Thai Basil Beef Rolls

Quick, savory ground beef stir-fry with Thai basil, wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves for a healthy, flavorful, and interactive meal.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Thai

Calories: 280

Ingredients

Beef Filling

1 tbsp neutral oil like avocado or vegetable
1 lb lean ground beef
5 cloves garlic minced
2-3 Thai bird's eye chilies finely minced (adjust to taste)
1 inch fresh ginger grated
1 small red onion or 2 shallots finely diced

Sauce

3 tbsp oyster sauce
1.5 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice

For Assembly

1.5 cups fresh Thai basil leaves packed
1 large head butter lettuce, Bibb, or iceberg leaves separated
0.5 English cucumber julienned
2-3 green onions thinly sliced

Equipment

Large Wok or Skillet
Mixing bowls
Cutting board
Chef’s knife

Method

Prep all ingredients: mince garlic, ginger, chilies; dice onion; mix sauce in a bowl; wash/dry lettuce leaves; julienne cucumber. Arrange lettuce on a platter.
Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add oil and swirl. Add garlic, ginger, chilies, and onion. Stir-fry for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
Add ground beef. Break it up with a spatula and cook until no longer pink and starting to brown, 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
Pour the prepared sauce over the beef. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the beef.
Remove the wok from heat. Immediately stir in the fresh Thai basil leaves until just wilted.
To serve, spoon the hot beef mixture into a lettuce leaf. Top with cucumber and green onion. Fold and enjoy immediately.

Notes

For less heat, remove seeds from chilies or use 1-2 teaspoons of sriracha in the sauce instead. Leftover beef filling stores separately in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat gently before serving with fresh lettuce.