This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This ground beef stir fry recipe is easy to make and has lots of veggies in an irresistible homemade stir fry sauce. It’s fantastic for busy weeknights and ready in just 30 minutes!
You may also like my Teriyaki Ground Beef, Easy Beef Stir Fry, or Easy Beef Bowls.
Why you’ll love it
This is such a simple and inexpensive take on a traditional beef stir fry recipe since it has ground beef. The delicious homemade sauce is savory and sweet, so it shouldn’t be hard to get your picky eaters to clean their plates with this one! It’s one of my go-to meals when I’m wondering what to make with ground beef.
You’ll appreciate just how quickly this recipe comes together, and the stir fry sauce with ginger and garlic is made from scratch, so you know exactly what’s going into it. No more premade stuff from a bottle with a million ingredients you can’t pronounce!
Just a few everyday ingredients
For the stir fry
- Ground beef – I recommend 90% lean
- Olive oil – for sautéing the onion
- Onion – my go-to is sweet (Vidalia) onion, but you can use any variety
- Mushrooms, red bell pepper, broccoli, carrots – the fresh vegetable medley I chose
- Sesame seeds and scallions – for serving, but optional
For the sauce
- Sugar – brown sugar gives a hint of sweetness and balance to the sauce. It’s not overpowering!
- Ginger – always use freshly grated ginger for the best taste
- Garlic – I used two cloves, but use as much as you like
- Hoisin sauce – it can be found in the Asian foods aisle in most major grocery stores. It has a unique flavor, so I don’t have any suggestions for direct swaps.
- Soy sauce – I used regular, but you can use low sodium if that’s a consideration
- Apple cider vinegar – for a little tanginess. You can use rice wine vinegar too.
- Beef broth – for an even deeper, richer taste. Water works instead, though.
- Cornstarch – it’s a thickening agent
How to make ground beef stir fry
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Prepare all ingredients before you start cooking, including adding all sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisking them together. Brown the beef in a large skillet, at least a 12″ one.
Drain the fat and transfer the meat to a plate. Add the oil to the same skillet and give the onion a one minute head start, then add the rest of the veggies and stir fry them for 3-4 minutes.
Add the beef back to the skillet, then stir in the sauce. Let it cook for a couple of minutes until thickened, stirring often so everything is coated.
Pro tip
- Keeping a piece of frozen ginger in the freezer is a game changer. Simply store it in a ZipLoc. That way, you always have fresh ginger and it lasts for months. It’s also easier to grate. I use my Microplane. So handy!
Substitutions and variations
- This recipe is quite flexible in that you can use whatever veggies you have on-hand or prefer like snap peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, etc. Just be sure to cut them up small so they cook fast. I would try to keep the quantities roughly the same so the pan isn’t too crowded.
- Fresh vegetables are definitely best, but you can use a frozen mix if that’s all you have as a shortcut.
- You can swap the ground beef for another type of meat like ground chicken or even ground pork. If using something leaner than beef, add a splash of olive oil to the pan for step 2.
- Want to make it spicy? Add some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce or a squirt of sriracha either to the sauce or once you’ve plated it!
What to serve with it
- Rice is what I usually pair it with, particularly jasmine rice, but noodles would be perfect too! Try tossing this stir fry with ramen noodles.
- You could serve it over cauliflower rice as well, or even eat it as-is for a lighter meal.
Leftovers and storage
- Stir fries are great for reheating. This one will keep for a few days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- In a small saucepan, reheat on a low heat until warmed through. I’d make fresh rice or noodles for leftovers.
- I’ve been known to make tasty lettuce wraps with the leftovers!
More Asian-inspired recipes
Questions about this easy ground beef stir fry? Let me know in the comments below. Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram so I can see your creations!
Ground Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion cut into bite-size pieces
- 5 ounces mushrooms (I used cremini) cut into quarters
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 2 cups broccoli florets cut small
- 1/2 cup matchstick cut carrots
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional, for serving: chopped scallions, sesame seeds
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup beef broth or water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients beforehand. Add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.
- Add the beef to a large skillet and brown it until it's cooked through over medium-high heat (about 10 minutes), breaking the meat up with your spoon as you go along.
- Drain any fat and transfer the meat to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Add the olive oil to the same skillet and sauté the onion for a minute or so.
- Add in the remaining vegetables and cook them for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Veggies will be tender-crisp once done, but you can cook them for a bit longer if you prefer.
- Add the beef back to the skillet, and stir in the sauce. Let it bubble up for a minute or two so it thickens. Continue stirring so everything is nicely coated. Season with salt & pepper if needed.
- Enjoy immediately served over rice or noodles. I served it with sesame seeds and chopped scallions sprinkled on top.
Notes
- Hoisin sauce can be found in the Asian foods section of most grocery stores.
- I keep a piece fresh ginger in the freezer in a ZipLoc bag. It’s much easier to grate when it’s frozen (I use my Microplane to grate it), and I know it’s always there vs. going bad somewhere in my fridge!
- You can slice up half a small carrot if you prefer, but be sure to slice it very thin.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This was so very good. The sauce is flavorful and I really like the variety of vegetables. I’ve made it twice- with ground beef and with ground chicken. Both were equally delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This turned out excellent! We were gifted 1/4 cow’s worth of ground beef in our freezer, but it’s ultra lean and a bit challenging for some recipes. It was perfect for this one, and we all loved it. Will be adding this to our rotation, I’ve loved everything I’ve made so far from your site. Thanks so much!
Aww I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you!!
My husband is a picky eater and it is hard for me to find record that he likes. One day he days let’s do stir fry, I found this recipe. He actually made a comment about this meal, this is good. Less than a month and he wants it again. Excellent sauce that is what makes it even better.
Yay!! I love that!!
Very easy and delicious! Who thought ground beef would be as great as this is! We must have this again!
So pleased you enjoyed it, Jim! 🙂
OMG!! That was BOMB!!! Okay I’ve been making stir fry for YEARS with chopped up chicken breast or steak and let me tell you..using grass fed ground beef is the best ever!! My husband was blown away at this recipe, a definite keeper in this family even tho all 4 of my children are moved out and on their own 🙂
I’m so happy you liked it!! 😀
Made this tonight and it was delicious . Will definitely be making again . Thank you for the recipe .
You’re welcome, Jean! We’re so happy you enjoyed it, and thanks for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Just made this for lunch and OMG! i followed your recipe exactly (minus mushrooms, we dont like them) and this was the best beef stir EVER. the sauce was everything. I hate bottled stir fry sauces or the ones that come in the frozen veggie packets. This sauce was restaurant quality! I added a teaspoon of chili paste for some heat and it was perfection! thank you for this recipe – it is going on weekly rotation! cheers!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear it!! 😀 Appreciate your 5-star review, Melissa. XO
You are so welcome!
Making it again tonight because I can’t stop the crave!! Xoxo
🙂
This is delicious. Prepped the veggies the night before. Next time I will prep the sauce as well. I did double the sauce because we love more sauce. I will be making this regularly. This was the first recipe I tried from your site and was so impressed that a few days later I tried the Creamy Tenderloin Medallions and they, too, were delicious.
Aww I’m so pleased you found me and enjoyed the recipes, Eleanor! 🙂 Appreciate your review.
Just made this for dinner and it came out so good! Definitely a keeper for me, thanks!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it! Thanks, Rica! 🙂
This was delicious! My husband and I loved it and will definitely make it again!
Wonderful!! Appreciate you taking the time to write me a review, Alexandra!