Ground Beef Stir Fry
Posted Aug 16, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This ground beef stir fry recipe us a quick & easy 30-minute dinner. Ground beef and veggies are stir-fried in a delicious homemade sauce, resulting in a healthy meal that’s better than takeout!
If you’re looking for a quick and easy – but still healthy and filling – dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes, you need to make this ground beef stir fry.
You know the joke, “becoming an adult is just trying to decide what to make with ground beef or chicken for the rest of your life”? Well, it’s kind of true – and this stir fry using ground beef is a unique and healthy answer to that question (if you’re sick of making tacos or pasta with your ground beef – haha)!
All you have to do is chop your veggies, make the sauce, and then cook everything in one pan! It’s great served over rice, fried rice, noodles, or vegetable lo mein!
Ground Beef Stir Fry: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground beef. I use 85/15% ground beef, but you can use a 93/7% lean ground beef, or even ground chicken or turkey – you’ll just need to cook it in some oil.
- Vegetables. You really can use any vegetables you prefer in this recipe – making it a great “clean out the fridge” dinner too.
- Soy sauce. Low sodium and regular both work well.
- Minced ginger. ¼ teaspoon of powdered ginger works well in place of minced.
- Sesame oil. Critical for the most authentic flavor, but can be substituted with peanut oil if you must.
- Honey. Brown sugar is a great substitute for honey.
- Mirin. Rice vinegar works in place of mirin.
How to Make Ground Beef Stir Fry
I’m going to show you how to make this recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Start by making the sauce: just whisk all the ingredients together and set it aside.
Then, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the ground beef is no longer pink. Stir it often and break it into small pieces as it cooks.
When the ground beef isn’t pink anymore, add the veggies and sesame oil and cook until the vegetables just start to become soft (about 5-8 minutes), stirring often. Cover the pot between stirring sessions to help the veggies cook faster.
Next, stir in the sauce and cook, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes, or until it starts to thicken.
Then, mix the cornstarch and water (can be mixed in the same container used to mix the sauce).
Add this mixture to the ground beef stir fry in the pan and cook uncovered, stirring often until the sauce is thickened.
Serve
Serve this ground beef stir fry with your favorite Asian recipes – like fried rice, stir fry vegetables, and veggie lo mein!
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
You’ll love these better-than-takeout recipes!
- Homemade fried rice or chicken fried rice
- Chicken stir fry
- Sweet potato stir fry
- Asian meatballs
- Asian chicken lettuce wraps
- Vegetable Lo Mein and Chicken Lo Mein
- Fresh spring rolls recipe
Store
Store leftover ground beef stir fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Freeze
Or, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave – and note that the veggies might become softer and change texture after freezing.
Ground Beef Stir Fry Recipe FAQS
Yes you can use ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken.
This recipe calls for zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers. You can also use snap peas, baby corn, bean sprouts, etc.
Don’t overcook the stir fry after adding the veggies. Cook with the pan uncovered especially after adding the sauce.
You can prepare the veggies in advance which will save you so much time when you go to cook! Chop them up and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Yes use gluten-free hoisin sauce and gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Ground Beef Stir Fry
Video
Equipment
- chef's knife
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ onion (diced)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 cups broccoli (6 ounces, cut into bite-sized pieces_) 170 g)
- 1 small zucchini (about 1 cup, diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 carrot (about 1 cup, diced)
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon mirin (or rice vinegar)
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce’
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Whisk the sauce ingredients together (except for water and cornstarch) in a 2-cup glass measuring cup.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, set aside.
- Cook the ground beef, onion, garlic and ginger in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the ground beef is no longer pink, breaking it into small pieces as you cook and stirring often.
- Then, add the broccoli, zucchini, red pepper and carrots, and 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil and cook until the vegetables just start to become soft (about 5-8 minutes), stirring often. Cover between stirring.
- Next, stir in the sauce and cook, uncovered for 3-5 minutes, or until it just starts to thicken.
- Then, add the cornstarch mixture to the ground beef stir fry in the pan and cook uncovered stirring often until the sauce is thickened.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
- Ground beef. I use 85/15% ground beef, but you can use a 93/7% lean ground beef, or even ground chicken or turkey – you’ll just need to cook it in some oil.
- Vegetables. You really can use any vegetables you prefer in this recipe – making it a great “clean out the fridge” dinner too.
- Soy sauce. low sodium and regular both work well.
- Minced ginger. ¼ teaspoon of powdered ginger works well in place of minced.
- Sesame oil. critical for the most authentic flavor, but can be substituted with peanut oil if you must.
- Honey. brown sugar is a great substitute for honey.
- Mirin. rice vinegar works in place of mirin.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
