We’ve got sweet, savoury, a hint of spiciness and load of umami flavour in this Vietnamese style Caramelized Minced Beef Rice Bowl. It’s simple comfort food with bags of flavour, plus I’m adding a couple of toppings that take this to the next level.
This Caramelized Minced Beef Bowl is so well-balanced and satisfying! There’s just something about having these beautifully arranged bowl-food-style dinners that fills your eyes AND your stomach.
The sweet caramelized beef is perfectly complemented by the fresh, tangy quick pickled veggies. It may look like many steps, but it only takes 30 minutes to make so it’s perfect when you’re craving a quick, hearty, comforting meal.
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients
Caramelized minced beef
Beef – I used 10-15% fat because it’s juicier – but you can use 5% fat if preferred.
Oil – Use a neutral oil like avocado, vegetable, or sunflower.
Lemongrass Paste – This adds a wonderful, fragrant, citrussy-gingery flavour to the beef.
Fish Sauce – Use a splash of fish sauce in the beef, to add a rich, salty depth of flavour.
Dark Soy Sauce – Use dark soy sauce instead of light soy sauce in this recipe because it adds a deep, umami saltiness.
To serve
Rice – use cooked rice (I’ve got a simple tutorial here for how to boil rice in a pan perfectly)
Pickled onion and carrot
📺 Watch how to make it
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***
- Before you prepare the rest of the dish, toss all the ingredients for the pickled onion and carrot together in a bowl and set aside.
- Then, fry the minced beef in a pan with oil until it’s browned, breaking it up into small pieces.
- Stir in the garlic, chillies and lemongrass paste, then stir in the sugar until the mixture caramelizes.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients and turn off the heat.
- Serve over a bed of white rice, the pickled carrot and onions, some chopped cucumber and tomatoes, and top with mixed sesame seeds.
Pro Tip
I like to make this spicy with Bird’s eye chillies, but you can leave them out entirely and this meal will still taste GREAT! So it’s a tasty, easy meal that the kids will enjoy too.
Comforting and nutritious with BAGS of flavour!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It🍽️ What to serve it with
- If you want to customise your toppings, here are some suggestions:
- Simple Asian Slaw
- Marinated Onions
- Sweet Chilli Sauce
This is such a well-rounded and hearty dinner or lunch!
🍲 More nourishing bowls
? Frequently Asked Questions
This dish is best served fresh, but you can make the pickled veg and minced beef ahead (or save leftovers) and it will be almost as good.
Make the pickled veg ahead, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two days (the carrot will take on more of the purple colour of the red onion, the longer you leave it).
Make the minced beef part of the dish, cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
Reheat until piping hot through – either in a frying pan with a splash of oil (my preferred option, so it’s a bit crispy), or in the microwave.
Yes, you can freeze the minced beef and rice part of this dish.
Cook the dish, quickly cool, place in an airtight container and freeze.
Reheat straight from frozen in the microwave, until piping hot.
Or
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (and don’t store for more than 24 hours). Then reheat the rice in the microwave and fry up the mince in a frying pan with a splash of oil.
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Vietnamese-style Caramelized Minced Beef Rice Bowls Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 500 g (1.1lbs) minced beef (10-15% fat)
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 3 red or green Birds eye chillies finely sliced
- 2 tsp lemongrass paste
- 6 tbsp (1/3 cup) tightly packed light brown sugar
- 1.5 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 5 spring onions (scallions) finely sliced (green and white bits)
Pickled onion and carrot
- 1 small red onion peeled and finely sliced
- 1 large carrot peeled and sliced into very thin strips
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar
To Serve:
- 840 g (4 cups) boiled rice
- 4 baby cucumbers or half a regular cucumber, chopped into small pieces
- 8 cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 tbsp mixed black and white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Start with the pickled onion and carrot. Place the onion and carrot slices into a shallow bowl.1 small red onion, 1 large carrot
- Drizzle over the vinegar and sugar. Toss together and put to one side.3 tbsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, ½ tsp sugar
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.2 tbsp oil
- Add the minced beef and fry for 5-6 minutes, breaking up and large pieces with a wooden spoon, until the beef is lightly browned.500 g (1.1lbs) minced beef
- Add the garlic, chillies and lemongrass paste and stir together.3 cloves garlic, 3 red or green Birds eye chillies, 2 tsp lemongrass paste
- Add the sugar and stir together. Fry for 4-5 minutes (still over a high heat), stirring often, until the beef starts to darken and caramelize.6 tbsp (1/3 cup) tightly packed light brown sugar
- Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, white pepper and spring onions and stir and fry for a further minute, then turn off the heat.1.5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp white pepper, 5 spring onions (scallions)
- Divide the rice between four bowls, then top with the caramelized beef. Arrange the pickled onion and carrot on top, along with the cucumber and tomatoes.840 g (4 cups) boiled rice, 4 baby cucumbers, 8 cherry tomatoes
- Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and serve.1 tbsp mixed black and white sesame seeds
Video
Notes
Make the pickled veg ahead, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to two days (the carrot will take on more of the purple colour of the red onion, the longer you leave it).
Make the minced beef part of the dish, cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
Reheat until piping hot through – either in a frying pan with a splash of oil (my preferred option, so it’s a bit crispy), or in the microwave.
Cook the dish, quickly cool, place in an airtight container and freeze.
Reheat straight from frozen in the microwave, until piping hot.
Or
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (and don’t store for more than 24 hours). Then reheat the rice in the microwave and fry up the mince in a frying pan with a splash of oil.
INCLUDING the boiled rice, picked vegetables, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and sesame seeds.
Remove 273 calories and 5.75grams of protein if NOT using the rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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