Spicy Beef with Basil
Thai cuisine is so colorful, bold, and flavorful. It is fresh and can be as spicy as you want it to be. Spicy Beef with Basil is a favorite not only because it is delicious, but it also has few ingredients and can be on the table in under 30 minutes. It's also easily doubled!
Ingredients
- 1 pound flank steak or top sirloin cut in thin slices across the grain
- 6 cloves garlic chopped fine
- 1 red or yellow pepper (or about 6 small peppers) sliced thin
- 1 small red Thai chili or jalapeno (1-2 teaspoons) chopped small (See notes)
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup coconut aminos (use soy sauce if you want)
- oil for cooking
- 1 cup packed basil leaves Thai basil is preferred, but regular basil is fine, too.
- Steamed rice for serving
- extra chopped chili peppers or chili paste, like Sambal Oelek for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, and coconut aminos. Set aside.
- Cut the basil by rolling the leaves together and cutting across the roll. Set aside.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add enough oil to saute the beef. Add the beef and saute 3-5 minutes till almost cooked through.
- Add the sliced peppers, Thai chili or jalapeno, and garlic. Saute another 3-5 minutes until the peppers are just tender and the meat is thoroughly cooked.
- Stir the sauce to remix, then add it to the wok or skillet. Stir everything together so that the sauce coats everything and starts thickening. This will happen pretty quickly so keep an eye on it. Remove from the heat and stir the basil in.
- Serve over rice and with more chilis or chili paste if desired.
Notes
The amount of chili pepper you use is totally up to you! If you want it spicy, use a whole jalapeno (or 2!) and don't remove the seeds.