Vietnamese Caramelized Beef Vermicelli Bento

Vietnamese meal prep

Vietnamese Caramelized Beef Vermicelli Bento

This week for meal prep, I made another lemongrass beef vermicelli bowl. I love making these because the vermicelli stays fresh all week, and ground beef always reheats well.

If you notice the spring rolls in the photo that was a mistake. I should’ve known better than to make those for meal prep. They were still edible, but they really should be served fresh and definitely not a few days later. So I’m leaving those out of the recipe this time.

Now let’s get into the good part: the caramelized beef and vermicelli.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 oz rice vermicelli noodles

• 2 Tbsp canola oil

• 1 lb ground beef

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp lemongrass paste

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• 1 Tbsp fish sauce

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

• ½ tsp salt

• Green onions, sliced

Toppings

• Fried shallots (2 shallots, thinly sliced)

• Scallion oil (4 green onions, chopped, with ¼ cup hot oil)

• Crushed peanuts

Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 oz rice vermicelli noodles

• 2 Tbsp canola oil

• 1 lb ground beef

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp lemongrass paste

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• 1 Tbsp fish sauce

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

• ½ tsp salt

• Green onions, sliced

Toppings

• Fried shallots (2 shallots, thinly sliced)

• Scallion oil (4 green onions, chopped, with ¼ cup hot oil)

• Crushed peanuts

Directions

1. Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook the rice vermicelli noodles according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water until the water runs clear to keep them fresh throughout the week. Drain well and set aside.

2. Brown the beef: In a medium pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up as it browns. Drain off excess fat.

3. Add aromatics: Return the beef to the pan. Add minced garlic and lemongrass paste. Stir and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.

4. Caramelize the beef: Stir in the brown sugar and cook for another 4–5 minutes, allowing the beef to darken and caramelize.

5. Add sauces: Add the fish sauce and soy sauce. Stir well and cook for another minute until the sauce thickens and coats the beef. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Make fried shallots: Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add thinly sliced shallots and fry, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

7. Make scallion oil: Place chopped green onions in a heat-safe bowl. Carefully pour the hot oil (used for frying shallots) over the green onions to make scallion oil.

8. Assemble your bento: Divide the noodles into four meal prep containers. Top each with a scoop of caramelized beef. Add fried shallots, a spoonful of scallion oil, and a sprinkle of crushed peanuts.

   

Assembly

• Divide the vermicelli noodles into four meal prep containers.

• Add a scoop of caramelized beef to each.

• Top with fried shallots, a spoonful of scallion oil, and crushed peanuts.

  

That’s it! Simple, tasty, and it holds up beautifully in the fridge all week. Skip the spring rolls unless you're eating them right away.