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This Whole30 Thai Basil Beef is sure to be a hit with everyone around your table.
During a recent, January Whole30 challenge this Whole30 Thai Basil Beef quickly became my favorite meal. And one loved by my entire family who were not doing the challenge with me! It is PACKED full of flavor, filling, and oh-so comforting. I want to make this again and again — and I just might.
here’s what you’ll need:
- Flank Steak
- White Onion
- Red Bell Pepper
- Garlic
- Thai Chiles
- Fresh Herbs: Thai Basil and Cilantro
- Plus, a few more Whole30 pantry staples!
step one: prepare the steak
Once your ingredients are gathered, place the steak on a cutting board and tenderize the meat with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Next, slice the steak into strips and add to a large bowl. Toss to coat with the seasonings listed below.
step two: sear the steak
It is time to cook! To get a great sear on all of the beef, I recommend searing it in batches so you do not overcrowd the skillet. Once all is browned, remove from the skillet and add to a clean plate while you prepare the rest of the stir fry.
step 3: sauté the veggies
To the same skillet used for the steak, add the onion, garlic, bell peppers, Thai chilis, and additional salt and black pepper. Sauté until tender.
step 4: finish the stir fry
Once the veggies are tender, add the steak back to the skillet along with the coconut aminos and fish sauce. Let the stir fry simmer until the sauce begins to thicken! Once thickened, remove the stir fry from heat, add the Thai basil, and toss until it begins to wilt.
step 5: serve and enjoy!
While I often enjoy this stir fry as-is, you can also serve this alongside cauliflower rice or steamed rice if not doing a Whole30! Then top with fresh cilantro for an added boost of fresh flavor.
If you’re a Thai food lover like me and love bold flavors, this Whole30 Thai Basil Beef is for you! Plus, it’s SO easy to make. Enjoy!
Whole30 Thai Basil Beef
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds flap or flank steak
- 1 teaspoon, plus 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil (divided)
- 2 teaspoon arrowroot or tapioca flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1/2 medium white onion, very thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeds and core removed, very thinly sliced
- 1-2 thai chiles very thinly sliced (sub 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 cup fresh Thai or regular basil, packed
- prepared cauliflower rice, optional for serving
- fresh cilantro, optional for serving
- 1 lime, cut into wedges for serving
Instructions
- Place the steak on a cutting board. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a skillet, pound out the flank steak to help tenderize and thin it out a bit. I like to try and get mine 1/2-inch thick.
- Using a very sharp knife, carefully slice the meat against the grain as thinly as possible. For the really long strips of meat, cut them in half lengthwise.
- Place sliced steak in a bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the 1 teaspoon of oil and the arrowroot. Toss to coat evenly.
- Heat a skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and when hot, sear the meat on both sides until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side; working in batches as needed. You want each piece to get a good sear for the best results. I do mine in batches until all browned. As they are done, set the browned pieces aside on a clean plate.
- In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, and thai chiles and season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Saute until the onions are very tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the browned beef back into the skillet along with the coconut aminos and the fish sauce. Let simmer until the sauce reduces and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the basil. Toss the basil into the hot stir fry until just wilted.
- Serve immediately with cauliflower rice (optional) and garnish with cilantro (if desired). Serve with a lime wedge.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography and Styling by Jess Gaertner Creative.
Love this recipe, it’s a favorite! Bravo! Have you ever made this with ground beef?
hi!! yes it’s still delicious with ground beef!!!
Hands down one of my all time favorites. Picky eater boyfriend begs for it.
This is worth the effort! I’ve subbed Serrano chili when I couldn’t get Thai chili.
This recipe is 10/10 AMAZING!!!! I made it for my husband and my parents and they absolutely loved it. I wouldn’t change a thing…BRAVO ALEX!!!
I made this recipe and loved it! It’s as easy as the video shows! I searched high and low for Red Boat Fish Sauce, and I’m not sure I loved that flavor. I’m going to attempt this dish tonight with chicken and without RBFS. Wish me luck!
How many calories is this per person? Thank you 🙂
I do not calculate the calories for my dishes but someone else may have who can share here!
About 415 calories per serving!
Thank you 🙂
This was so good! My daughter has a new corn allergy so I have searched a lot of whole30 recipes because they are easy to adapt. All of my kids loved this and it was super easy. I was afraid to cook a Thai recipe but it was a hit in our house!!
When slicing meat thin, it can help to put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm it up. Recipe is very good, great with the riced cauliflower.
This is fantastic! I made it with venison…winner winner! I substituted 1/3 sheet of nori in place of the fish sauce to accommodate my food sensitivity and it still tastes great.
This recipe is my everything! All my favorite flavors and favorite cut of meat. I always double the recipe to have leftovers for lunch, even better the next day. We are making it again tonight but this time I will be adding some coarsely chopped green onions with the other veggies. I love the texture of green onions sautéed at high temp. Thanks for this recipe! I am not a fan of cauliflower rice so we will have it with a simple green salad and whole30 dressing. Scrumptious!
Made it Sunday for my weeknight dinners. It’s SO good. Adding broccolini makes it even better. Great start to my Feb Whole 30! Thanks!
I made this using chicken thighs instead of beef and it came out very delicious! Maybe even better than a thai restaurant! And it was so easy (after slicing and dicing everything). Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Alex, love your recipes! Question: I am going to slice the meat this morning (so I am ready for dinner later tonight), should I put the marinade on it and put it in the fridge? Or hold off on the marinade until later tonight. Thank you again for being such an inspiration! My boyfriend thinks I am a great cook because of you!
I’d just salt and pepper it, that’s all! 🙂