This spicy Thai basil beef bowl recipe comes together easily in an Instant Pot. It also reheats to be nearly as good as it was when it was just made.
Spicy Thai Basil Beef Bowl in an Instant Pot
Course: DinnerCuisine: Asian4
servingsPRESSURE COOK, less (5 minutes), high (pressure); natural release 5 minutes
Ingredients
- For the rice:
10.5 oz. (1½ cups) brown rice
12 oz. (1½ cups) water
¼ tsp salt
- For the beef:
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup julienned ginger
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 dried red Thai chilis
1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled, quartered, and sliced
1/4 cup beef broth
2 limes
1 lb. lean ground sirloin
1/2 cup (packed) Thai holy basil leaves, plus more for garnish
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil, plus more for garnish
- For the Salad
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1 large cucumber, julienned
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Directions
- Make the rice:
- Add the rice to a 7-inch diameter, 3-inch deep PIP (see notes). Add the water and salt. Stir. Set aside.
- Make the beef:
- Set the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ, more (30 minutes). Once you get the “hot” indication, add oil. Wait a second, then add ginger, garlic, and chilis and sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add sliced onions and sauté 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Deglaze with broth. CANCEL the sauté.
- Lightly pinch the ground beef into small chunks, and add it to the pot. Add the juice of 1 lime. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Place a tall trivet on top of the beef. Place the PIP on the trivet.
- Set the Instant Pot to PRESSURE COOK, less (5 minutes), high (pressure); natural release for 5 minutes. Remove PIP and trivet. Use a flat wooden spatula to chop through the beef.
- Make the salad, and serve:
- While the rice and beef are cooking, mix the carrots and cucumbers with vinegar, sugar, salt, (and red pepper flakes) and let it rest on the countertop.
- Serve beef mixture atop rice in a bowl. Arrange salad on top. Garnish with seasame oil, lime wedges, and basil.
Notes
- This recipe was developed for a six-quart Instant Pot. If using a different size or type of pot, you may need to make modifications.
- A “PIP” is a pot-in-pot. For more information, follow this link.
- Thai holy basil is also called “hot basil,” or “kaphrao.” Substitute Thai basil (horapha) or regular (sweet) basil.
The oil and lime garnishes aren’t optional. The success of the dish depends on them.
Social Learning
Cooking Notes
This recipe doesn’t include the recommended amount of liquid for Instant Pot cooking. It did take a long time to come to pressure, but it did come to pressure, and I did not get a “burn” indication.
I did not peel the ginger before julienning it. I don’t think it matters to the dish, and I generally think it’s better for you to eat whole foods. “Julienning” the ginger meant, at least to me, slicing it in thin rounds and julienning the rounds. I also did not peel the cucumber, although I washed the wax off of it. What would I know about health? Nothing. What would I know about what tastes good? Everything.
Ingredients
Holy basil may be hard to find. It has an unusual flavor – at least from the perspective of a dyed in the wool American midwesterner – but it’s one that I find exotic, refreshing, and interesting.
You need a very lean burger mix for this recipe, because there’s no opportunity to pour off excess fat. So if you decide on a substitute for the sirloin, make sure it’s equally lean. Otherwise, this dish may turn out disasterously.
Leftovers
Just as good reheated as fresh. I assumed that the vegetables, left in their pickling juice in the fridge for a couple days, would get soggy, but they didn’t. They softened slightly, but maintained their crunch and were very good leftover.
A lot of times, spicy dishes like this come down a few notches when leftover. This one didn’t.
Spicy Thai Basil Beef Bowl in an Instant Pot
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What is not to love about this, Jeff? Great flavors.
Your use of “holy basil” made me do a little research… Thai holy basil (or simply Thai basil) is not the same as Holy Basil (tulsi), as used in ayurvedic medicine and ceremonies in India. What made me look? We were given a Holy Basil plant by one of my students’ mothers, and she told us never to use it in cooking – it was for health benefits and holy ceremonies. So imagine my confusion when recipes for Thai cuisine call for holy basil! They are completely different. Oops. Did you even want to know this? Hahahaha… But, seriously, thanks for getting me to look up the difference.
That’s really interesting and I’m glad you mentioned it! Your comment made me curious, too. Yes, it looks like what I used is called “kaphrao,” which is distinct from “tulsi.” Kaphrao is not what I think of Thai basil (horapha), but it looks like is a Thai variant of holy basil.
But then there’s this article, that make it sound like kaphrao and tulsi are the same thing!
ça fait bien envie!
bonne semaine
Thank you. I hope your week is a happy one!
This sounds and looks great. You’ve created another winner!
Thank you!
This looks delicious and mouth watering, Jeff.
Thank you!
You’ve created such a flavorful dish, then made it Instant Pot easy. I especially loved your genius tip for using the Instant Pot sauté function to brown the beef. Also, your homemade salad dressing is so tasty good!
Thank you, Heidi!
Looking at your recipe from the viewpoint of an Australian who has loved and cooked Australasian, including Thai. for over half a century – thank you! First of all, love your use of the very healthy, very tasty and underused brown rice. Even here Thai holy basil is not easily available but methinks it would ‘make’ the dish?! ‘My’ variations on the theme would be to use one more Thai chilli and, in my old-fashioned way, make this stovetop 🙂 ! Shall try!
You’re welcome! I happen to live near one of the largest Asian communities in Chicago, and they have the most interesting grocery stores! So, I get bunch of brown rices to choose from, and so many cool veggies. I think this will come out great on the stovetop!
I do love a good recipe where the leftovers are just as good as the original – it makes those leftover nights super easy. Laura loves Thai food, and I actually planted a Thai basil plant this past spring so that she could get Thai basil easily. Now we’ve repotted it and brought it indoors for the winter…that thing is a basil bush now! I’ll have to try this recipe out soon!
Oh, you should! That’s going to be a lot of basil to use up!
Hi my friend, Jeff 🖐🙂
I haven’t been very long here on your blog, but I welcome you in the New Year. I hope that this Christmas and New Year Eve you spent very good. When it comes to this recipe, sounds interesting. Something a very creative. I don’t like very spice dishes, but in version without chili I could do, however Thai couisine is really very interesting from point of view of culinary arts.
Best regards to you, I hug you firmly 🥰😘❤
Thank you for the hug, Patryk my friend. And a Happy New Year to you, too! Yes, of course you could take out the chili, and I’m sure you’d like the dish that way.
Your recipe for the Spicy Thai Basil Beef Bowl sounds incredible! I love how the Instant Pot makes it so convenient while keeping all the flavors intact.
Thank you, Raymund!
Jeff,
Love the Spicy Thai Basil beef. Interesting about the type of basil too.
I don’t have an instant pot but, often make these style dishes for weeknight enjoyment. You are right they make great leftovers for lunch too.
Happy New Year. I am looking forward to all your great recipes this year.
Thank you so much! Happy New Year to you, too!
Sounds like a very flavorful dish. Your last photo is an good one.
Thank you!
Hola Jeff. Con los ingredientes que lleva este plato y con la manera de prepararlo ya se sabe que el resultado es todo un lujo.
Deliciosa combinación de sabores.
Un abrazo.
Thank you, Juan!