Ground Beef & Broccoli (15-Minute Dinner!)
Say hello to your new weeknight dinner hero! Ground beef, broccoli + an easy homemade sweet-salty sauce come together fast in this 15-minute, one-pan, stir-fry dinner perfect with noodles or rice.
Equipment
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)
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 (of 4) | Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 751mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 530IU | Vitamin C: 77mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 5mg
