When I made it for the first time, I was craving something quick and filling that didn’t leave you with a sink full of dishes afterwards. A while back I had ground beef in the fridge and some veggies left on hand, so I thought to put everything into one pan. The result was surprisingly delicious. The beef was juicy, the vegetables were crunchy, and the homemade savory sauce covered every bite with joy.
This easy ground beef stir-fry recipe has become one of my favorite meals on busy days. Perfectly simple for novice stages, affordable, and very customizable using any vegetables you have available at home. For serving on rice, or on noodles, or with no carbs at all this easy stir-fry always brings in strong flavor and takes less than 30 minutes.
Reasons to Love This Ground Beef Stir-Fry Recipe:
Sliced beef generally takes a little longer to cook up than ground beef. The reason why I like this dish so much is that it makes use of everyday ingredients; in other words, it’s very accessible. No need for costly cuts of meat or complex cooking methods! All done in one pan and literally so easy to clean up.
The vibrant vegetables also provide freshness and texture as well as extra nutrition, while the homemade stir-fry sauce combines sweet, savory, garlicky and slightly tangy flavors that marry perfectly with the beef. Each bite is pleasure without the plunge into heaviness.
Ground Beef Stir-Fry Recipe
Course: Asian Recipes4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
For the Ground Beef Stir Fry:
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
For the Stir Fry Sauce
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ cup water
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
- Whisk the Sauce:
In a mini bowl or measuring cup, whisk together 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce and 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce, followed by 2 tablespoons real maple syrup (preferably grade B); then add garlic, freshly grated to get more flavor contribution for about 2-4 cloves at least. Ideally some thicker texture; the finer the better! So you’d experiment with ratios too if feeling adventurous: a teaspoon of powdered ginger. Add toasted / untoasted sesame oil, depending on what bubbles out post-first bite! Whisk until fully combined and set aside.
- Sear and Brown the Beef:
In a large and hot skillet or wok, add another tablespoon of oil. Put in the 1-pound ground beef. While it cooks, use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat apart into pieces. Fry for some 5 minutes until the beef is cooked through and nice and brown. Spoon the beef into a clean bowl but leave any rendered fat and oil in the pan.
- Sauté the Vegetables:
Drizzle in another teaspoon of cooking oil into the pan. Add your zucchini spiral, sliced mushrooms, and julienned carrot. Heat on high heat with constant stirring for 2 to 3 minutes. You want colorful, “tender-crisp” vegetables, where they’re cooked just on the outside and retain a good crunch from the center. We want them crispy and crunchy, not soft and mushy!
- Combine and Glaze:
Return cooked ground beef and any resting juices back to the skillet with the vegetables. Swirl the sauce around a bit to redistribute everything, then pour it over the beef and veggies. Toss everything together vigorously. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting it bubble. The heat will bring to life the garlic and ginger; the sugars in both the maple syrup and BBQ sauce will reduce down into an ultimately glossy glaze that clings to every single ingredient.
- Garnish and Serve:
Just taste your stir-fry and add a little pinch if you like salt or black pepper. Take the skillet off of the heat. Top it generously with chopped fresh chives or green onions. Serve hot over a mound of fluffy white rice or brown rice, or even in crispy lettuce cups for a low-carb option.
Notes
- Use 85% lean ground beef for the best balance of flavor and tenderness. Drain excess fat if needed.
Prep all the vegetables and sauce before you start cooking, as stir-frying is a quick process.
Cook the vegetables over medium-high heat to keep them crisp and colorful.
Feel free to swap or add vegetables like mushrooms, snap peas, zucchini, baby corn, cabbage, or bok choy.
For extra heat, add red pepper flakes, chili garlic sauce, or a drizzle of sriracha.
If you prefer a sweeter sauce, stir in an extra teaspoon of honey or brown sugar.
Serve with steamed jasmine rice, brown rice, fried rice, noodles, or cauliflower rice for a complete meal.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce and keep the beef moist.
Tips for Ground Beef Stir Fry:
The medium-high heat allows the veggies to cook yet remain crisp but also gives a nice brown color to the beef. Avoid overloading the pan because too much food in it can steam instead of stirfry. Know that cooking is very fast, so prepare everything before putting it on the stove. Before pouring the sauce on the pan, give it a taste. For the sweet lovers, add a touch more honey. For spice, increase the amount of red pepper flakes or squeeze on some chili-garlic sauce.
Must Read: Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe
Easy Variations to Try
This recipe is incredibly flexible. You can swap other veggies as needed according to what you have in the kitchen.
Great additions include:
- Mushrooms
- Snap peas
- Zucchini
- Baby corn
- Bok choy
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Green beans
You can use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or even plant-based ground meat and the sauce will be just as tasty. To add a little more crunchy texture to the final dish, sprinkle roasted peanuts or crispy fried cashew nuts.
What to Serve with Ground Beef Stir Fry
Any stir fry such as this works well with many sides. My personal favorite is fluffy steamed jasmine rice as it sops up every single last flavorful morsel of sauce.
Other serving ideas include:
- White rice
- Brown rice
- Fried rice
- Egg noodles
- Rice noodles
- Lo mein noodles
- Cauliflower rice
- Quinoa
- Lettuce wraps
Storage and Reheating
Let the stir fry cool all the way before storing. Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
For the reheating: if it is left over, use a pan medium heat and cook for 5 min. Keep adding some water only if the sauce becomes thickened. In addition, you can microwave individual portions for a minute or two until warm.
Store in freezer-safe containers to keep the cooled stir fry for two months or less. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before warming.
Ready to Serve and Enjoy
Ground Beef Stir-Fry – A delicious home-cooked meal that is quick to prep and clean up. Every bite is bursting with comfort food flavor from the savory ground beef, fresh colorful vegetables, and a quick homemade stir-fry sauce. It’s a dish that is uncomplicated enough for a weeknight but delicious enough to serve if family or friends are round.
After making this recipe, you’ll probably come back to it again and again because it’s super fast, inexpensive, & endlessly adaptable!
