 1/4 inch slices and skewered
Optional Toppings:
- lime
- black sesame seed
- Thai basil
Instructions
- Make the rice by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan heated over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to low, cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
- While the rice is cooking, combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan heated over medium-low heat. Cook for 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Remove from the heat and pour 1/2 of the sauce into a bowl for drizzling on the finished bowls (at the end) and set aside.
- Next make the slaw by combining all ingredients into a bowl, stir to combine and set aside.
- Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Preheat a cast iron grill over high heat.
- Add oil to the large non-stick pan and stir fry the onion, bell pepper and cabbage for 3-5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the sauce and the Thai basil and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
- With the remaining sauce (not the sauce for the finished bowls) baste the steak skewers with sauce and grill on the cast iron grill for 1-2 minutes per side or until caramelized. Remove and set aside.
- Once all the elements are cooked assemble the bowls. Divide the rice evenly. Top with stir fried vegetables, Thai vegetable slaw, steak skewers, drizzle with desired amount of sauce and top with optional toppings. You can also add additional toppings (check notes section).
Notes
Some additional topping are chopped herbs, crushed peanuts, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, lime juice or a sunny-side up egg.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 787Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 2277mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 5gSugar: 23gProtein: 50g