Name: Ground Beef Stir Fry
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 33 min
Ingredients: ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce; ¼ cup water; 2 tablespoons Mirin sweet cooking rice wine; 3 tablespoons honey; 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch; 2 teaspoons freshly grated garlic; 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 pound lean ground beef, (93%-7%); ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons peanut oil; ¾ cup fresh broccoli florets, (1 inch bite size pieces); ¾ cup large diced sweet yellow onion, (Vidalia onion); ¾ cup large diced red bell pepper, (seeds removed); ½ cup sugar snap peas, (cut in half on a diagonal); ½ cup carrots, (from 1 medium carrot that has been peeled and cut into ¼ inch rounds); ½ cup sliced button mushrooms

Overhead view of ground beef stir fry in skillet with broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, and mushrooms.

Ground Beef Stir Fry is a quick and easy dish packed with lean ground beef, fresh vegetables, and a savory homemade stir fry sauce. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s perfect for busy weeknights and meal prep.

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Prep Time15

Cook Time18

Total Time33

Servings

This ground beef stir fry is the kind of recipe that works anytime—whether it’s a quick Tuesday night family dinner or something you’re proud to set out for friends. Over the years of testing this recipe, I’ve learned a few tricks to make it taste restaurant-quality — with just the right balance of sauce, seasoning, and texture.

Skillet of ground beef stir fry with carrots, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and snap peas.

Ground Beef Stir Fry Ingredients

Ground Beef Stir Fry raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

For the Sauce

½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons Mirin sweet cooking rice wine
3 tablespoons honey
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons freshly grated garlic
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the Stir Fry

1 pound lean ground beef (93%-7%)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil
¾ cup fresh broccoli florets
¾ cup large diced sweet yellow onion
¾ cup large diced red bell peppe
½ cup sugar snap peas
½ cup carrots
½ cup sliced button mushrooms

Ingredient Substitutions

Ground Beef: Ground turkey, pork, or chicken can be used. For a vegetarian twist, try crumbled tofu or a plant-based ground meat alternative.

Mirin: If you don’t have mirin, use seasoned rice wine vinegar or dry sherry. Add an extra tablespoon of honey to maintain the sweetness.

Use This Recipe For Meal Prep

One of the reasons I love this stir fry is how well it works for meal prep. Having these ready-to-go bowls in the fridge makes weeknights or packed lunches so much easier.

Portion Right Away: After cooking, let the stir fry cool for about 15 minutes, then portion it into airtight containers. Dividing it while it’s fresh helps the sauce stay evenly distributed instead of pooling at the bottom.

Pair with a Base: Add a scoop of steamed rice, rice noodles, or even plain stir-fried noodles into each container before topping with the stir fry.

Storage Timeline:
- Fridge: Keeps well for up to four days.
- Freezer: I portion it into single servings in freezer-safe containers or bags, then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. It’ll last up to two months.

Expert Tips For Making Stir Fry

Keep the Beef Chunky: When browning the ground beef, don’t break it into tiny crumbles. Leaving some chunkiness gives the stir fry better texture and bite.

ground beef seasoned with salt and black pepper added to the skillet

Drain, Don’t Wash: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked beef to a paper towel–lined plate so the extra fat drains away. Then pour off the excess fat but don’t wipe the skillet—you’ll want those browned bits for flavor.

High Heat for the Veggies: Stir frying works best over medium-high heat. This quick, hot cooking method keeps the vegetables tender-crisp instead of soft or soggy.

peanut oil, followed by the broccoli florets, diced sweet yellow onion, red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, carrots, and sliced mushrooms added to the skillet

Cook Veggies in Layers: Add all the vegetables to the hot pan at once, but keep them moving so they cook evenly. They’ll be ready when they’re just tender with a little crunch left.

Sauce Last, Always: Return the beef to the skillet before adding the sauce. That way, everything gets coated evenly, and the cornstarch in the sauce has a chance to thicken into a glossy finish.

Don’t Walk Away at the End: Once you add the sauce, it thickens fast—usually in under a minute. Stir constantly and pull the skillet off the heat as soon as it’s glossy and coats the beef and veggies.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with noodles or rice, such as Jasmine or Basmati. You can also try this recipe over mushroom rice or lemon rice, too. Pair with eggrolls or an Asian cucumber salad.

Plate of ground beef stir fry served over white rice with broccoli, peppers, carrots, and snap peas.

More Stir Fry Recipes

Ground Beef Stir Fry

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 18

Total Time 33

Servings

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Ingredients

For the Sauce

½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons Mirin sweet cooking rice wine
3 tablespoons honey
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons freshly grated garlic
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the Stir Fry

1 pound lean ground beef, 93%-7%
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil
¾ cup fresh broccoli florets, 1 inch bite size pieces
¾ cup large diced sweet yellow onion, Vidalia onion
¾ cup large diced red bell pepper, seeds removed
½ cup sugar snap peas, cut in half on a diagonal
½ cup carrots, from 1 medium carrot that has been peeled and cut into ¼ inch rounds
½ cup sliced button mushrooms

Instructions

In a small bowl whisk together the low-sodium soy sauce, water, Mirin, honey, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes. Whisk to combine to create the sauce for the vegetable beef stir fry. Set aside.
In a large (12-inch) skillet on medium-high heat, add the lean ground beef, salt and black pepper. Cook and brown the ground beef for 7-8 minutes or until no pink remains. When cooking the ground beef, be careful not to break it up into too small of pieces. You want to have some chunkiness to the ground beef when added to the stir fry.
Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the cooked ground beef to a paper towel lined plate to allow all the excess fat to drain from the sauteed ground beef. Remove the remaining liquid fat from the skillet, but do not clean the skillet.
To the same large skillet, on medium-high heat, add the peanut oil, broccoli florets, sweet yellow onion, red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, carrots and sliced button mushrooms. Cook the vegetables for 8-10 minutes or just until they are tender but still have a slight crisp to them.
Add the ground beef and sauce to the skillet. Stir to evenly coat all the ground beef and vegetables with the sauce. Allow the sauce to cook and thicken for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the heat. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes

Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh vegetables and aromatics like garlic and ginger will provide the best flavor. Prepping them just before cooking helps maintain their freshness, too.
Keep the Beef Moist: Don’t overcook the beef. As soon as it’s no longer pink, remove it from the hot pan.
For the Best Texture: We don’t recommend using frozen vegetables, as they release too much water and can end up mushy. We also recommend patting your vegetables dry so they sear in the pan. Otherwise, they tend to steam, and can end up less crisp.
Even Cooking: Slice vegetables evenly to ensure they cook at the same rate. This prevents some pieces from being overcooked while others remain undercooked.
For Extra Flavor: After cooking the beef, use a very small amount of water or broth to deglaze the pan before adding the vegetables. This picks up the flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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30 Minute Ground Beef Stir Fry