One Pan Quick and Easy Ground Beef Stir Fry

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Ground Beef Stir Fry is quick, flavorful, one pan dinner and perfect for busy weeknights. Fresh vegetables and savory ground beef get tossed in a simple homemade stir fry sauce that comes together fast. It is a budget-friendly alternative to takeout that still delivers big flavor. Serve it over rice for an easy dinner everyone will love. 

For another cheaper alternative to expensive takeout, that also uses ground beef, be sure and try this delicious recipe for Beef and Broccoli with Ground Beef.

A plate of white rice and the ground beef stir with a sauce and green onions on top.

Ground Beef Stir Fry Recipe

If you need a quick and easy dinner that’s packed with flavor, this ground beef stir fry is about to become a weeknight favorite. Made with tender vegetables, a savory sauce, and budget-friendly ground beef, this simple stir fry recipe comes together in just 30 minutes. 

Serve it over rice or noodles for a delicious meal the whole family will love ❤︎

Whether you’re looking for an easy ground beef dinner recipe, a healthy vegetable loaded stir fry, or a better-than-takeout meal for dinner, this recipe checks all the boxes. 

Close up of the ground beef stir fry with vegetables and a wooden spoon in the pan.

Why You’ll Love Ground Beef Stir Fry

  • 🍽 Ready in 30 minutes
  • 🍽 Made with simple & fresh ingredients
  • 🍽 Budget-friendly meal with ground beef
  • 🍽 Loaded with fresh vegetables
  • 🍽 Better than takeout made in your own kitchen!
Chopsticks picking up some stir fry above the plate of stir fry made with ground beef and white rice for serving.

Simple & Fresh Ingredients Needed

  1. Olive Oil : I use extra-virgin ‘light tasting’ olive oil. 
  2. Snow Peas : These are not the same thing, and should not be confused with snap peas, make sure you are using fresh snow peas. 
  3. Broccoli Florets
  4. Red Bell Pepper
  5. Onion : I use a sweet onion but you could also use a yellow onion for a mild flavor, or a white onion for more of a sharp onion favor. 
  6. Lean Ground Beef : I use 93/7 ground beef. 
  7. Beef Broth
  8. Soy Sauce : It’s best to use the full-salted soy sauce as there is no additional salt called for in the recipe. 
  9. Honey : Use a heaping tablespoon for a slightly sweeter stir fry sauce. 
  10. Rice Vinegar
  11. Cornstarch
  12. Garlic Cloves
  13. Sesame Oil
  14. Cooked White Rice, Sliced Green Onions, White Sesame Seeds : For serving and garnish. I love using jasmine rice when I make this stir fry recipe. 
Ingredients

How To Make One Pan Ground Beef Stir Fry (Printable Recipe Card)

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the olive oil, snow peas, broccoli, red bell pepper, and onions. Cook until the vegetables are tender; about 5-8 minutes. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a plate and set aside for later. 

To the same skillet, with the heat turned up to medium-high, cook and crumble the ground beef into small pieces until no pink remains. Drain or soak up any excess grease from the skillet. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, cornstarch, garlic cloves, and sesame oil until combined. 

process images

Pour the sauce into the skillet with the ground beef, and also add back in the vegetables that were set aside from earlier. Cook until the sauce thickens and everything is coated in the sauce. 

Serve over cooked white rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

process images

How To Store Leftover Ground Beef Stir Fry

Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3-4 days.

To reheat, add leftovers to a skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil, and stir frequently until heated through. It’s best to store the ground beef stir fry and extra cooked rice in separate containers.

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process images

Serving Suggestions

Serve over cooked rice of your choice – long-grain rice, jasmine rice, and basmati rice are the top options. Brown rice, cauliflower rice, or rice noodles are other serving options as well. 

Garnish the stir fry with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. If you want lots of extra sauce to drizzle over the stir fry when serving, you can always double the sauce (or 1.5x the sauce) to have extra for serving. 

Pair the ground beef stir fry with egg rolls, wontons, or potstickers. 

