This ground beef stir fry is a tasty, healthy, and hearty meal that is quick and easy enough for busy weeknights. Serve over white, brown, or cauliflower rice or over udon or lo mein noodles.
Sometimes you want a meal that is fast to prepare yet delicious. This stir-fry is all that and more. Customize it by using what you have on hand. Vegetables are too expensive to throw away.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Ground beef: Use ground beef with a little fat in it. Fat gives the beef flavor.
- Rice vinegar: Substitute apple cider, champagne, or sherry vinegar.
- Ginger: Use freshly grated ginger or ginger paste. Once opened, ginger paste lasts for about a month. Store it in your refrigerator.
- Mirin: It is sweetened sake. If you can find it, you will love it in your stir-fries. Look for it in the Asian Food Section of your local grocery store. You can substitute dry sherry and granulated sugar in a 3:1 ratio. So, for every 1 tablespoon of sherry, add 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
How to Make Ground Beef Stir Fry
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Mix the sauce ingredients and set the bowl aside for a few minutes
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Plate the cooked beef.
- Stir fry the onion over medium-high heat for about 1-2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and carrots to the skillet with the onions, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then, add the snow peas with the other vegetables and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove the veggies to a plate.
- Add the sauce and whisk over medium-low heat until thickened. Add the cooked ground beef and vegetables to the skillet and stir to coat and warm.
Preparation Tips
- I love snow peas, but it is best to pull the strings so they are not tough. Pinch the curly end and pull along the edge of the pod to remove the string.
- If snow peas are not your cup of tea, substitute broccoli, zucchini, or mushrooms.
- Stir-fry moves quickly, so have your food prepped and ready to go. Don’t overcook the vegetables; they should be crisp-tender.
- Sometimes I double the sauce ingredients because we like a lot of sauce with our rice or ramen noodles. Remember that will raise the calorie count and the sodium content.
Serving Suggestions for Ground Beef Stir Fry
I like to serve this dish with white or brown rice, or Asian noodles. Or serve with a bowl of warm soup such as egg drop soup, hot and sour soup, or wonton soup. For appetizers, I like to serve homemade egg rolls, gyoza (Japanese dumplings), or chicken lettuce wraps.
More Stir Fry Dishes
Ground Beef Stir Fry
This ground beef stir fry is a tasty and healthy meal that is quick and easy enough for busy weeknights.
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 381kcal
Ingredients
Ground Beef Stir Fry
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 6 ounces snow peas
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 green onions, sliced
Ginger Sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium beef broth
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix the beef broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, mirin, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Set the bowl aside for a few minutes.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Plate the beef and cover to keep warm.
- Stir fry the onions over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and carrots to the skillet with the onions, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the snow peas to the other vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the veggies to a plate.
- Add the sauce and whisk over medium-low heat until thickened. Add the cooked ground beef and vegetables back to the skillet and stir to coat and warm. Garnish with the green onions.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 763mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4510IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 4mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @smalltownwomanfoodnut or tag #smalltownwomanfoodnut!
Yvette
I usually only use ground beef in bolognaise dishes or cottage pie. It was so nice to try it in a stir fry for a change with different flavors.
Karen
I made your recipe yesterday and it turned out soo good…The recipe is very easy to follow and I was able to make it in no time. Best recipe ever. Thank you so much.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Karen!
Lisa
Great meal and I love the flavor combinations, I want to try this with ground turkey, this is such a hearty meal and so easy to make……that’s the favorite part easy to create. YUM
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Lisa! It is delicious with ground turkey, too but use chicken broth instead of beef broth.
Gust
I made this for dinner and it was so quick and tasty. The flavors came together perfectly with the veggies!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Gust! I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
Merideth
This is such a hearty meal! Also a big crowd pleaser for my family, as my children adore sugar snap peas. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Merideth! We love it too!
Ben
Another winner! I really liked the flavor, and using ground beef made it super easy to make. Very tasty.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Ben! So glad that you liked it.
Catalina
This ground beef stir fry turned out delicious. Savory, hearty, and great with a bowl of rice!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Catalina!
Amy
I appreciate how quick and versatile this stir fry is. The fresh veggies and savory sauce make it both easy and satisfying. Thanks for sharing this!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Amy!
Kristin
The flavors are perfect, and making it with ground beef is so much more convenient. This is a major winner!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Kristen!
Maria
Absolutely delicious. It was easy to make and just as good as anything I ever ordered. Love it.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Maria! I love it too!