Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Our ground beef and broccoli recipe preserves all the goodness of the famous Asian beef stir-fry but with a twist in the ingredients.

Unlike classic beef flank dishes, there is no slicing or marinating required in this recipe. We’ve used ground beef to help make your meal quicker and even more affordable.

But don’t worry, you’ll still have well-seasoned beef and crisp-tender broccoli coated in a thick sauce cooked to perfection. Savory, meaty, and packed with nutrients, our beef and broccoli encourages even the pickiest eaters to take a bite.

Is This Ground Beef and Broccoli Healthy?

Yes, our ground beef and broccoli recipe is healthy due in no small part to the balance of various nutritious ingredients. It contains protein, carbs, fiber, and loads of vitamins and minerals.

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To be precise, each serving provides 500 calories — relatively low for a main dish. This allows for ample calorie room to add a soup and juice drink to the meal.

Asian-style stir fries often get a bad reputation for adding too much salt, MSG, and oil. However, our recipe calls for a low sodium soy sauce and only a minimal amount of added oil and butter, keeping the nutrition contents aligned with USDA’s Dietary Guidelines, but still bursting with flavor.

Main Ingredients

The great thing about this ground beef and broccoli recipe is that it’s affordable, and most of the ingredients are right out of your pantry.

Beef: We went with 85% lean ground beef and 15% fat — a cheaper and easier alternative than leaner options. It also gives the dish a juicier consistency without excess grease.

Frozen ground beef works well in this recipe. Though most people cook thawed beef on the stovetop, there is no problem cooking it from frozen; it just takes a little longer and requires some special attention. We’ll mention the technique in the tips part.

Broccoli: Ground beef and broccoli has a nutritional balance of protein and vegetables. Although this recipe calls for broccoli, it would be easy to change up the choice of veggies. Some tasty options include bell peppers, carrots, baby corn, and bok choy.

Sauce: The Asian-style sauce is the key component, giving the recipe its outstanding qualities. We went with the low sodium soy sauce to limit the sodium content of the whole meal and ensure the dish does not turn out too salty.

Oyster sauce gives a depth of flavor while sriracha adds heat, but be sure to carefully adjust the amount to suit your preference. Brown sugar adds a little touch of sweetness to balance out the saltiness of the soy sauce.

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Last but not least, don’t forget to add one or two tablespoons of cornstarch as a thickening agent, creating a glossy flavorful sauce.

Cooking Tips

Frozen Beef: If you’re in a hurry and have no extra time to defrost the beef, the good news is that frozen beef works beautifully with this recipe. Take your frozen ground beef from the freezer and place it directly in the skillet with an inch of liquid — water or broth.

As the water begins to simmer, the meat starts to brown from the outside. Gradually scrape off the outer layer with a wooden spoon to reveal the uncooked layer, then break it apart to ensure all sides are brown and cooked evenly.

Fresh Vegetables: Broccoli is not a must in this recipe, but fresh, raw vegetables are the key to a tasty Asian-style stir fry dish. Frozen vegetables need extra time to defrost and to be careful to remove excess water. They also won’t be as crispy as fresh veggies.

Additional Liquid: Speaking of veggie choice, please keep in mind that firmer vegetables may require a few extra minutes of cooking to become tender yet crisp. You can always add a tablespoon of water or chicken broth if too much sauce evaporates due to the additional cooking time.

1. How Long Should You Cook Ground Beef?

Ground beef should be cooked to 160°F to be considered safe to eat. You don’t need a thermometer to check the temperature, your eyes can help to tell when your meat is ready: when all the beef is brown without any pinkish pieces. On most stovetops, browning a pound of ground beef takes somewhere between 6 and 10 minutes.

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2. How to Tell if Frozen Ground Beef Is Bad?

Color and smell are two key factors to determine whether your frozen beef has gone bad or not. If the meat is brown or gray, this is the first sign of quality deterioration.

If the meat smells weird, pungent, or sticky and slimy, that is another sign showing that it is no longer edible, and you should get rid of it.

How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers

If you have ground beef and broccoli leftover, chill it before transferring to an airtight container. Refrigerated ground beef and broccoli will keep well for 3 days.

You can freeze this stir-fry for up to 3 – 4 months in the freezer. Place the container in the fridge overnight and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave when you’re ready to use it.

If you want more beef and broccoli dishes, feel free to try our Beef and Broccoli Recipe.

What to Serve With

The ground beef and broccoli is delicious on its own, but we love to pair it with a side dish and fruit juice for a complete meal. Today we’re going for our Asian-inspired winter melon meatball soup — it brings a unique savory note to complement the main dish.

For our beverage, we picked out our orange pineapple juice. It’s fresh and packed with vitamins and minerals. Together they make an easy and wholesome meal, and the flavors are out of this world.

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More Favorite Ground Beef Recipes You Can Try

If you have a pound of ground beef in the fridge, you can knock up a nutritious, satisfying meal in the blink of an eye. We’ve rounded up a few easy recipes that you’ll find yourself making again and again:

• Ground Beef And Potatoes: Ground beef is mixed in spices and herbs then simmered with carrots and potatoes for a one-pan dinner that is full of deliciousness.
• Ground Beef Taco Recipe: A filling made with well-seasoned tender beef, caramelized onion, and grated cheese is the secret for a classic mouthwatering taco.
• Spaghetti Recipe With Ground Beef: Add ground beef to any of your favorite pasta sauces, and you’ll have a minimal effort meal with big flavors.
• Ground Beef and Cabbage: Takes just 15 minutes of sautéeing for a budget-friendly and super fulfilling meal that’s loaded with veggies and healthy protein!

Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe

5 from 1 vote

You'll be skipping those take-out dishes after trying our ground beef and broccoli recipe. It's nutritious, packed with flavors, and cost-effective.

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• cook TIME 30 mins
• prep TIME 10 mins
• total TIME 30 mins

• COURSE Main Course
• CUISINE Chinese
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 500 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 12 oz 85% lean ground beef
• 8 oz broccoli florets
• 2 oz onion (chopped)
• 2 1/2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp garlic (chopped)
• 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 2 fl oz water
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp ginger (chopped)
• 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp scallion (chopped)
• 3 cup cooked medium-grain rice

INSTRUCTIONS

Image instructions

1

Prep the sauce: In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sriracha, 1/2 tbsp cornstarch, 2 fl oz water, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp oyster sauce. Whisk until well combined and set aside.

2

Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 8 oz broccoli and 1 tbsp butter and cook for 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir occasionally as the meat is cooked. Transfer the veggie to a bowl and set aside.

3

Add 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp garlic, and 1 tsp ginger to the skillet. Stir for 30 seconds for fragrant.

4

Add 2 oz onion and cook for another 2 minutes.

5

Add 12 oz ground beef to the skillet and stir-fry for an additional 2 minutes.

6

Slowly pour the sauce into the skillet while stirring the meat. Stir occasionally and reduce the heat to simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

7

Stir in the stir-fried broccoli and cook to your desired tenderness, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

8

Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds and 2 tbsp chopped scallion. Serve hot over rice.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 500Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g

35%

Saturated Fat 8g

50%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 65mg

22%

Sodium 540mg

23%

Potassium 270mg

8%

Carbohydrate 51g

17%

Fiber 2g

8%

Sugar 4g

4%

Protein 22g

44%

Vitamin A 385IU

8%

Vitamin C 53mg

64%

Calcium 54mg

5%

Iron 3mg

17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keywords: ground beef and broccoli, ground beef and broccoli recipe