Ground Beef & Broccoli (15-Minute Dinner!)
Say hello to your new weeknight dinner hero! Ground beef, broccoli and an easy homemade sweet-salty Mongolian-style sauce come together fast in this 15-minute, one-pan, stir-fry dinner perfect with noodles or rice.
5 star review
“Loved this recipe and shared it with my sisters! Super easy and quick to make. Will definitely be adding this to our regular meal rotation! ”
– Molli
A Fast & Fresh Ground Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry For Dinner Tonight!
Okay, you know those nights when your brain is DONE but dinner still needs to happen? Yeah, me too, and that’s exactly why I made this super fast ground beef broccoli recipe. Seriously, I kept hearing from so many of you the same issues when it comes to dinner: that 1) it always sneaks up, 2) you’re OVER the same three meals, and 3) you’re just trying not to eat cereal at 8pm again.
Trust me, I get it, and it’s exactly why I created this 15-minute Mongolian-style stir fry with ground beef, broccoli, and a glossy, sweet-salty sauce that makes what is essentially a pan of protein and veggies and turns it into something absolutely addictive and completely attainable on even the busiest of weeknights.
It’s a little garlicky, a little gingery, and tastes like it came from your favorite takeout spot, only faster, cheaper, and a whole lot fresher. The quick sauce is homemade, but don’t let that scare you, as it’s just pantry staples whisked together while the beef cooks.
I also use less sugar than other recipes, so you’ll still get that salty-sweet flavor combo without a sugar overload. If you’ve got cooked noodles, I highly suggest you toss them in at the end. Lo mein, spaghetti, or even ramen all work beautifully here, or serve it over rice. I’m pretty sure this one is going to become a weeknight staple, just like my skillet ground beef and ramen is for so many of you!
Welcome to My Kitchen! Let’s Whip Up this Ground Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry
Testing Notes for Making the Perfect Broccoli + Beef Dinner
- In testing, I found that fresh ginger makes a big difference. You can skip it if needed, but when I added, the flavor was just brighter and more balanced. Use prepared ginger in a tube to. make prep super-fast.
- The sauce thickens fast, so once it starts bubbling, don’t walk away! Give it a few good stirs and take it off the heat before it over-reduces or over-thickens.
- When it comes to adding noodles, I found that spaghetti or lo mein works really well. I like ramen too, but it does soften quickly, so keep an eye on things if that’s the route you decide to go to avoid soggy noodles.
Ground Beef & Broccoli (15-Minute Dinner!)
Ingredients
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ cup water, divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado or canola
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 12 ounces small broccoli florets (about 2 cups)
To Add at the End (Optional)
- 8 ounces cooked noodles (such as lo mein, spaghetti, or ramen)
Equipment
Instructions
- Make the Sauce: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ¼ cup of the water, and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
- Brown the Beef: Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 3-4 minutes, breaking apart the meat, until just beginning to brown.
- Add the Broccoli: Add the broccoli and ¼ of the cup water. Cover the pot and steam for 2-3 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green, but not quite cooked through.
- Simmer the Sauce: Uncover, pour in the sauce, bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the broccoli cooks through, about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the Noodles (Optional): Add the cooked noodles (if using) and stir to coat. If the sauce has thickened too much, add a splash more water (or chicken stock if you have some on hand) until it's thin enough evenly coat the noodles.
- Serve with sliced green onions and a drizzle of chili crisp or sriracha if that’s your thing.
Notes
- For Serving: Sliced green onions, sriracha, chili crisp (highly recommend!).
- Broccoli Size: For best results, I recommend keeping the broccoli on the smaller side, as big florets take longer to steam and don’t catch as much sauce. If your florets are on the larger side, give them a quick chop or break them apart with your fingers before tossing them in the pan.
- Sugar: Mongolian-style stir-fry sauce is typically very sweet, and I adjusted the amount of sugar down for my take. However, you can adjust the brown sugar depending on your preferences. A little extra will make it more like classic takeout, or less will give a more savory feel. When making the sauce, add 1 tablespoon at a time, taste, then add more until you get to your preferred sweetness level.
Loved this recipe and shared it with my sisters! Super easy and quick to make. I added sriracha. Will definitely be adding this to our regular meal rotation!
Molli, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this easy dinner recipe, and I agree, it’s so good with a generous drizzle of sriracha! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Just returned home after vacation and was looking for some quick, easy, but delicious meals for the week ahead. This was perfect for that!
Lindsay, I agree, this is such a great (easy) dinner to ease back in after a vacation. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
This was delicious and so easy and quick. I had cooked the noodles, chopped broccoli and made sauce ahead. This is definitely a keeper!
Jackie, great idea to get those things prepped ahead as this recipe is so fast it’s nice to have everything ready to go! So happy to hear you enjoyed, and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and leaving a review!
Wonderful!
Kay, yay, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!