When basil is overflowing in the garden, this is the ground beef recipe I make on repeat. Ready in just 20 minutes, this easy one-skillet Basil Beef is fresh, flavorful, and perfect served over jasmine rice, noodles, or tucked into crisp lettuce wraps. (Vegetarian-adaptable)Video.
Very good. I mixed ground turkey and ground beef and it was great. Great for leftovers too!
Each summer, when my basil finally starts taking over the garden, I know exactly what I’m making. My friend Spider introduced me to this recipe, explaining that it was the one dinner he made over and over because it was fast, easy, and always delicious. After making it myself, we completely understood - it has become one of our favorite weeknight meals, too.
This easy Basil Beef comes together in one skillet in just 20 minutes with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. Fresh basil, garlic, and a savory sauce make it taste fresh, vibrant, and so much more special than the effort suggests. I start the jasmine rice before cooking the meat, and everything is ready at the same time!
I’ve also tested this with plant-based ground meat, and it is totally delicious! A quick adaptable dinner in no time flat.
Why you’ll love this Thai Basil Beef recipe!
Quick & easy! This one-skillet dinner is ready in just 20 minutes. Start the rice first and everything will be ready at about the same time. Perfect for weeknights!
Big flavor, simple ingredients. Fresh basil, garlic, shallot, soy sauce, and fish sauce come together with ground beef for a savory, aromatic meal that tastes like more effort than it actually is.
A great way to highlight fresh summer basil! Is basil taking over your garden? This recipe puts a generous handful to delicious use. Thai basil is especially good if you have it.
Easily adaptable. Swap the beef for ground turkey, chicken, pork, or plant-based ground meat. Serve it over rice or noodles, or spoon it into lettuce wraps for a lighter option.
Thai Basil Beef Ingredients
- Ground beef: Ground beef provides a rich, savory flavor and browns beautifully. Use your preferred fat percentage, keeping in mind that leaner beef may need a little oil. You can substitute any other type of ground meat or use plant-based meat! If using a vegan alternative, like Beyond Burger, reduce the salt slightly.
- Shallot and garlic cloves: For aromatic, savory flavor and subtle sweetness. Feel free to substitute onions for the shallot if preferred.
- Red chili flakes: Add a gentle kick of heat that balances the richness of the meat. Feel free to swap with Sambal Olek or Garlic Chili paste to taste.
- Salt and black pepper: Help to season the beef as it browns. Go lightly with the salt at first, as the soy sauce and fish sauce will add salty flavor later.
- Fish sauce: Adds salty, savory umami and incredible depth. If using plant-based meat, you can substitute with vegan fish sauce.
- Soy sauce: For another layer of salty, savory flavor. Use gluten-free liquid aminos if needed.
- Basil leaves: The star of the recipe! If you can find Thai basil, use it! It is the BEST. Thai basil has a slightly spicy, anise-like flavor that holds up especially well to the bold, savory sauce. I love growing it in my garden, but you can also find it at Asian supermarkets. Regular basil is still delicious.
- Chili crisp: For serving. A spoonful adds spicy, garlicky flavor and incredible crispy texture. I like Trader Joe’s brand, or learn how to make homemade chili crisp!
How to Make One-Pan Basil Beef
1. Cook the rice. Cook the jasmine rice (if using). It takes about 20 minutes, which gives you time to cook the beef and have everything ready at the same time.
2. Brown the meat. Bring a large skillet or wok to medium-high heat. Add oil if using lean meat, otherwise skip it. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a spatula, then season with salt and pepper. Brown all sides. Drain the excess fat and set the meat aside.
3. Sauté the aromatics. Wipe out the skillet, add olive oil, and bring the skillet to medium heat. Sauté the shallot and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add chili flakes and cook for 1 minute.
4. Finish. Transfer the beef back to the skillet of veggies. Add fish sauce and soy sauce and stir. Once heated through, add the basil and stir until wilted.
5. Serve. Taste, adding more salt or chili flakes if desired. Serve over bowls of rice and drizzle with chili crisp (or sriracha in a pinch!). A squeeze of fresh lime juice or other fresh herbs, like cilantro, are a nice addition.
Recipe Tips
- Add vegetables! For extra nutrition, you could add veggies- sauté them first, then set aside. (Bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, green beans, bok choy, onion, etc.)
- Achieve a good sear before stirring. Give the meat time to brown before stirring it too much. The caramelized edges add a ton of flavor.
- Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Use a large skillet to ensure the beef browns instead of steams. If there’s excess liquid or fat after cooking, drain it before continuing.
- Go light on the salt initially. Both fish sauce and soy sauce are salty, so wait until the end to taste and add more to preference.
- Add the basil at the end. Stir in the fresh basil just before serving and cook just until it wilts. This preserves its fresh flavor, aroma, and vibrant color.
