What makes this ground beef stir fry recipe unique from the others is its rainbow of vegetables, from red bell peppers to green onions. This stir fry only takes about 20 minutes to prepare and the components can even be prepped and refrigerated ahead of time.
A 20-Minute Weeknight-Friendly Beef Skillet
- This stir fry is a quick and nutritious recipe suitable for busy weeknights.
- It is vegetable heavy in comparison to other stir fries, such as my kimchi tofu stir fry, which makes it an excellent way to use up the produce in your fridge that's about to go bad.
- You can easily customize the vegetables and prep them in advance.
- This meal makes you feel satisfied but doesn't weigh you down.
- I find store-bought sauces way too sweet. This homemade teriyaki sauce has just the right amount of tang and sweetness.
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Ingredients
- ground beef - you are looking for lean ground beef so that the stir fry isn't greasy
- mini corn cobs - these come canned in the grocery store and need to be drained and rinsed
- red cabbage - check out my post on how to expertly shred cabbage
- sesame oil - adds amazing flavor to the stir fry - make sure it's toasted sesame oil
- peanut oil - peanut oil is great for stir frying because it has a high smoke point
- broccoli florets - make sure they are small in size so that they cook quicky and evenly with the other veggies
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
Recipe Tweaks
- Since there are already red and yellow bell peppers, why not add orange bell peppers for the extra color? If you do not like or cannot find orange bell peppers, carrots are a great substitute for their mild flavor and frequent use in Asian recipes.
- For purple, there is eggplant for its meaty texture, or purple asparagus which has a less fibrous texture than green or white asparagus.
- Now you may be thinking that there are no blue options, but there is a great and easy one. Blue corn tastes the same as yellow corn but is rich in anthocyanin, which gives it its deep color.
With these suggestions, you can make a full rainbow of vegetables.
How to Make Ground Beef Stir Fry
Step 1. Make the sauce. Whisk the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
Step 2. Brown the ground beef. Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble the ground beef until browned. Remove from the pan and reserve.
Step 3. Stir fry the veggies. Heat the peanut oil in the skillet. Add the vegetables (except for the cobs) and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until tender-crisp. Turn the heat down to medium.
Step 4. Return the beef and serve. Add the mini corn cobs, green onions, reserved ground beef and sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve the ground beef stir fry over rice, noodles or on its own.
Joss' Make-Ahead Tips
- Fresh Veggies: Cut the veggies up to 2 to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Ground Beef: You can brown the ground beef within 1 to 2 days in advance. Again, store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Side: If you're serving it with rice or noodles on the side, that can be cooked within a day in advance (for best quality) and reheated right in the wok with the hot stir fry. Just remember to refrigerate quickly after cooking.
Beverage Pairing
When it comes to drink recommendations, red-based drinks are on the top. They are commonly matched with red-meat dishes.
One of the best alcoholic drink choices for this dish would be syrah or shiraz. This wine has a peppery edge, but will taste different depending on where it is from. It will pair nicely with the ground beef and sweet, dark teriyaki sauce.
If you want a non-alcoholic option: there is club soda with a lemon twist, Moscow mule mocktail or cranberry juice with a splash of apple juice to cut down the tang and tartness.
Recipe FAQs
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
With this recipe, you are going to want to cook the vegetables until they are 'tender-crisp'. Tender-crisp vegetables are heated and cooked through but they still have a little bit of crunch to them. If you cook the vegetables for too long, they will become mushy and unappetizing.
I like to cook the ground beef before the vegetables, reserve it and then add it back to the vegetables once they're cooked. This way the veggies will absorb the beef flavor and retain that tender-crisp texture.
Yes! For the teriyaki sauce, use vegetable-based broth instead of chicken broth. For the stir fry, use veggie ground instead of ground beef.
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📋Recipe
Ground Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Sauce
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh ginger - minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic - minced
For the Stir-Fry
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 cup green beans - chopped into 2" pieces
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- 2 cups red cabbage - thinly sliced
- 1 cup red bell pepper - sliced
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper - sliced
- 1 cup baby corn - drained, rinsed and cut in half
- 2 green onions - thinly sliced
- sesame seeds - to garnish
Instructions
- Whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and whisk until combined. Reserve.¼ cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 ½ teaspoons fresh ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble the ground beef until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and reserve.1 pound lean ground beef
- Heat the peanut oil in the skillet. Add the green beans, broccoli, cabbage and bell peppers and stir-fry for about 5 minutes (until the vegetables are tender-crisp).1 tablespoon peanut oil, 1 cup green beans, 2 cups small broccoli florets, 2 cups red cabbage, 1 cup red bell pepper, 1 cup yellow bell pepper
- Turn the heat down to medium. Add the mini corn cobs, green onions and reserved ground beef. Quickly whisk the reserved teriyaki sauce again and pour it into the skillet. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 more minutes, until the sauce thickens.1 cup baby corn, 2 green onions
- Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve over rice, noodles or on its own.
Equipment
Notes
- Vegetable Doneness: With this recipe, you are going to want to cook the vegetables until they are 'tender-crisp'. Tender-crisp vegetables are heated and cooked through but they still have a little bit of crunch to them.
- Leftover Storage: Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat the leftovers in a pan/wok over medium heat with a touch of peanut oil in the bottom of the pan. You can also reheat them in the microwave if desired.
- Make Ahead Tips:
- Fresh Veggies: Cut the veggies up to 2 to 3 days in advance and store in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Ground Beef: You can brown the ground beef within 1 to 2 days in advance. Again, store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Side Dish: If you're serving it with rice or noodles on the side, that can be cooked within a day in advance and reheated right in the wok with the hot stir fry. Just remember to refrigerate quickly after cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Joss says
This is one of my favorite stir fries, so delish and quick!