If you’re looking for an easy stir-fry recipe, then this ground beef stir-fry is a must try! It’s loaded with hearty ground beef, lots of colourful veggies (like cabbage, bell pepper and carrots) and a flavour-packed stir-fry sauce! Serve over rice for one delicious meal, on the table in under 30 minutes.
As much as both hubby and I love to cook, sometimes when deciding what to have for dinner, the struggle is real, especially weeknights. You too?
That’s why it’s always a good idea to have easy recipes in your back pocket for when you’re too tired (or just not in the mood) to break out your inner Julia Child.
Stir-fry is a popular choice for us, as are soups and sandwiches.
Ever since we’ve been making this ground beef stir-fry recipe, it’s been a favourite of ours. It comes together quickly, fills us up, and tastes so darn good.
Why We Love Ground Beef Stir Fry
- This stir fry uses ground beef (which can often be less expensive than, say, steak).
- The recipe can be made in under 30 minutes!
- It’s loaded with lots of yummy veggies, hearty ground beef and a savoury stir-fry sauce.
- It tastes incredible!
How To Make This Recipe
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
Everything moves quickly when making this ground beef stir-fry recipe, so you want to have everything prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.
First, prepare the stir-fry sauce and set aside for use shortly.
You basically whisk together yummy ingredients, like soy sauce, sriracha, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, fish sauce and sesame oil.
Heat some vegetable oil in a wok, then add the ground beef and cook.
Note: Since the stir-fry sauce has lots of soy sauce, fish sauce and flavour-packed ingredients, I didn’t add any salt to the ground beef.
Once the ground beef is fully cooked through, remove it from the wok.
Heat some more oil in the wok, then add the stir-fry veggies. Cook until they’re tender-crisp, stirring regularly. You still want a little bite in them.
Add the cooked ground beef back to the wok, along with the stir-fry sauce, and combine with the veggies, cooking for a little so all the flavours mingle (and stirring often).
That’s it! Easy ground beef and vegetable stir-fry that’s ready to be devoured!
Totally optional is to mix in a cornstarch slurry to give the sauce a little thickness.
Can I Make Stir Fry Without a Wok?
For sure! Use a large sauté pan to make this ground beef stir-fry if you don’t have a wok.
Topping Ideas
- Peanuts
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced green onion
- Chili oil
- Sliced chili peppers
Sides To Serve With It
Stir-fry is delicious served over rice (my favourite). Heck, I even like to use quinoa at times.
Other stir-fry sides are instant ramen (use the noodles only, not the flavour packet that typically comes with it), soba or buckwheat noodles. Instead of serving the stir-fry over the noodles, you can totally mix them in if you like.
For a lower carb option, serve the stir-fry with cauliflower rice (plus, you get extra yummy veg).
More Yummy Ground Beef Recipes
If you make this easy stir-fry recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Ground Beef Stir-Fry Recipe
Ingredients
Stir-Fry Sauce
- ½ cup less sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1.5 teaspoons sesame oil
Ground Beef Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 8 leaves green cabbage, cut into thin strips (about 2 to 3 cups)
- 1 large bell pepper, cut into thin strips (colour of your choice)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and shredded or thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional
- 1.5 tablespoons cold water, optional
For Serving (optional)
- Cooked rice or noodles
Optional Stir-Fry Garnish Ideas
- Sliced green onion
- Sliced chili pepper
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped peanuts
Instructions
Stir-Fry Sauce
- Combine the soy sauce, sriracha, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, fish sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl, whisking together until combined. Set aside.
Ground Beef Stir-Fry
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large (about 12-inch) wok over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking the ground beef into small pieces and stirring occasionally, until fully cooked through (the ground beef should no longer be pink and be browned all the way through), about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the ground beef to a plate or bowl and drain any excess grease from the wok.
- Turn heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the wok. Once oil is hot, add onion, garlic, ginger, cabbage, pepper and carrots. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the veggies are tender-crisp.
- Add the cooked ground beef to the veggie mixture, along with the stir-fry sauce, stirring everything together. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Optional for a thicker sauce consistency: In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Pour over stir-fry and stir in. Cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Enjoy the stir-fry as is or serve over cooked rice or your favourite noodles. Garnish to taste (if desired) with any of the stir-fry garnish ideas.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
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Tried this recipe?
If you do make this recipe, thank you!! It would mean so much if you could leave a comment below. Love to know how you enjoyed it, and it helps other readers too!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
This is the type of dish I love to make for my family Dawn! Saucy, tasty and tons of veggies. We’d devour this as a quick weeknight meal!
Esther D. Baldwin says
I love your veggie stir fry with ground beef recipe. I even take it in a party and everybody said, it’s so yum.y and easy is to prepare. Thanks for sharing this at FB
Dawn | Girl Heart Food says
Thank you, Esther! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed the recipe!
Marissa says
Using ground beef is a genius way to make stir-fry really simple. And this one looks SO flavorful, Dawn! Love that it’s weeknight easy!
David @ Spiced says
I love stir fries and this version sounds fantastic, Dawn! Weeknight meals are a bit rushed lately now that Robbie has finally gone back to summer camp at his kindergarten school. This sounds like a great meal for a busy night!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
I love how easy this comes together! Perfect for a weeknight meal. My freezer is full of ground beef and I’m always looking for new ways to use it. 🙂
Michelle says
Such a simple and delicious rice dish! Love how easily it comes together! Definitely my kind of comfort food 🙂
Laura says
Dawn, This is totally my kind of weeknight meal. I like to start the rice and am always happy when the rice-topper is done at the same time as the rice! This one’s definitely a keeper – the flavors sound perfect, too!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Love this quick and easy stir fry and I always have ground beef in the freezer. Sounds and look delicious 🙂