This Week for Dinner: Thai Basil Beef with Coconut Rice

Ages ago when I kicked off my {now sorely-neglected} podcast, one of my first guests was Tracy Benjamin of the food blog Shutterbean. First off, Tracy is one of my favorite people and I love her episode, so go take a listen if you haven’t already! One of the recipes Tracy shared in that episode was for Thai Beef with Basil, a recipe her family loves that utilizes ground beef. I’ve had it on my to-try list ever since and last week it finally happened.

Recipe for Thai Basil Beef with Carrot Slaw and Coconut Brown Rice

The result? A really great go-to recipe that my kids devoured. All three of them said they want me to make it again and I am definitely planning to. I must admit that I wasn’t sure I was going to love this recipe – serving ground beef over rice just, I don’t know, didn’t capture my interest. Well, I’m glad I tried it anyway as I loved the recipe, too! The carrot slaw is key to why I love this dish so much. I also cooked the rice in coconut milk instead of water, which gave a nice, subtle flavor to the dish overall.

Thai Basil Beef, an quick and delicious weeknight dinner option

As is my M.O., I changed the recipe, both on purpose and on accident. I am writing my version up below, mostly so I don’t forget what I did but also so I can share it with you, in case you think my changes seem like a good idea. Enjoy!

Update! This is one of our new favorite go-to meals. The last time I cooked this dish I made a discovery – it is awesome if you had a handful of greens to the bowl. This adds a nutritional punch and tastes awesome. I just put the rice and beef in the bowl, then topped it with greens and finished with the carrot slaw. The dressing from the carrots mixes in with the greens and it’s great. I just used prepackaged “power greens,” but any kind of darker greens will work well!

Thai Basil Beef with Greens and Carrots

Thai Basil Beef with Coconut Brown Rice

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Adapted from Bon Appetit recipe, as discovered by friend Tracy Benjamin from Shutterbean. This dinner is easy to make and all three of my kids (all ages!) loved it!

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup short grain brown rice
1¾ cup canned coconut milk (one 13-14-ounce can will work!)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped yellow onion
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat)
3 cloves garlic
1 lb. ground beef
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
kosher salt
½ cup beef stock (or ½ teaspoon beef bouillon + ½ cup hot water)
3 cups fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade (measure basil before cutting)
4 medium carrots, julienned
2 scallions, thinly sliced (both white & green parts)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
lime wedges for serving, if desired
leafy greens (for example "power greens" salad mix), optional

Instructions

Add rice, coconut milk and ½ teaspoon salt to a pot. Stir then bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook on low for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit with lid on for 10 additional minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and jalapeño and cook until onions have softened and start to turn translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
Add garlic, pressing it through a garlic press, to the pan. Stir then add ground beef. Break beef up, sprinkle evenly with kosher salt, then cook until no longer pink, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
Add beef broth (or bouillon and water, if using) along with the ginger, cumin and cinnamon. Let simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes, adding ⅔ of the basil a few minutes before serving. (Note: I removed about half of the jalapeño pieces before serving to reduce the heat for my kids.)
In a mixing bowl combine juice from 1 lime, 2 teaspoons oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, carrots, green onion and the remaining ⅓ of the basil. Stir well to coat veggies in the dressing.
Serve rice topped with beef and carrot slaw. Drizzle some of the dressing from the slaw bowl over the servings and enjoy! Optional: Add a handful of leafy greens to the bowl for extra nutrients and deliciousness!