Back to Recipes

Thit Bo Xao Xa Ot (Vietnamese Lemongrass Chilli Beef)

Lemongrass, garlic and chilli pounded together is the backbone of Vietnamese home cooking, and against beef over very high heat it produces a lot of flavour for very little effort.

Slice the beef thin and against the grain, then get the pan properly hot so it sears rather than steams. Everything else, including the herbs that go on at the end, is just chopping. Twenty minutes start to finish.

Servings
4
Prep Time
10
mins
Cook Time
8
mins
Ingredients
13
Total Time
18
mins

Pantry bits

No items found.

Ingredients

  • 600g beef rump or flank, thinly sliced against the grain
  • 3 lemongrass stalks, tender part only, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 long red chillies, sliced
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 brown onion, sliced
  • 1 red capsicum, sliced
  • 150g green beans, cut into 4cm lengths
  • 1 cup Vietnamese mint and coriander leaves
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

  1. Toss the beef with half the lemongrass, half the garlic, the fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Leave it to sit while you cut the vegetables.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a wok over the highest heat you have. Sear half the beef in a single layer for 1 minute without moving it, toss for another minute, then remove. Repeat with the second batch.
  3. Add the remaining oil, lemongrass, garlic and chilli and stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Add the onion, capsicum and beans and stir fry for 3 minutes, so they colour at the edges but stay crisp.
  5. Return the beef with any juices, toss for 1 minute to bring it together, then pile into bowls and top with the herbs. Serve with rice and lime wedges.

Other recipes

Canh Bí Đỏ Thịt Bằm (Vietnamese Pumpkin and Pork Soup)
Canh Bí Đỏ Thịt Bằm (Vietnamese Pumpkin and Pork Soup)
Cá Chiên Nước Mắm (Vietnamese Crispy Fish with Fish Sauce Glaze)
Cá Chiên Nước Mắm (Vietnamese Crispy Fish with Fish Sauce Glaze)
Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua (Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce)
Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua (Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce)

Never miss a recipe

Join thousands of subscribers and get our best recipes delivered to direct to your inbox!

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.