Description
These Thai Sweet Chilli Beef Bowls offer a deliciously balanced blend of savory and sweet flavors with tender ground beef caramelized in a flavorful sweet chilli stir-fry sauce. Served over jasmine rice and complemented with fresh or steamed vegetables, toasted cashews, and a tangy sweet chilli drizzle, this quick and easy meal captures the vibrant tastes of Thai cuisine perfect for any weeknight dinner or meal prep.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1/3 cup roasted cashews, unsalted (or peanuts; see Note 1)
- 1 tbsp canola oil (or other plain cooking oil)
- 500 g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander/cilantro leaves (or green onion)
Sweet Chilli Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce (Trident recommended)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (see Note 2)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar (substitute cider vinegar)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (see Note 3)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (see Note 4)
Sweet Chilli Drizzle Sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced using garlic crusher
- 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice (substitute rice vinegar if lime is expensive)
- 2 tsp fish sauce (see Note 2)
Serving
- 2 batches jasmine rice or other plain rice of choice
- Steamed or fresh vegetables (e.g., chopped cucumber, coriander/cilantro, finely sliced red onion)
Instructions
- Prepare Sauces: In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sweet chilli drizzle sauce and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the sweet chilli stir fry sauce and set aside.
- Toast Cashews: Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the cashews and toast them for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop once cool.
- Cook Beef: Using the same pan, heat the canola oil over high heat. Add the minced garlic and finely chopped onion, sautéing for 1 minute until fragrant and softened.
- Sauté Beef: Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until the beef is fully browned with no visible raw meat remaining.
- Add Stir Fry Sauce: Pour the sweet chilli stir fry sauce into the pan. Cook, stirring continuously, until the sauce mostly reduces and caramelizes on the beef, about 3–4 minutes. This step is crucial to develop deep, rich flavor.
- Assemble Bowls: Serve the caramelized beef over cooked jasmine rice with a side of fresh or steamed vegetables.
- Finish and Garnish: Drizzle the prepared sweet chilli sauce over the beef and vegetables. Top with the toasted cashews and fresh coriander leaves. Optional: add sliced fresh chilli for extra heat.
- Enjoy: Mix everything together in the bowl before eating to combine flavors fully.
Notes
- Cashews: Toasting enhances flavor; raw nuts require a slightly longer toast. Peanuts or almonds are tasty alternatives; sesame seeds also work. Reduce fish sauce by 1/2 tbsp if using salted nuts.
- Fish Sauce: Essential for authentic flavor depth; the strong smell cooks out. As a substitute, use all-purpose or light soy sauce instead of dark soy. Avoid skipping.
- Oyster Sauce: Adds sweetness and umami, key to the stir fry sauce’s profile. Vegetarian oyster sauce alternatives are available for a plant-based option.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Gives the beef a rich dark color and intense soy flavor. Light or all-purpose soy sauce is a decent substitute but will yield a lighter color and milder flavor.
- Vegetables: The drizzle sauce works well on any fresh or steamed vegetables like cucumber, shredded cabbage, carrot, leafy greens, or blanched broccoli and cauliflower.
- Storage: Leftover beef keeps 3–4 days in the fridge and up to 3 months frozen. Keep drizzle sauce separate if possible. Reheat with steamed veggies for meal prep. Use cooked rice within 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1/4 of recipe including 1 cup cooked rice and drizzle sauce)
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
