This is truly one of those eat-with-your-eyes-first situations. All the color! The textures! If all my food looked like this, I’d probably eat a lot more vegetables. I hardly ever eat rice, but give it to me fried, crispy, and/or coconutty, and I’m all over it.
The beef is seared and glazed in an very savory sauce, then the beautifully caramelized meat is heaped into a bowl with crisp rice and tons of vegetables. This ever-so-slightly reminds me of shaking beef, so I elect to serve it with the same very tart lime dipping sauce. A hit of heat from sriracha or chili sauce is always a welcome addition for me.
The best part of it all? It’s quick to get on the table, as the sauce is a measure-and-mix recipe with very little chopping. You can prep your veggies and rice while you let the meat marinate to take advantage of the down time.
Bon appétit!
Vietnamese Beef and Crispy Rice Bowls
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Saucy seared beef atop crisp rice and loaded with veggies.! Drizzle with a tart lime sauce and a dollop of something spicy to bring everything together.
Ingredients
- 1–1/2 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or Tamari
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
FOR THE CRISPY RICE:
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cups cooked white rice, such as Basmati or jasmine
FOR SERVING:
- 1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage
- 4 carrots, thinly sliced into ribbons
- 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 4 green onions, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil and/or mint, torn
- Microgreens, for serving
- Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
- Chopped peanuts, for sprinkling
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Lime Dipping Sauce, recipe here
- Chili-garlic sauce, sambal oelek, or sriracha for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Season the steak with salt and pepper all over.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil. Add the beef and toss to coat. Let sit out at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Preheat a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter and allow to heat; once hot, add the cooked rice and season with salt. Stir to coat the rice in the oil. Once coated, spread the rice into an even layer across the bottom of the pan. Let cook, undisturbed, until the rice begins to crisp and turn golden brown, about 3–5 minutes. Spoon the rice out of the pan onto a plate.
- Wipe out the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, remove the steak from the sauce with a slotted spoon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is beginning to brown and caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved sauce and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the beef, another 3–4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Divide the rice among four bowls and top with the shredded cabbage, sliced carrots, and cucumbers. Divide the beef among the bowls and spoon any remaining sauce over the top. Top with green onions, Thai basil/mint, microgreens, and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges on the side. You can drizzle some of the lime dipping sauce over the dish. A dollop of chili-garlic sauce or sambal oelek or a drizzle of sriracha would not hurt.
Notes
Inspiration: 30-Minute Vietnamese Beef and Crispy Rice Bowl on halfbakedharvest.com
- Category: Beef, Asian-Inspired