This Ground Beef Stir Fry recipe is easy to make with fresh or frozen vegetables and a delicious brown sauce! Serve this with rice or noodles for a healthy 30-minute meal!

Be sure to try my super easy Korean Beef Bowl recipe next!

A skillet filled with Ground Beef Stir Fry with sesame seeds on top.

Ground Beef Stir Fry

When it comes to Beef Recipes, you can’t beat the simplicity of making a stir fry with some ground beef and fresh or frozen veggies! I love enjoying this sweet and savory brown sauce with a side of rice!

I use a 7-vegetable combination here, (I love the flavor combinations and the crunch!)- but feel free to get creative with as many or as few as you like.

As far as the sauce, I use a combination of beef and chicken broth for depth of flavor. Honey adds a sweet offset to the savory, and soy sauce adds umami. Garlic and ground ginger round out the flavors, and a touch of hot sauce acts as a subtle flavor enhancer. (And doesn’t make this spicy.)

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Season the ground beef and brown it in olive oil until cooked through. Drain grease and set aside. Deglaze the skillet with white wine (or broth), and let it reduce by half. Add the broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, onions, and celery and cook for 3 minutes, or until slightly softened.

Cooked ground beef in a skillet next to a skillet with vegetables for stir fry.

Add the carrots and bell peppers and cook for 2 more minutes. 

Add the sauce mixture and bring to a gentle bubble, reduce for 2-3 minutes.

Mixed vegetables in a skillet with brown sauce being added to make stir fry.

Add cornstarch slurry to the bubbling sauce and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and add the beef back. Stir to combine and allow it to heat through. Top with desired garnishes and serve with rice or noodles.

Adding ground beef to a skillet with vegetables and sauce for stir fry.

Pro Tips

  • Beef: An even pound of ground beef can be used for this recipe, I like to make a little extra. Ground turkey or ground pork may also be used.
  • Wine: Wine: Chardonnay and Pinto Grigio are great wine options to deglaze the pan with. An equal amount of chicken or beef broth may be used if you don’t cook with wine.
  • Broth: While it may seem counterintuitive to use both chicken and beef broth in this recipe, it actually adds a really nice depth of flavor. If preferred, all beef broth can be used.
  • Veggies: Frozen vegetables may be used instead of fresh if needed.
  • Hot Sauce: The hot sauce in this recipe doesn’t make it hot/spicy, it’s just a small amount that is used to enhance the other flavors. I use Frank’s Hot Sauce.
  • Topping Options include green onions, roughly chopped peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, and crunchy Chow Mein noodles.
  • 7 oz. of stir fry noodles or thin spaghetti can be added to the sauce at the end instead of serving with rice if preferred.
  • Peanut Butter: If you like a little peanut flavor in your sauce, feel free to add a few Tablespoons of it to the sauce!
  • Sodium: To control the sodium in this recipe: Consider using low sodium soy sauce and/or broth.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.  Leftovers do freeze well. 
  • Leftovers are also great in lettuce wraps.

Ground Beef Stir Fry with white rice on a white plate.

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Ground Beef Stir Fry in a skillet with a brown sauce and vegetables.

Ground Beef Stir Fry

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
4.93 from 14 ratings
Servings: 4 people
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This Ground Beef Stir Fry recipe is easy to make with fresh or frozen vegetables! It has a delicious brown sauce to serve with rice or noodles for a healthy 30-minute meal!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Meat Seasoning

  • A generous ¼ teaspoon each: garlic salt, onion powder, celery salt, black pepper

Sauce

  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch, + 3 tbsp. cold water
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup honey, can sub brown sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger

Stir Fry

  • 1 ¼ lbs. ground beef, see notes
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil, can sub olive or vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine, or beef broth. See notes
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 cup green beans
  • 8 oz. mushrooms
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • ½ cup carrots, julienned
  • ½ red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 rib celery, diced

For Serving

  • 3 cups cooked rice, any kind. See notes.

Instructions

Prep Work

  • Combine cornstarch + cold water in a covered container and shake to combine. Set aside in a cool place.
  • Combine remaining sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
  • Measure out additional ingredients before beginning.

Cook the Beef

  • Sprinkle the beef with seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook and crumble until browned and cooked through. Drain grease and set aside.

Make the Stir Fry

  • Add the white wine and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
  • Add a splash of additional oil if needed. Add the broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, onions, and celery and toss to coat. Cook for 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the carrots and bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add sauce mixture and bring to a gentle boil. Let it simmer/reduce for 2-3 minutes. Take the cornstarch mixture and shake it well. Slowly stir the cornstarch slurry into the bubbling sauce until desired thickness is obtained. Reduce heat to low.
  • Add the ground beef back to the skillet along with any juices from the plate. Mix it into the sauce and let it heat through, about 2 minutes. Add desired garnishes and serve with rice or noodles.

Notes

Pro Tips
  • Beef: An even pound of ground beef can be used for this recipe, I like to make a little extra. Ground turkey or ground pork may also be used.
  • Wine: Wine: Chardonnay and Pinto Grigio are great wine options to deglaze the pan with. An equal amount of chicken or beef broth may be used if you don’t cook with wine.
  • Broth: While it may seem counterintuitive to use both chicken and beef broth in this recipe, it actually adds a really nice depth of flavor. If preferred, all beef broth can be used.
  • Veggies: Frozen vegetables may be used instead of fresh if needed.
  • Hot Sauce: The hot sauce in this recipe doesn't make it hot/spicy, it's just a small amount that is used to enhance the other flavors. I use Frank's Hot Sauce.
  • Topping Options include green onions, roughly chopped peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, and crunchy Chow Mein noodles.
  • 7 oz. of stir fry noodles or thin spaghetti can be added to the sauce at the end instead of serving with rice if preferred.
  • Peanut Butter: If you like a little peanut flavor in your sauce, feel free to add a few Tablespoons of it to the sauce!
  • Sodium: To control the sodium in this recipe: Consider using low sodium soy sauce and/or broth.
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.  Leftovers do freeze well. 
  • Leftovers are also great in lettuce wraps.
My process for perfectly cooked rice:
  • Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. (I add 2 chicken bouillon cubes to the water for enhanced flavor.)
  • Add 1 cup of white long grain rice and let the liquid come back up to a boil.
    Cover tightly and reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. (I set my heat to low.)
  • Remove from heat and let it stand in the pot for 10 minutes with the lid on, any rice stuck to the bottom will release.
  • This yields 3 cups of flavorful, perfectly cooked rice. I use a Dutch oven for this which conducts heat well.
  • Note that other varieties of rice may require different liquid measurements and/or cooking times.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe. The optional white rice is not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 437kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 1353mg, Potassium: 1132mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 3620IU, Vitamin C: 69mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 5mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie