Ground Beef Skillet with vegetables, rice stewed with a coconut milk basil sauce is a quick and easy one-pot meal! This skillet is super flavorful, healthful, and filling. An easy dinner or side dish recipe with tons of unique flair.
This is quite possibly the strangest recipe I have ever posted.
But you know what they say…
Stranger things have happened.
AND, as fate would have it (and is often the case during times of weirdness and non-conformity), this is one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever posted.
That’s right! This basil coconut ground beef skillet recipe is my alpha omega.
Look at this ground beef skillet as a fancy fried rice recipe.
How to make Basil Coconut Ground Beef Skillet:
Begin by soaking the rice. I like to leave it soaking for 1 hour. After it has sufficiently soaked, drain the water from the rice and set aside until ready to use.
Add all ingredients for the basil coconut sauce to a blender and blend well to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
Heat the avocado oil in a large deep skillet over medium. Add the ground beef and sear for 2 minutes. Flip to the other side and sear another 2 minutes. Using a spatula, break up the beef into smaller chunks.
Add the rice, chopped carrots, coconut basil sauce and broth. Cover the skillet and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking 10 minutes.
Remove the cover and stir the broccoli and bell pepper into the skillet until very well incorporated. Replace the cover and continue cooking another 10 minutes.
Can I Use Brown Rice Instead of White Rice?:
If you prefer brown rice over white, no big deal – you can make the swap! Because brown rice requires much longer to cook, you’ll need to cook it separately. Instead of adding the rice to the skillet, cook the brown rice in a separate saucepan according to the package instructions.
Omit the broth from the ingredient list (or use the broth to cook the brown rice). Once you’re at Step , add the cooked brown rice and continue as normal. If necessary, add more liquid to the skillet for a saucier dish.
Does This Recipe Save Well?:
This ground beef skillet saves SUPER well! It is easy to make ahead of time for meal prep, and can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It makes for amazing work lunches, and I have even packed heated it up at home and packed it up in a thermos to bring with me for a long day trip.
Recipe Adaptations:
- If you don’t follow a low-FODMAP diet, chop up 1/2 a yellow onion and 4 cloves of garlic and saute them along with the ground beef.
- For a saucier affair, reduce the rice to 1 cup (instead of 2).
- If you aren’t a fan of coconut milk, simply replace it with more broth.
- Incorporate your favorite herbs or greens into the sauce – parsley, arugula or spinach work great!
- Use your favorite seasonal vegetables. Cauliflower, zucchini, butternut squash, leek, and/or bok choy are amazing.
- Use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.
Serve in big bowls and enjoy!
If you like this recipe, you will also love:
- One-Skillet Ground Turkey Thai Curry with Rice
- Teriyaki Ground Turkey Skillet with Vegetables
- 30-Minute Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet
- Turkey Black Bean Enchilada Skillet with Sweet Potato Rice
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If you make this ground beef skillet, please feel free to share a photo and tag@The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
Coconut Basil Ground Beef Skillet
Ingredients
Basil Coconut Milk Sauce:
- 1 cup fresh basil tightly packed*
- 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 2 Tbsp lemongrass paste
- 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 Tbsp lime juice or rice vinegar
- 1 1/4 tsp sea salt
Ground Beef Skillet:
- 2 cups white rice soaked
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
- 3 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 2/3 cups beef bone broth or chicken broth
- 1 large crown broccoli chopped into florrets
- 1/2 red bell pepper cut into matchsticks
Instructions
- Begin by soaking the rice. I like to leave it soaking for 1 hour. After it has sufficiently soaked, drain the water from the rice and set aside until ready to use.
- Add all ingredients for the basil coconut sauce to a blender and blend well to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large deep skillet over medium. Add the ground beef and sear for 2 minutes. Flip to the other side and sear another 2 minutes. Using a spatula, break up the beef into smaller chunks.
- Add the rice, chopped carrots, coconut basil sauce and broth. Cover the skillet and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking 10 minutes.
- Remove the cover and stir the broccoli and bell pepper into the skillet until very well incorporated. Replace the cover and continue cooking another 10 minutes, or until much of the liquid has absorbed and vegetables reach desired doneness.
- Serve heaping bowls and enjoy!
This recipe sounds very good. Thank you for sharing. Where would I find lemongrass paste?
Hi Shary! It comes in a tube in the produce section of the grocery store 🙂 Let me know if you have any other questions! xoxo
@Shary, I do not know where you live but in Columbus,Ohio it is found in most major grocery stores in the produce section …
Can I use quinoa instead? My body really hates the rice 🤭
Hi Jennifer! I haven’t tested the recipe with quinoa, but I think it’s definitely worth a try! It won’t be as absorbent as the rice but should still taste great. xoxoxo
Make this recipe so often, definitely only use the 1 cup rice, otherwise it makes wayyy too much and you can’t taste the sauce, but it’s one of my favourites, sooo good!
Thanks so much for sharing, Stephanie!! xo