The Best Beef Stir-Fry with Thai Basil Recipe (金不换炒牛肉) – Ready in 15 Minutes

This beef stir-fry comes together in about 15 minutes—simple, humble, and easy to overlook. But the moment Thai basil is added at the end, the whole dish comes alive and becomes unexpectedly special.

In Hakka cooking, Thai basil is treasured and known as jin bu huan (金不换), meaning “worth more than gold.” Its intoxicating aroma—slightly sweet, gently peppery, with a hint of anise—is what gives this quick stir-fry its unmistakable character. You should be able to find Thai basil in almost any Asian market. If not, use Italian sweet basil as a substitute, though the flavor will be milder.

Ingredients
300g beef
1/4 tsp of white pepper powder
1/4 tsp of garlic powder
1/4 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of oil to coat the beef
2 tbsp of oil to stir fry
1.5 inch of ginger, crushed and diced
5 cloves of garlic, crushed and diced
5 Thai bird chilies, diced
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of fish sauce 40g - 80g of basil leaves, depending on your taste