Spicy Basil Beef
This is a popular Thai dish known for its bold flavors. Serve spicy basil beef with jasmine rice. It is also often topped with a fried egg.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons peanut oil or cooking oil of choice
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ pound sliced beef tenderloin
- 4 Thai chilies, chopped
- 1 small onion (white or yellow) , sliced (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves *
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 Tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper , or more to taste
- sliced green onions , to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add peanut oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic and chilies. Cook for 30-40 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add sliced beef and cook for 45 seconds or so until beef starts to brown.
- Add sliced onions and whole basil leaves. In a small bowl, mix together oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and pepper. Add sauce mixture to skillet and toss to combine. Continue to cook until onions are translucent, basil is wilted, and beef is cooked. Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions and fresh Thai basil. Serve with Jasmine rice.
Notes
Ingredient Notes:
- Thai chili comes in green, orange, or red. Serrano chilies are a good substitute. It will provide similar heat but not much fragrance.
- Thai basil is also called Asian basil or anise basil. It has pointy green leaves with purple stems. Holy basil is another similar variety that has narrower leaves. If you cannot find Thai basil, DO NOT substitute with European basil. The flavors are very different!
- Fish sauce varies from country to country. I recommend using a light colored Vietnamese fish sauce such as Viet Huong's Three Crabs or Flying Lion.
Nutrition
Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 862mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 331IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg