Ground Beef Stir-Fry with Rice: Fast, Filling, Family-Approved

Ground beef stir-fry is one of those dinners that looks like nothing on paper and then becomes the meal everyone asks for again. The beef browns fast, the sauce takes 30 seconds to mix, and the whole thing is done before the rice finishes cooking. At under $3 per serving, it's also one of the cheapest weeknight options around.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 600g (1.3 lb) lean ground beef
• 2 cups jasmine or long-grain white rice, cooked
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or 1/2 tsp ground)
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
• Sesame seeds and sliced spring onions to serve

The Sauce Formula

Mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin, and sesame oil together in a small bowl before you start cooking. This is the move that separates a stir-fry that comes together smoothly from one where you're fumbling with bottles over a hot pan. The cornstarch slurry goes in at the end to thicken everything.

Instructions

1. Start the rice according to package directions. Everything else will be done before it is.
2. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil. When it shimmers, add the ground beef in a single layer. Don't stir for 2 minutes - let it brown. Break it up and cook until no pink remains, about 5-6 minutes total. Drain any excess fat. Remove beef to a plate.
3. Add the remaining oil to the same pan. Sauté onion for 2 minutes, then add garlic and ginger. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the bell pepper and broccoli. Stir-fry over high heat for 3-4 minutes until just tender-crisp. Don't overcook - the veg should still have some bite.
5. Return the beef to the pan. Pour in the sauce and toss everything to coat. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir for 1 minute until the sauce thickens and clings to the beef.
6. Serve over rice, topped with sesame seeds and spring onions.

Nutrition (per serving with rice, estimated)

• Calories: ~490 kcal
• Protein: 32g
• Carbs: 48g
• Fat: 16g

Variations

The vegetables are entirely flexible - frozen peas, corn, shredded cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms, and snap peas all work. Add a teaspoon of chilli paste to the sauce for adults; keep a mild portion for kids and add heat at the table. Swap ground beef for ground turkey or ground pork with no other changes needed.

Meal Prep Tips

The stir-fry reheats well over medium heat in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Microwave works in a pinch but the veg softens. Cooked rice keeps for 4 days in the fridge - batch-cooking it on Sunday is the single biggest time-saver for a recipe like this. Day-old rice actually fries better than fresh, so leftovers improve the next batch. If you're building a rotation around fast weeknight proteins like this one, the Quick Weeknight Dinners guide covers a full 5-night plan with prep strategy.

If you're hitting a protein target tonight, the Consillar Daily Macro Planner lets you enter your goals and get a full day of meals that add up to your numbers.