Ground Beef Bowls

Ground beef bowls are an easy, budget-friendly recipe that comes together quickly and is perfect for weeknight dinners and meal prep.

Course Main Course

Keyword ground beef, stir fry

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 717kcal

½ cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 garlic cloves grated or finely minced
2 teaspoons ginger powder or 1-2 tablespoons fresh grated or minced ginger
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes or to taste (leave it out if you don’t like spicy food)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons cooking oil such as avocado oil
2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4-6 tablespoons green onions sliced, plus more for garnish
Cooked white rice or noodles for serving (about 6 cups cooked rice or 12 ounces noodles)
12-16 ounces frozen broccoli cooked according to package directions, or vegetable of choice
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Let the ground beef sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes (provided it is cool in your kitchen) to get the chill out.

Add the water and cornstarch to a jar or medium bowl. Stir with a fork or small whisk until the cornstarch fully dissolves.
Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Stir vigorously until well combined. Stir the sauce again just before using.

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or wok (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the ground beef and salt.
Stir to combine and arrange the beef in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes.
Stir, breaking up any large pieces. Continue cooking for another 4-6 minutes, or until fully browned, stirring occasionally.
Depending on the fat content of your ground beef, you may want to drain the excess fat. Remove the skillet from the heat, push the beef to one side, and tilt the pan so the fat pools on the opposite side. Use a large spoon to scoop it out into a bowl or can. Discard or save for another use.
Lower the heat to medium-low and pour in the prepared stir fry sauce. Stir well to coat the beef.
Cover the skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld. If it gets too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
Stir in the sliced green onions.
Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference, we did not add extra to ours.
Serve with white rice or noodles and broccoli or your vegetable of choice. Garnish with extra green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Use a ground beef that is fairly lean so the finished dish is not too greasy. Since the sauce already adds plenty of richness and flavor, you do not need a high-fat ground beef here. A good choice is 90-92% lean / 8-10% fat. That said, 85-90% lean will also work if that is what you have, just be prepared to drain off more excess fat after browning.
If you are serving this with rice, start it first since this dish comes together quickly.
Omit the salt when cooking the beef if you are sensitive to salt. The sauce already adds plenty of flavor.
If the finished beef seems slightly dry, add 1-2 extra tablespoons of water to loosen it without changing the flavor.
Use a large, deep skillet. With 2 pounds of meat, you may need to brown the beef in 2 batches if your skillet is small so the beef browns instead of steams.