Thai Basil Beef (a.k.a. Pad Gra Prow) (2024)

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Thai Basil Beef (Pad Gra Prow) is tasty, easy, and so satisfying. It’s loaded with flank steak, bell pepper, garlic, shallots, carrots, basil, and a deep, dark Thai sauce!

Now that we live in Japan, I have to re-create some of our favorite restaurant dishes from back home. We haven’t found a Thai restaurant nearby yet, so it’s up to me to recreate some restaurant favs. This Thai Basil Beef recipe could easily be my favorite Thai dish to make at home! Not only is it incredibly tasty, but it’s a quick and easy dinner that my entire family loves. And I mean L*O*V*E*S!

This Thai Basil Beef recipe calls for a few ingredients that you might not have on hand like oyster sauce, fish sauce, and chile garlic sauce. PLEASE do not let these ingredients keep you from making this recipe! Go to the store, purchase them, and I bet you will use them in no time at all! Probably from making this Thai Basil Beef recipe over and over again. 😉

What is Pad Gra Prow?

Pad Gra Prow is one of the most well known Thai street food dishes. It is a meat dish that is stir-fried with Thai basil.

How do you make Thai Basil Beef?

Start by making the Jasmine rice by following the package directions and set it aside. Make the sauce next by stirring the soy sauce, cornstarch and water until smooth. Add in the sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and lime juice. Set the sauce aside as well. Next, preheat a skillet with some oil and then add the beef and cook until browned on both sides. Remove the beef and set aside. Add in your veggies and saute until lightly browned. Lastly, stir in your carrots and cooked beef. Add the sauce to the skillet, stirring everything together. Add in the basil and cook for a minute. Serve it over the rice and enjoy!

Cook’s Note – Thai Basil Beef (Pad Gra Prow):

If you can’t find Thai basil at the grocery store, then Italian basil will do just fine.
Love yourThai food spicy? Then I suggest adding a couple of teaspoons of chile-garlic sauce to your serving. If everyone you’re making this dish for loves spicy food, then add 1/4 cup of it to the sauce in the recipe below. I leave it out of ours because I have 2 little ones that eat this, too.

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4.84 from 12 votes

Thai Basil Beef {Pad Gra Prow}

Author Jillian - a Food Folks and Fun original!

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

6 people

Thai Basil Beef (Pad Gra Prow) is tasty, easy, and so satisfying. It’s loaded with flank steak, bell pepper, garlic, shallots, carrots, basil, and a deep, dark Thai sauce!

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups Jasmine rice for serving

SAUCE:

▢ 3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
▢ ⅓ cup water
▢ 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
▢ 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
▢ 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
▢ 1 Tablespoon lime juice

EVERYTHING ELSE:

▢ 1 ½ lbs flank steak sliced against the grain into thin strips
▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch
▢ 2 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
▢ 1 large red bell pepper cored and seeded, diced into 2-inch strips
▢ 2 large shallots thinly sliced
▢ 5 medium garlic cloves minced
▢ 1 cup matchstick carrots
▢ 1 cup fresh basil preferably Thai basil, roughly chopped

GARNISHES:

▢ Fresh basil leaves
▢ Sesame seeds
▢ Fresh cilantro
▢ Lime wedges
▢ Chili garlic sauce

Instructions

MAKE THE RICE:

Cook Jasmine rice as per package instructions; set aside.

MAKE THE SAUCE:

While the rice cooks, makethe sauce. In asmall bowl whisk together soy sauce, cornstarch, and water until smooth. Whisk in sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and lime juice until combined; set aside.

COOK THE BEEF AND VEGGIES:

In medium bowl toss beef with 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Preheat a large skillet and 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat). When oil shimmers, add beef and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside. Reduce heat to medium, add bell pepper, shallots, and garlic and sauté until onions are browned and slightly caramelized, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in carrots and cooked beef.

FINISH THE DISH:

Give the sauce a quick whisk, and pour into skillet. Stir everything together to coat meat and veggies with sauce. Bring sauce to simmer while stirring often. Cook until sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in basil and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Serve over cooked Jasmine rice with basil, sesame seeds, cilantro, and lime wedges as garnishes. If you like to spice things up a little, then dab some chili garlic sauce on top and mix in!

Nutrition

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Jillian

I’m Jillian, the creator behind Food Folks and Fun. I have over 30 years of experience cooking for others. There’s nothing I love more than cooking for my family. Food is love, and cooking isn’t just putting a meal on a plate: It’s putting a little part of myself into that meal.

4.84 from 12 votes (4 ratings without comment)

This looks good, but Thai do not eat this dish with chop sticks. Traditionally it is ate by taking food with fork and putting it onto a spoon and eating it that way.
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1. Thanks for the info. 🙂
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Is there anything I could substitute for the fish sauce?
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1. Hi Barb, you can use Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce instead of the fish sauce.
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Which part of Japan do you live? I am from Japan but now living in Australia. I understand how you miss the food you used to eat and that’s the reason I have Japanese food recipe blog 😀 You should be able to get ingredients easily though in Japan? This Thai beef sounds fantastic!
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I’ve always wondered about Thai basil versus Italian basil. Glad I can use them interchangeably. Great recipe with loads of flavor!
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I love how colorful this dish is! So appetizing and perfect as a healthy dinner!
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Always love beef Thai! This recipe did not disappoint
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After having lived in Thailand for a while, it’s one of my favorite cuisines! This sounds delicious and I’ll have to whip it up!
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Really loving all the flavors in this dish. Delish!
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I’m so surprised you haven’t found a good Thai restaurant. Maybe the cuisines just don’t match up, but I would have guessed there would be some good ones just by proximity!
This recipe does look delicious and easy once you have all the sauces. We have most of them – still a few to get, however!
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YUM! The best dish!
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I love, love the flavors in Thai food! Your recipe made an incredible dinner! Thanks for the terrific dish!
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I love everything about this easy and tasty meal! Even better than our local take out restaurant!
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