Whip up an easy, flavorful ground beef and broccoli stir fry with the best homemade sweet and savory sauce. Serve it over rice for an unforgettable, Asian-inspired meal!
More Asian-inspired recipes include Korean ground beef bowl and chicken and broccoli stir fry!
Table of Contents
Easy Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Easy and flavorful ground beef and broccoli is a weeknight staple around here. Much like crockpot beef and broccoli, chicken stir fry, and egg roll in a bowl, it’s the Asian-inspired flavors that really shine!
This is an easy stir-fry recipe to keep in mind during busy weekdays (or when in the need of an easy ground beef recipe) because it takes just 15 minutes to make.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Healthy and delicious. You get to control the amount of sodium, sugar, and spice you add to your sauce. Plus, lean ground beef is a great source of protein.
- Customizable. Serve it over cooked rice, brown rice, quinoa, or lettuce wrap like we do with PF Chang’s lettuce wraps.
Ingredients Needed
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- For the beef stir fry: Lean ground beef (20/80), chopped onion, minced garlic, and ginger. You can also swap with ground ginger.
- For the sauce: Low sodium soy sauce, water, brown sugar, cornstarch (for thickening), sesame oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Broccoli: Washed, chopped and steamed separately. I also have instructions on how to cook it with the sauce.
- Serve with: Cooked rice. Use whatever is your favorite. White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, etc.
- Optional garnish: Sliced green onions, Sriracha sauce, and sesame seeds.
How to Make Ground Beef and Broccoli
Prepare the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Whisk everything together, and add more spice for extra heat if you want. Set that aside.
Cook the ground beef and onion in a large skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the garlic and ginger during the last minute of cooking. When meat is done, stir in the sauce and bring to a light simmer.
Serve it over rice with steamed broccoli florets, and top with green onions and sesame seeds. Drizzle with sriracha.
Tips and Variations
- For easy meal prep, double the recipe.
- Instead of ground beef, try Korean bulgogi beef with strips of tender beef.
- Substitute 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger for fresh minced ginger.
- If you prefer coconut aminos to regular soy sauce as a gluten-free alternative, use it instead.
- To make this refined sugar free, swap the sugar for honey.
- To make this a one-pan dish, cook the broccoli in the pan with oil for 5 minutes until soft. Remove to a plate while meat is cooking, and then add it back in with the sauce.
- Load up the veggies. Add bell peppers and mushrooms with the onions. You could also add some sliced carrots or peas.
Serving Suggestions
You can use your favorite rice to serve with this ground beef broccoli recipe. Other favorites are Instant Pot rice, fried rice, coconut rice, or brown rice. Chow mein noodles could also be a nice side.
For something with extra protein, try it with quinoa or something a little lighter, like cauliflower rice.
More Asian inspired recipes to try include teriyaki meatballs, chicken chow mein and fried rice.
More Asian Inspired Recipes
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Ground Beef and Broccoli
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger , or 1/4 teaspoon ground
Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce , or coconut aminos
- ¼ cup water
- 2-3 Tablespoons brown sugar , or honey
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Sea salt , to taste
- Ground black pepper , to taste
- 1 head of broccoli , chopped and steamed
For serving: 2 cups cooked rice
Optional toppings: Sliced green onions, Sriracha sauce, Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Brown ground beef: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pound of ground beef and 1 cup chopped onion and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, breaking up any large pieces. Add 2 teaspoons of garlic and 1 teaspoon of ginger during the last minute of cooking the beef.
- Combine sauce: Make In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, 2-3 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and a pinch red pepper flakes. Add more if you like spice.
- Simmer: Once the meat is browned, drain off any extra grease. Stir in the sauce and bring to a light simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water, as desired. Salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve: Remove from heat and serve over rice with steamed broccoli. Top with green onions and sesame seeds and drizzle with sriracha sauce, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
Keep it fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Absolutely. You can either thaw it first, or add it straight from frozen.
The choice is yours as to how you want to cook your broccoli, whether cooked in the skillet and simmered in the sauce or steamed the way I do my steamed vegetables. You can also roast them if you prefer.
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Asian, Beef, Dinner, Meal Prep
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Great had 1 cup for dinner… it was easy and great
So glad you enjoyed the ground beef and broccoli! Thanks for the review.
Super delicious and easy! Iove it!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
This beef dish was everything that I wanted it to be and more! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
Thanks for the review!
This recipe was the yummiest weeknight dinner. My whole family loved it!
So happy to hear it was a dinner win!
This was the best dinner and so easy to make with the ground beef!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Turned out great. A delicious and easy weeknight meal that is budget friendly too! – recipe tester
Agreed with all of that, glad you enjoyed it!
I love how easy this was for a busy weeknight!
Thanks for the review!