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A glass meal prep container of lemongrass beef, jasmine rice and bright pickled vegetables

Cambodian kitchen · Four good lunches

LemongrassBeef Bowls

Lemongrass beef with browned edges. Warm jasmine rice. Cold, crunchy pickles. Four bowls worth making room for.

4 bowlsFrom my kitchen
4Bowls
4 hrMinimum marinade
¾ cupCooked rice each

Allow 25 minutes to prepare, at least 4 hours to marinate and about 30 minutes for the rice and batches of beef. Pickle the vegetables while the beef marinates.

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A little time in the kitchen

The marinade starts with lemongrass, galangal, garlic and makrut lime leaves. It clings to thin strips of beef and browns at the edges in the air fryer.

The cold side matters just as much. Carrot, daikon and cucumber bring crunch and acidity to the rice and beef. Pack the herbs and pickles separately until lunch.

Warm beef. Cold pickles. Plenty of herbs.
Jeremy smiling in his kitchen while making lemongrass beef meal prepThe finished lemongrass beef meal prep bowls

Made in my kitchen · Watch the original reel

The small things that matter

Good ingredients.
A better finish.

1

Start with the aromatics

Lemongrass and garlic do the work here. Mix the marinade thoroughly so the chicken or beef is coated evenly.

2

Keep the cold side crisp

Pack the pickles or cucumber salad separately from warm rice and meat.

3

Cook by temperature

Use a food thermometer to check the meat, then rest it before portioning.

What you need

Ingredients

Divide the cooked beef batch into four equal portions. Serve each bowl with ¾ cup cooked rice, one quarter of the drained pickles and ¼ cup herbs.

The beef and marinade

  • 680 g / 1½ lb
  • 60 g
  • 15 g
  • 16 g
  • 6
  • 1 tsp
  • 2 Tbsp
  • 1 Tbsp
  • 2 tsp
  • ½ tsp

Quick pickles

  • 150 g each
  • 240 ml
  • 120 ml
  • 8 g

To serve

  • 1 cup
  • 1 cup
  • 1
  • Optional

Slice across the grain. Thin, even strips cook quickly. Keep the beef in a single layer and cook in batches so it browns instead of steaming.

You'll need: air fryer, food thermometer, mortar or food processor, rice cooker or saucepan, 4 meal prep containers

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Phone showing Cambodian Lemongrass Beef Bowls, one serving: 490 kcal, 51 g carbs, 42 g protein and 11 g fat

How to make it

Method

  1. Pounding the aromatic lemongrass marinade

    Make the kreung marinade

    Finely chop or pound the lemongrass, galangal, garlic and lime leaves into a paste. Mix with turmeric, oyster sauce, fish sauce, oil and pepper.

  2. Mixing thinly sliced beef with the kreung marinade

    Give the beef time

    Toss the sliced raw beef thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours. Keep it chilled until you are ready to cook.

  3. Adding crisp pickled vegetables beside the rice

    Quick-pickle the vegetables

    Stir the vinegar, water and salt until dissolved. Add the carrot, daikon and cucumber. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then drain before serving.

  4. Adding cooked jasmine rice to the meal prep containers

    Cook the rice

    Rinse the jasmine rice and cook with water according to your rice package or cooker. Fluff and portion ¾ cup cooked rice into each of four containers.

  5. Cooking marinated beef strips in the air fryer

    Air-fry in batches

    Preheat the air fryer to 390 to 400°F. Arrange the beef in one layer. Start checking after 8 minutes; thin strips usually take about 8 to 11 minutes per batch. Check with a food thermometer: beef should reach 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest. Discard marinade that touched raw beef.

  6. The finished lemongrass beef meal prep bowls

    Build the bowls

    Divide the cooked beef equally between the four rice portions. Pack the drained pickles and herbs separately. Finish with lime and optional chili when eating. Refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat beef and rice to 165°F; keep the pickles cold.

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