Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry is your go-to recipe for a quick weeknight dinner.
There’s a lot of Chinese take-out happening in The Hollow Places, which made my horror-loving heart very happy. One of my favorite things to do is order Chinese take-out for dinner and settle down with a good movie or TV show.
Sadly, I don’t live in an area where I can get good Chinese. That means I end up trying to make Asian-inspired dishes at home, and that’s how this book-inspired recipe came about.
When I’m craving Chinese and don’t want to wait an hour+ for delivery, I whip up this Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry for dinner.
Note that I’m not claiming this meal is anywhere near authentic Asian cooking. But, it is full of robust flavor, has lots of tender-crisp veggies, and — my personal favorite — has tons of extra sauce.
I’m a big fan of quick recipes, like my Paprika Shrimp and Polenta and my Veggie Soba Noodle Bowls.
Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry is ready to serve in just 20 minutes, which means it’s perfect for whenever you’re getting super hangry and/or don’t want to spend a lot of time in front of the stove.
While most stir-fry recipes call for sliced steak, this one uses ground beef — as the recipe name suggests — which is a huge time-saving hack.
Plus, there’s no marinating required; you just dump all the sauce ingredients into the pan, and it’s go time.
When it comes to veggies, you can use whatever you want in this recipe — the beauty of a stir-fry! – but I love using peapods because I don’t really eat them with anything else. Plus, their bright green color really makes for an eye-catching dish.
Raw green beans or broccoli florets would be good in this recipe, as well.
I like extremely saucy stir-frys, so I made sure my Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry contains plenty of sauce.
It really coats those veggies, and there’s tons to pour over steamed white rice, which I suggest you serve it with.
But, if you just can’t get enough, go ahead and double the sauce ingredients.
You can never have too much sauce.
Blogger’s Note: These photos were taken using the Biscotti Linen Replica Surface. I’m a Replica Surfaces Ambassador! Visit http://replicasurfaces.com/awellreadtart and use code Photos12 to get a 12% discount off your order.
Super Easy Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp cold water
- 1 lb lean ground beef (I like 90%)
- 7 oz raw peapods, cut in half
- 3 oz shredded carrot, divided
- Sesame seeds (optional, to taste)
- Cooked rice (optional, for serving)
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and black pepper in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Chop the peapods into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until completely browned, 4-5 minutes.
- Add the peapods and stir to combine. Cook 1-2 minutes, until peapods have slightly softened but are still a vibrant green.
- Add half the shredded carrot and stir to combine. Cook 1-2 minutes to slightly soften.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer, then stir the cornstarch slurry into the skillet. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring regularly, until the ingredients are coated with a thick, glossy sauce.
- Serve immediately over cooked rice (white or brown) and sprinkle with remaining shredded carrots and, if desired, sesame seeds.
