Description
Hearty ground beef and broccoli stir-fry delivers classic Asian-inspired comfort on one delicious plate. Savory meat mingles with crisp green florets, creating a quick protein-packed meal perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 – 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Cooking and Thickening Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable/olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- Salt to taste
- White pepper to taste
Serving:
- 3 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Prepare a spacious skillet and warm peanut oil over medium-high heat, creating a sizzling cooking surface.
- Introduce broccoli florets to the hot skillet, tossing and stirring rapidly until they achieve a vibrant green color and tender texture, approximately 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a separate plate.
- Return skillet to heat and introduce ground beef, breaking it into crumbly fragments while cooking until a rich golden-brown color develops.
- Incorporate diced onion and red bell pepper into the beef, seasoning with salt and white pepper. Sauté until vegetables become translucent and slightly softened.
- Create a flavor-packed sauce by whisking cornstarch with cold water, then blending in beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, and aromatic sesame oil.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the skillet, allowing it to simmer and gradually thicken, creating a glossy coating over the meat and vegetables.
- Gently fold the previously cooked broccoli back into the skillet, ensuring each piece is lovingly coated with the savory sauce.
- Serve the robust beef and broccoli mixture atop a bed of steamed rice, creating a complete and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Choose peanut oil or swap with neutral oils like vegetable or canola for allergy-friendly options.
- Cut broccoli into uniform bite-sized pieces to ensure even cooking and better texture distribution.
- Drain excess fat from ground beef after browning to reduce overall dish greasiness and calories.
- For lower-carb alternatives, replace rice with cauliflower rice or serve over zucchini noodles to accommodate different dietary needs.
- Use lean ground beef (90/10 or 93/7) to minimize fat content while maintaining delicious flavor profile.
- Quickly stir-fry vegetables to preserve crisp texture and maximize nutritional value during cooking process.
- Adjust sauce sweetness by reducing brown sugar and honey amounts for those monitoring sugar intake.
- Enhance protein options by substituting ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based meat alternatives.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 392 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 710 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg