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Stir Fry Ground Beef is a quick and easy dinner recipe, taking just 30 minutes from start to finish. It’s full of flavor and packed with protein and veggies.
You’ll love this ground beef stir fry served with coconut jasmine rice for a simple and healthy weeknight dinner.
When it comes to quick and easy dinners, stir fries top the list for us! All you need is a tasty sauce and your choice of protein and vegetables. They’re so customizable and you can enjoy them with different types of rice or noodles.
Some of our favorite stir fry dishes include this hokkien mee recipe and this 15 minute Korean style udon stir fry.
Don’t forget a side of crusty bread or even these fried Korean egg rolls!
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- This recipe is budget friendly. Ground beef is economical and goes a long way when you pair it with veggies and rice.
- You only need 30 minutes to make this stir fry, and it stores and reheats well so it’s great for meal prep.
- It’s customizable. You can change up your choice of ground protein and veggies.
- Speaking of veggies, stir fries are a great way to get lots of veggies into your meal. You can even add more to the recipe if you like.
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Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients and the quantities used, check out the recipe card at the end of this post.
You’ll need 1 pound of ground beef for this recipe. For a rich and juicy flavor, I used beef that was close to 70/30. If you prefer a leaner stir fry, you can use 80/20, 85/15 or even 90/10. **to make it ultra easy, make this sous vide ground beef ahead of time and use it here!
For the veggies, the recipe calls for 1 red pepper, 6 ounces of sugar snap peas and one 8 ounce package of sliced mushrooms.
You can use green, yellow or orange bell peppers instead of red. I love the crunch that sugar snap peas add to stir fries. You can also substitute snow peas if you prefer.
To save time, I bought pre-sliced mushrooms but you can also buy whole, fresh mushrooms and slice them yourself.
The stir fry sauce is super simple to make but packed with incredible flavor. You’ll need gochujang, garlic, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chicken stock and sake.
Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chili paste that has sweet, savory and spicy flavors.
Just 2 garlic cloves add garlicky flavor, but if you prefer more, just add another clove or two. For the best flavor, I don’t recommend substituting with garlic powder.
For a hint of sweetness, the sauce includes 1 tablespoon of honey. This pairs nicely with the salty, umami flavor from the 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.
You’ll need 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar. If you don’t have any, you can substitute apple cider vinegar.
The sauce requires ¼ cup of chicken stock. I usually use this homemade crockpot chicken broth, but you can use store-bought stock or broth.
Lastly, you’ll need ¼ cup of sake. If you can’t find sake, you can use dry sherry or even white wine in place of it.
Step by step instructions
STEP 1: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
STEP 2: Brown the beef in a large skillet.
STEP 3: Drain the excess fat and set the beef aside.
STEP 4: Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook over medium heat until they start to release their liquid, about 5 minutes.
STEP 5: Add the red pepper and snap peas and cook 2-3 minutes, until softened.
STEP 6: Add the beef and stir in the sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes. Use a cornstarch slurry if the sauce is too thin.
Serve hot over rice garnished with green onions.
Expert tips
- Instead of ground beef, you can make this stir fry with ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey.
- Don’t over cook the ground beef as it will get tough and rubbery. You want it cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160F degrees.
- You’ll want to drain the excess fat off the ground beef after it is browned so your stir fry isn’t too greasy.
- Feel free to change up the veggies, just make sure they are veggies that cook at the same rate. We sometimes use broccoli, green beans, asparagus and/or onions.
- Make sure your veggies are cut into roughly the same size pieces or strips so they cook at the same rate.
- Be careful not to cut your veggies too small or overcook them as they will get soft and soggy.
- Since the stir fry is made in one pan, make sure you’re using a high-sided skillet so all of the ingredients can fit in it together.
- Instead of chicken stock, you can use beef stock or broth like this slow cooker beef bone broth.
Common questions
Yes. You can make the entire stir fry in advance and reheat it when ready to enjoy, or you can make the sauce and cut the veggies in advance.
The sauce will thicken as the stir fry simmers. If you want a thicker stir fry sauce, make a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water), and slowly stir it into the stir fry until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Just stir in a little more stock or even some water to thin out the sauce.
You can serve this stir fry with brown rice, steamed rice, Instant Pot jasmine rice or Instant Pot basmati rice. We also love it with quinoa, cauliflower rice or noodles like ramen noodles or soba noodles. And, don’t forget to top it all with some chopped green onions.
Storage instructions
This stir fry ground beef should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. It will last for up to 4 days.
To reheat, just warm it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of stock or water as the sauce may thicken in the fridge.
More ground beef recipes
- Mock Turtle Soup
- Instant Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Bolognese
- Instant Pot Chili Mac
- Sous Vide Hamburgers
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Stir Fry Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 red pepper
- 6 ounces sugar snap peas
- 1-8 ounce package sliced mushrooms
- Sliced green onions for garnish
Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup sake
Instructions
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Brown the beef in a large skillet.
- Drain the excess fat and set the beef aside.
- Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook over medium heat until they start to release their liquid, about 5 minutes.
- Add the red pepper and snap peas and cook 2-3 minutes, until softened.
- Add the beef and stir in the sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes. (Use a cornstarch slurry if the sauce is too thin).
- Serve hot over rice garnished with green onions.
Expert Tips:
- Instead of ground beef, you can make this stir fry with ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey.
- Don’t over cook the ground beef as it will get tough and rubbery. You want it cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160F degrees.
- You’ll want to drain the excess fat off the ground beef after it is browned so your stir fry isn’t too greasy.
- Feel free to change up the veggies, just make sure they are veggies that cook at the same rate. We sometimes use broccoli, green beans, asparagus and/or onions.
- Make sure your veggies are cut into roughly the same size pieces or strips so they cook at the same rate.
- Be careful not to cut your veggies too small or overcook them as they will get soft and soggy.
- Since the stir fry is made in one pan, make sure you’re using a high-sided skillet so all of the ingredients can fit in it together.
- Instead of chicken stock, you can use beef stock or broth like this slow cooker beef bone broth.
Nutrition
Harry
This was so yummy! I added a couple more Thai chilies to make it spicier and we just loved it over noodles!
Danielle
That's great to hear!