What makes this ground beef stir fry recipe unique from the others is its rainbow of vegetables, from red bell peppers to green onions. While the wide selection of vegetables add crunch and different flavors from sweet to bitter, the homemade teriyaki sauce brings it all together with tang and sweetness.
This stir fry only takes about 20 minutes to prepare and the sauce can even be prepped and refrigerated ahead of time.
Ingredients
For the Teriyaki Sauce:
- chicken broth
- cornstarch
- soy sauce
- brown sugar
- sesame oil
- fresh ginger
- fresh garlic
For the Stir Fry:
- lean ground beef
- peanut oil
- green beans
- small broccoli florets
- red cabbage
- red and yellow bell pepper
- baby corn
- green onions
What is Tender-Crisp?
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.
Tweaks
Since this Asian recipe calls for a rainbow of vegetables, here are some suggestions to make your ground beef stir fry even more colorful.
- 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.
Drink Recommendations
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 some non-alcoholic options, 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.
What drinks did you serve with this ground beef stir fry? Comment below and if you enjoyed this recipe, please share it!
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
Instructions
- Whisk the chicken broth and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and whisk until combined. Reserve.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Serve over rice, noodles or on its own.
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.