This Ground Beef Stir Fry is a 30 minute weeknight dinner loaded with tender veggies and saucy flavor made in one pan. Serve over rice or noodles and call it a night!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love making ground beef stir fry because it’s much more affordable. I always have ground beef in my freezer and it’s a reliable 30 minute meal I can throw together without much planning.
The sauce is plenty and sticky and almost identical to my beef stir fry recipe. One night we were dying for a change, so I tossed in udon noodles at the end. The sauce clung to them and my family declared this ground beef stir fry recipe the best stir fry I’ve ever made!
For more budget-friendly weeknight meals, try my Korean ground beef and rice bowls and Mongolian ground beef noodles.
Ingredients for Ground Beef Stir Fry
- Ground beef: I use 88/12 lean ground beef because it’s juicy but not greasy. You can swap in any ground meat you have.
- Onion: Slice white onion into strips. Red or yellow onions could work, though the flavor will be a little different.
- Fresh vegetables: I cut up a couple sweet bell peppers, any color works, and some broccoli. See Variations below for other veggies to add.
- Stir fry sauce: Low sodium beef broth, soy sauce or coconut aminos, cornstarch to thicken, brown sugar, maple syrup or honey for sweetness, minced garlic and ginger, and toasted sesame oil. It has to be toasted sesame oil because of its signature nutty flavor, if you don’t have any, just skip it.
- Oil for frying: Avocado oil or the toasted sesame oil if you have it.
- Garnish: I like to sprinkle chopped green onions and sesame seeds on top, but it’s totally optional.
How to Make Ground Beef Stir Fry
Stir fry with ground beef is quick and easy! You can find a full recipe card below.
- Make the sauce: Whisk together beef broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a bowl.
- Cook the beef: Heat a little oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Add ground beef, cook until browned, then transfer to a bowl.
- Cook the veggies: Add more oil to the pan, then stir fry the onion, red bell peppers, and broccoli until just tender.
- Combine: Return beef to the pan. Give the sauce a whisk and pour it in. Stir, bring to a boil, and cook until thickened.
Tips for Best Results
Here are my top tips for this fast, tasty, budget-friendly stir fry.
- Prep ingredients first: Get everything chopped before the pan’s hot, stir fries cook fast.
- Don’t overcook the veggies: Keep them crisp-tender for the best texture and flavor.
- Whisk the sauce: The cornstarch settles to the bottom as it sits, give it a quick stir before adding it to the pan.
- Adjust consistency: Add more beef broth if you like it saucier, or cook a bit longer to thicken.
Variations
- Different protein: Swap in ground chicken, pork, or turkey, flank steak, shrimp, or tofu. Whatever you like!
- Other vegetables: For a stir fry like this you can use almost any veggies. Carrots, snap peas, mushrooms, zucchini or yellow squash, asparagus, baby corn, green beans, water chestnuts, cabbage or bok choy.
- Add heat: Toss in red pepper flakes or a dash of sriracha.
- Frozen vegetables: Perfect for when you’re short on fresh produce, just toss them straight into the pan.
- Other toppings: Try chopped peanuts, cashews, crunchy chow mein noodles, or fresh cilantro.
Serving Ideas
I cooked udon noodles separately as per package instructions and tossed them into the wok with the stir fry, it was awesome! The udon was such a fun change! And my family went crazy for it. Just make sure your skillet or wok is big enough, if you plan to do this.
Or try these:
- White rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice
- Lettuce cups, just like my turkey lettuce wraps
- Spaghetti squash noodles
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Pack in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Freeze: Transfer leftovers to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Then thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: On the stove with a splash of water or broth, stirring occasionally until hot.
More Beef Recipes to Try
Ground Beef Stir Fry
Equipment
Ingredients
For Stir Fry Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth, low sodium
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, I used Bragg liquid aminos
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
For Stir Fry:
- 1 pound ground beef, extra lean
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 large sweet bell peppers, coarsely chopped
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon oil, for frying
- 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk beef broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger. Set aside.
- Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet or wok on medium-high heat and add 1/4 tablespoon of oil. Add ground beef and cook for 6-7 minutes or until cooked through, stirring and breaking into pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Return skillet to high heat and add remaining oil. Add onion, bell peppers and broccoli. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring just a few times or until al dente.
- Add previously cooked ground beef. Whisk stir fry sauce once more (cornstarch settles fast) and add to the skillet. Stir, let sauce come to a boil, then cook for a few minutes until thickened, stirring often.
- Turn off heat and garnish green onion and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: By simmering stir fry on the stove with a splash of water or broth until heated through. Stir occasionally.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
so fast and easy to make!
So happy to hear you loved it!