Ground Beef and Broccoli
Looking for a quick weeknight meal that the whole family will love? (Always!) This ground beef and broccoli stir-fry is a must-make! It’s packed with protein, veggies, and all the bold takeout-inspired flavors you love. Serve over rice, noodles, or cauliflower rice for some extra veggies.
The whole family loves this one!
Everything cooks up in one pan, ready in less than 30 minutes, and is made with simple ingredients and pantry staples. The homemade sweet and savory sauce coats the beef and tender-crisp broccoli perfectly.
I updated this recipe and post in 2025 to streamline the stir-fry sauce a bit. When I initially created it, the sauce used a few obscure ingredients that I found were not really necessary. So we improved it a bit and I think the flavor is even better than the original. As you know, I’m always looking to simplify and streamline recipes and meals, so this was a change that felt right. It’s…
🥢 Big flavor: Savory, saucy, and totally craveable flavor that is reminiscent of takeout, but better!
🍚 Family-approved: Everyone loves this beef and broccoli combo with a savory sauce and fluffy rice.
⏱ Quick & easy: This meal is fast enough for busy weeknights and comes together in less than 30 minutes. It’s also made with simple ingredients.
💪 Nutritious & balanced: This meal has everything I look for in a meal – protein, veggies, carbs, and flavor!
🥦 Veggie-loaded: A delicious way to get broccoli on the plate. Want extra veggies? Serve over cauliflower rice.
🍱 Great for leftovers: Tastes just as good reheated for lunch and if we are lucky enough to have leftovers, we definitely fight over who gets to take them for lunch!
You’ll also want to try ground pork stir-fry, steak and broccoli, and orange chicken.
This dinner was a hit! We don’t eat a ton of red meat/have never used ground beef in this way, but it was 10/10! The flavors of the sauce paired with the broccoli and fluffy rice. Yum! Looked forward to eating the leftovers! Thanks, Emily!!
–Kathryn
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this beef stir-fry to the table: ground beef, salt, ginger, garlic, broccoli, cornstarch, brown sugar, oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce.
- Beef – I like to look for lean ground beef (but not super-lean). Local and grass-fed is my first preference for flavor and environmental reasons, but buy the type you prefer! If you’re looking for a leaner option, try my ground turkey stir-fry, and for a steak option, try this beef and broccoli recipe.)
- Broccoli – You can use a head of broccoli or buy the prepped florets. If you do buy a bag of florets, you will still need to trim them to be similar in size. I prefer using fresh vegetables in a stir-fry like this, but you could also use frozen broccoli if you prefer.
- Rice – I prefer serving the stir fry over white rice or jasmine rice, but you can use whatever type of rice is your favorite. Brown rice would add some nutty flavor, or if you’re looking to add in more veggies, try it over cauliflower rice.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: For crispy, vibrant broccoli that isn’t mushy, cook just until crisp-tender. Then add the stir-fry sauce and cook another minute or two. Your broccoli should be perfectly tender-crisp.
- Shortcuts: There are a few options here. You can use frozen ginger and garlic cubes (which cuts down on prep!), microwavable rice, or even buy a bottled stir-fry sauce.
- Feeding kids without pressure: Serve small portions of the rice and stir-fry separately and serve the meal with a few sides you know they will eat (like milk and fruit) and bread if they don’t do rice.
- Variations: You can switch up the vegetables or add in extra vegetables if desired. You may need to adjust the cooking order and time so that they all end up tender at the same time.
Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
This easy ground beef and broccoli stir fry recipe is quick, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights. Made with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tsp. grated ginger
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 16 oz. broccoli florets
- for serving: sliced green onion, soy sauce, sriracha/garlic chile sauce, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix the stir-fry sauce. Whisk together minced garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add ground beef to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until browned.
- Add broccoli and mix it together with the beef. Cover, lower heat to medium, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove cover, return heat to medium and stir in soy sauce mixture and cook for 1-3 more minutes, until broccoli is tender and sauce is thick and glossy.
- Serve beef and broccoli over rice. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, and if desired, serve with extra soy sauce and chili garlic sauce (or sriracha) to taste.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include rice or toppings.
- Get your kids involved! They can: stir together soy sauce mixture, help break apart broccoli florets, top their bowls with sesame seeds and green onions.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or a hot skillet until heated through.
- Freezer storage: You can freeze the ground beef and broccoli. Store it in an airtight container for 2-3 months.
- Shortcuts: Frozen ginger cubes, frozen rice, trimmed broccoli florets.
- Prep ahead: You can mix the stir-fry sauce and trim the broccoli up to a day in advance.
- Special tools: A rice maker is one of my most-used kitchen appliances! If you love stir-fry and eat it often, I can’t recommend it enough.
- Serve with: Rice, cauliflower rice, noodles.
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Wish I could print this recipe! It won’t allow it. I suspect all the pop up ads are interfering.
Hi Carolyn, sorry about that! I’ll check with my ad people; there shouldn’t be pop-ups! Thanks for letting me know.
This dinner was a hit! We don’t eat a ton of red meat/have never used ground beef in this way, but it was 10/10! The flavors of the sauce paired with the broccoli and fluffy rice. Yum! Looked forward to eating the leftovers! Thanks, Emily!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m actually improving it a bit to make it even better right now!
Just as good as takeout. Delicious!
YAY! So glad to hear you think so, Gayle!