A 30-Minute Stir Fry Made for Busy Nights
Ground beef is one of my favorite shortcuts for stir fry because there’s no meat to slice or marinate. It browns in a few minutes, which means you can focus on the veggies and sauce and have the whole thing on the table in 30 minutes.
This version has plenty of crisp-tender veggies and a sweet and savory orange ginger sauce that is thick enough to coat every bite.
Serve it over rice and you have a protein, veggies, and carbs all in one bowl.
It also happens to be a family-friendly meal (my kids love it!). One reader told me her ‘very picky teenagers’ loved it, and another swapped frozen peas for the broccoli and said she’d make it again and again (this is what makes this job so fun!).
If you love stir fry recipes, be sure to try this flank steak stir fry, ground turkey teriyaki rice bowl, ground pork stir fry, or pork lettuce wraps next.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Beef: I use 90% lean ground beef. It has enough fat for flavor without leaving the finished stir fry greasy. Ground turkey, chicken, or pork will also work.
- Fresh Vegetables: I use onion, red bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, and snap peas for a mix of textures, colors, and all the crunch. You can swap in zucchini, mushrooms, bok choy, cabbage, green beans, or whatever stir-fry vegetables happen to be sitting in your fridge’s veggie drawer.
- Garlic & Fresh Ginger: Fresh garlic and ginger give the sauce the most aromatic flavor, but I’ve used the refrigerated tube/paste in a pinch when I don’t feel like mincing.
- Sesame Oil: Adds a toasted, nutty flavor to the beef and vegetables. Olive oil works if that’s what you have.
- Coconut Aminos (or Soy Sauce): This is the salty, savory base of the sauce. Use low-sodium soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos.
- Fresh Orange Juice: This is what makes this stir-fry sauce a little different. Fresh orange adds brightness and subtle sweetness without making the finished dish taste overly orange.
- Rice Vinegar: A little acidity balances the sweet and savory flavors in the sauce.
- Maple Syrup (or Honey): Balances the soy sauce and vinegar and helps give the sauce that savory-sweet flavor.
- Cornstarch Tapioca Starch: Thickens the sauce so it turns glossy and coats the beef and vegetables instead of pooling at the bottom of the pan.
Shortcut: A bag of pre-cut stir-fry vegetables saves a lot of prep here. I’ve even done it with frozen vegetables. Just make sure to thaw and drain them well because extra water steams the stir fry and waters down the sauce.
How to Make Ground Beef Stir Fry
Top tip: Have the sauce mixed and all of the vegetables chopped before you start cooking. Stir fry moves quickly once the pan is hot, so having everything ready makes this much easier.
- Make the Sauce: Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook the Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 4–5 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until no pink remains. Transfer it to a bowl and drain any excess fat.
- Sauté the Veggies: Add the remaining sesame oil, then add the onion, bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, and snap peas. Stir fry for 5–6 minutes. The vegetables should be bright in color and easily pierced with a fork but still have some bite Use your largest skillet or wok so the vegetables have room to cook. Crowding them traps steam and can make them soft instead of crisp-tender.
- Add the sauce and beef: Pour the sauce over the vegetables and bring it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the vegetables. Add the ground beef back to the pan and toss everything together until the beef is coated and warmed through. Finish with green onions, sesame seeds, or red pepper flakes and serve over rice.
Want it spicy? Add sriracha to the sauce or finish with red pepper flakes.
For serving, I usually reach for white rice or coconut rice, but brown rice, ramen noodles, cauliflower rice, or lettuce cups all work.
Storage and Reheating Leftovers
Store the stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re meal prepping it with rice, portion the rice and stir fry together and keep fresh garnishes separate.
Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
To freeze: Store the beef and vegetable mixture in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
If you love to make takeout recipes at home, try asian chicken wings, healthy chicken pad thai, korean beef tacos, or garlic salmon rice bowls.
More Weeknight Meals with Ground Beef
Ground Beef Stir Fry
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1 medium orange)
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tablespoon honey or brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
Stir Fry
- 1 lb ground beef (I used 90% lean)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 3 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 cups snap peas
- Garnish: Green onions, sesame seeds, or red pepper flakes
- To serve: White rice, brown rice, coconut rice, ramen noodles, lettuce cups, or cauliflower rice
Instructions
- Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.½ cup low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos, ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar, ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon honey or brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
- In a large pan or wok, heat 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking it up into small pieces, until no pink remains, 4-5 minutes. Transfer the ground beef to a bowl and drain the fat.1 lb ground beef, 2 Tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
- Add the remaining Tablespoon of sesame oil to the pan over medium heat. Add all of the vegetables and stir fry for 5–6 minutes, until they're bright in color and easily pierced with a fork but still have some bite.1 small yellow onion, 1 red bell pepper, 3 cups chopped broccoli florets, 2 large carrots, 2 cups snap peas
- Pour the sauce over the vegetables and bring it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat the vegetables.
- Add the ground beef back to the pan and stir to coat the beef in the veggies and sauce. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over white rice, coconut rice, brown rice, noodles or in a lettuce wrap.Garnish: Green onions, sesame seeds, or red pepper flakes, To serve: White rice, brown rice, coconut rice, ramen noodles, lettuce cups, or cauliflower rice
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This recipe was quick and easy and taste delicious.
, I didn’t ave OJ i used beef broth and it turned out great.
Glad you enjoyed it, Vivian!
The ground beef stir fry was FABULOUS! I used frozen peas instead of broccoli. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. I will make this again and again.
So glad you loved it. Thanks for sharing, Mar!
Easy and the most delicious dish. Loved by my very picky teenagers. Thank you.
Wow, thank you!