Overhead pic of the skillet with stir fry in it and a serving of it with some white rice and chopsticks

Substitutions & Ingredient Notes

  • Olive Oil : Avocado oil is another alternative.
  • Snow Peas : These are not the same thing as snap peas, there really aren’t any great substitutes for snow peas. I like to trim off the ends of the snow peas. The closest option would be fresh green beans that have been trimmed on the ends, but green beans won’t cook as quickly.
  • Red Bell Peppers : You could use any color bell pepper such as green, orange, or yellow.
  • Onion : I prefer a sweet onion but other alternatives are yellow onion or white onion. 
  • Beef Broth : Beef sock, beef bone broth, or use water + beef bouillon. I love using beef bone broth from the Kettle & Fire brand. 
  • Soy Sauce : Tamari or coconut aminos are gluten-free choices. 
  • Honey : Light brown sugar can also be used. Another option is to use half honey + half light brown sugar. Or make it sweeter and use 1 tablespoon honey + 1 tablespoon (or ½ tablespoon light brown sugar).  
Pan of the ground beef stir fry with fresh vegetables

Recipe FAQs

How Can I Make It Spicy?

Add chili crisp oil on top of the entire dish or individual servings. Another option is to add crushed red pepper flakes in with the other seasonings in the sauce. 

Can I Add Additional Vegetables?

Adding more vegetables like mushrooms, bean sprouts, shredded carrots would enhance the flavors and make it a more forward veggie stir-fry. Keep in mind, that the more vegetables you add, the less extra sauce you’ll have for serving. So you may need to adjust the sauce amount if you’re adding lots more vegetables into the pan. 

Could I Use Frozen Vegetables Instead?

I don’t recommend using frozen vegetables because of the texture (they soften and have a chewier texture), but if it’s a must, then make sure they are fully thawed and drained of excess water before adding them to the pan. You may need to add extra cornstarch to thicken the sauce if the frozen veggies release lots of liquid while in the pan. 

Should I Marinate The Ground Beef?

No, the dish retains all the flavor, and with the ground beef crumbled into it, it will absorb the flavor quickly as it cooks. 

Serving of the stir fry with white rice

More Ground Beef Dinner Recipes

A plate of white rice and the ground beef stir with a sauce and green onions on top.
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Ground Beef Stir Fry


Author Jessica – Together as Family
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Chinese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 5
Ground Beef Stir Fry is quick, flavorful, one pan dinner and perfect for busy weeknights. Fresh vegetables and savory ground beef get tossed in a simple homemade stir fry sauce that comes together fast. It is a budget-friendly alternative to takeout that still delivers big flavor. Serve it over rice for an easy dinner everyone will love.

Ingredients
  

Ground Beef Stir Fry

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup snow peas
  • 1 cup chopped broccoli florets
  • 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 1 small onion thinly sliced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (I use 93/7)

Savory Stir Fry Sauce

  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

For Serving

  • cooked white rice
  • thinly sliced green onions
  • white sesame seeds

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the olive oil, snow peas, broccoli, red bell pepper, and onions. Cook until the vegetables are tender to your preference; about 6-10 minutes. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a plate and set aside for later. 
    1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup snow peas, 1 cup chopped broccoli florets, 1 red bell pepper, 1 small onion
  • To the same skillet, with the heat turned up to medium-high, cook and crumble the ground beef into small pieces until no pink remains. Drain or soak up any excess grease from the skillet. 
    1 pound lean ground beef
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, cornstarch, garlic cloves, and sesame oil until combined. 
    1/2 cup beef broth, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Pour the sauce into the skillet with the ground beef, and add back in the vegetables that were set aside from earlier. Cook until the sauce thickens and everything is coated in the sauce. 
  • Serve over cooked white rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
    cooked white rice, thinly sliced green onions, white sesame seeds

Notes

Soy Sauce : Because there is no other salt called for in the recipe; I always use full-salted soy sauce when I make this. Of course, reduced-sodium can be used, but you may want to add additional salt if needed. 
Beef Broth : I love the Kettle & Fire beef bone broth – it has so much flavor! Use beef broth, beef stock, beef bone broth, or water + beef bouillon if needed. 
More Sauce? : If you want extra sauce in the dish for serving, you can either double the sauce or 1.5x the sauce – I recommend doing this because doubling the sauce you will end up with tons of it! My family does not like stir fry super saucey so the recipe as is, is perfect for my family. Enough sauce for the rice and stir fry and still super flavorful without being like super wet. 
Nutrition Information : The information listed is for one serving of the ground beef stir-fry mixture with sauce. It does not include the rice or other toppings, as that may vary depending on what you use. Each serving is about a heaping 1/2 cup. 
Onion : I prefer a sweet onion but you can also use a yellow onion or white onion. 
Tip : My family prefers the vegetables really soft, so I will cover the skillet with a lid and add just touch of water to the skillet and this helps the vegetables steam and cook and soften in the shorter cook time. If you prefer more crisp and textured vegetables, then cook according to the recipe until they are at your preference. 

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 806mg | Potassium: 524mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1068IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg
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