Thai Basil Ground Beef
A quick high protein dish made in less than 30 minutes, perfect for meal prep.
Find more recipes
Nutrition Facts
EstimatedPer serving
Calories
560 cal
Protein
39 g
Carbs
9 g
Fat
39 g
Fiber
1 g
Zest Score
A lightning-fast, high-protein weeknight winner, but proceed with caution to avoid a total salt bomb.
Ingredients
- 16 oz ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 2 Thai chilies (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- neutral oil (for cooking)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- 1
Finely mince the garlic and thinly slice the Thai chilies.
- 2
In a small bowl, combine dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- 3
Heat a pan over medium heat with a bit of oil. Add the garlic and chilies and cook until fragrant.
- 4
Add in the ground beef and break it apart, cooking until mostly browned.
- 5
Pour in the sauce and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the beef.
- 6
Add the Thai basil and cook just until wilted, then remove from the heat.
- 7
Serve over a fresh bowl of rice and optionally top with a fried egg.
Community Notes
From 23 comments
One commenter says this recipe is 'wayyyy too salty' and suggests using low sodium soy sauce and reducing dark soy sauce.
Tips
- Don't drain the beef — the recipe videos do not show draining
- Dark soy sauce is primarily for color (deep brown), not flavor; it's less salty, thicker, and slightly sweet
Swaps
Dietary Adaptations
The recipe can be 'wayyyy too salty' — consider using low sodium soy sauce and cutting back on dark soy sauce
Overall positive reception, with some questions about ingredients (why both soy sauces, no onion/shallot, availability of Thai basil) and one report of excessive saltiness. Several commenters successfully substituted ground chicken for beef.