- Adjust the heat to taste. Keep the skillet mild and let everyone add chili crisp at the table, or add fresh sliced chilies, or increase the chili flakes for a spicier dish.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve Basil Beef is spooned over steamed jasmine rice (or rice noodles or ramen noodles) with a drizzle of chili crisp and fresh chilies. Add sliced cucumber, shredded carrots, edamame, or shredded cabbage for an easy, complete meal. For a lighter alternative, tuck into crisp butter lettuce cups! Here are some of my other favorite pairings:
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet until warmed through. You can also freeze Basil Beef for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Asian Beef Recipes You Might Like
Watch How to Make Basil Beef
After you try this Basil Beef recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
One-Pan Basil Beef (Ready in 20 Mins!)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: 30 minute Dinner, beef recipe, Dinner, easy dinner, Gluten Free Adaptable, quick dinner
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Diabetic, Gluten-Free, high protein, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo
Description
This easy Basil Beef is a quick one-skillet dinner made with ground beef, fresh basil, garlic, and a savory sauce. Ready in just 20 minutes! Recipe adapted from Joie Warner’s “All the Best Stir-Fries” cookbook.Â
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (or other ground meat, or plant-based meat)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1–2 teaspoons olive oil (see note)
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1/2–1 teaspoon red chili flakes (or sub Sambal Olek or Garlic Chili paste to taste)
- 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce (or sub vegan fish sauce) *See notes
- 1– 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (or sub GF liquid aminos) *See notes
- 1 cup basil leaves, torn (or sub Thai basil- the BEST)
- *see notes for veggies
- Garnish with 1-2 tablespoons Chili Crisp (Use Trader Joe’s brand or make your own homemade chili crisp) or thinly sliced red chilies.
Instructions
- Rice. Set jasmine rice to cook if using. This takes about 20-ish minutes.Â
- Brown the meat. Heat a large skillet to medium-high; if your meat is very lean, add a little olive oil; otherwise, a dry skillet is fine. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper and brown all sides well, crisping it up a bit. Drain any excess fat, and set meat aside.
- Garlic and Shallots. Wipe out the skillet, add olive oil, and set heat to medium. Add the shallot and garlic, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Add the chili flakes, and cook for one more minute.
- Combine. Add the cooked meat back into the skillet, along with the fish sauce and soy sauce, stirring to combine. Once heated through, fold in the basil and wilt.
- Taste and adjust salt and chili flakes. If needed, add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Drizzle with the chili crisp and serve over rice.
Notes
Olive oil- if your beef is “fatty,” you won’t need the oil. Add only if needed.Â
Fish Sauce and Soy Sauce – start light; and add more to taste. If not serving over rice, then start with 1 tablespoon each. I like the full amount when paired with rice.Â
Veggies. If you want to add veggies (like red bell pepper, zucchini, wilted greens, green beans, mushrooms, etc.), sauté them in olive oil first, set them aside, then combine at the end, adjusting the seasoning (you’ll likely need more).Â
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Plant-based “meat” -This is really good with plant-based meat like Beyond Burger;Â reduce the salt, as it is salted.Â
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¾ cup
- Calories: 301
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 1521.9 mg
- Fat: 16.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.9 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 31.9 g
- Cholesterol: 97.9 mg
A winner for busy weeknights, this recipe turns a handful of pantry staples into a deeply savory, restaurant-quality meal with minimal fuss.
The combination of garlic, shallots, soy sauce, and fish sauce gives the ground beef incredible umami depth. Fast and versatile. It goes great with jasmine rice or noodles. Highly recommended!
Great to hear Audrey!
Been making it every week. It is salty so second time around did not add as much soy sauce and fish sauce. Added spinach and instead of rice did quinoa and mixed it in to make lettuce wraps with a red cabbage slaw. It’s been a hit, even the kids like it.
The second time I also did the onion and shallots first and then the beef right after in the pan. I was in a rush.
Glad you tweaked it for your taste Ann! Thanks for taking time to review, super helpful to hear your process.
A good simple quick dinner- served with brown rice and red lentil soup. I only uised 1 t of fish sauce because I like only a hint of that flavor.
Perfect, glad you adjusted to taste!
delicious and so easy!
Great to hear Adam!
I made this today. It was good but leaned salty. I wish there was a sweet element – maybe honey or even red peppers would make a difference here.
Hi Julie- Yes, it does lean a bit salty; feel free to add red bell peppers or a ½ teaspoon of honey or sugar.
I don’t see sliced Fresno chili in the photo?
Sorry about that- they are an optional garnish- see the recipe card. 🙂
In the picture I see sliced red peppers, yet no mention of them on the recipe ingredients
Hi Richard, there is a note in the recipe tips about adding veggies. I wanted to make this as simple as possible, with the option of adding veggies. 🙂 If adding them, sauté them first, set them aside, and combine them at the end.
No ‘note’ about oil to sauté shallot and garlic. Quick and easy but my clan thought it was too salty. I used low sodium soy sauce. Might be good in a lettuce wrap.
Thanks, Mary, I added the note. Did you serve it over rice? Feel free to reduce the salt. 🙂
I made this the other night -so good! I steamed some baby bok choy and then added to the meat mixture. Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed Debra!
Making this tonight! I think I will add some red bell pepper and make a simple Asian slaw. I love quick healthy cooking. Thank you for sharing :).
Perfect! Hope you enjoyed.
Very good. I mixed ground turkey and ground beef and it was great. Great for left overs too.
So glad you enjoyed Jessica!