Ground Beef and Broccoli (15-Minute Dinner)

One-pan ground beef and broccoli stir fry with a sweet-salty Mongolian-style sauce. Ready in 15 minutes and perfect served over noodles or rice.

Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Quick Meal

Cuisine American, Asian, Chinese

Diet Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Keyword beef, ground beef and broccoli, one pan, quick, stir-fry

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 377

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.

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.