Ground Beef and Broccoli
Super quick, super easy, and packed full of flavor, this Ground Beef and Broccoli recipe uses just one pan and can be on your table in 20 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles for a simple yet satisfying dinner.
This super easy ground beef and broccoli stir fry is perfect when you don’t want to do any heavy lifting in the kitchen but don’t want to resort to takeout, either. It’s ready in about 20 minutes and only gets one pan dirty — a major win for everyone, I think we can agree.
We’re taking flavorful ground beef for a date with vibrant, tender-crisp broccoli and a delicious mix of umami-rich soy sauce, sweet brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and a smidge of toasted sesame oil for that little something extra. The combination is a protein-rich dinner you can whip up in no time and everyone can enjoy.
Related: Quick and Easy Cashew Chicken
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need. Find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.
- Broccoli. I use either one small head of broccoli or a 10-12 ounce bag of pre-washed florets. A little more or less is no problem. Chop into small, even florets so it cooks quickly and evenly.
- One pound lean ground beef or ground sirloin. ButcherBox remains my go-to source.
- Low-sodium soy sauce and either light or dark brown sugar. The base of the sauce.
- Toasted sesame oil. So much flavor in a small package!
- Fresh minced garlic.
- Ground ginger. Using just 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger adds a lot of flavor to the sauce with truly minimal effort. Absolutely substitute 1-2 teaspoons of minced or grated fresh ginger if you have it on hand.
- Olive oil. Vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, etc. all make fine swaps.
- Red and black pepper.
- Rice or noodles, if desired, to serve.
- Sesame seeds and green onion, optional but lovely garnishes.
Variations
- Use ground chicken or turkey in place of ground beef; if using one of these leaner meats, add a small extra drizzle of cooking oil to the skillet after removing the broccoli and before adding the meat.
- Add or substitute snow peas, mushrooms, zucchini, shredded carrots, or bell peppers for the broccoli. Any vegetable that can cook very quickly.
- Add heat with a drizzle of Sriracha or your other favorite hot sauce, either mixed into the sauce or drizzled on bowls for individual tastes.
How To Make Ground Beef & Broccoli
This comes together in no time, so the actual first step is to start any rice or noodles you want to serve with the beef.
This is an overview. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Sauté the broccoli very quickly in a bit of oil. It should be crisp tender and a deep, vibrant green. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Brown ground beef and garlic together in the same pan as used for the broccoli. Drain any excess fat.
- While beef is browning, whisk together the sauce. Pour sauce over the browned beef and let cook for 2-3 minutes for the sauce to thicken and flavor the beef.
- Return broccoli, toss, and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Once cooked, scoop this ground beef and broccoli over rice — white, brown, cauliflower, you name it — or any type of noodle you like. Thick, nubby udon noodles are delicious, as are thin rice noodles. Heck, even standard egg noodles can do the trick if that’s what your family likes.
Sesame seeds and thinly-sliced green onions make a lovely garnish and pop of color.
Storage & Reheating
Ground beef and broccoli keeps and reheats very well, partly because the combination of beef and that delectable sauce minimizes the tendency of leftovers to dry out.
- Storage: Extra portions keep very well for 3-4 days. Store in any airtight container in the fridge. (These are our favorite meal prep boxes!)
- Reheating: Warm in the microwave or over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Add a very small splash of broth or water to loosen the mixture and minimize sticking, but only if really needed. You don’t want to dilute the sauce too much.
Related Recipes
If you like this, you’ll also love my sweet and sticky Asian meatballs, ground beef bowls with edamame, Korean beef bowls or Korean beef lettuce cups, teriyaki ground beef, or teriyaki chicken in the skillet or slow cooker.
Have extra broccoli lingering in the fridge? Toss it into this sheet pan chicken sausage and veggies, lemon broccoli pasta, or a healthy broccoli salad.
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Ground Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3-4 cups broccoli florets see note
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground sirloin
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8-10 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
- sesame seeds optional garnish
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add broccoli and cook, tossing frequently, for 3-4 minutes, until it is vibrantly green with a tender-crisp texture. Remove to a plate and set aside.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 3-4 cups broccoli florets
- Add ground beef and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until mostly browned, breaking it up into small pieces as you go. Drain or use a paper towel to soak up excess fat.1 pound lean ground beef, 2-3 cloves garlic
- While the beef browns, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, ginger, red and black pepper in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk until smooth.1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 8-10 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
- As soon as the beef is browned, pour in the sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, just until the sauce thickens slightly. Return broccoli to the pan and toss to coat. Season with salt to taste, and serve right away over rice or noodles. Garnish with sesame seeds, as desired.sesame seeds
Notes
- Broccoli: Chop into small, even florets so it cooks quickly and evenly.
- Timing: If you’re making rice on the stovetop or Instant Pot to accompany this meal, be sure to start it first, because the beef comes together extremely quickly and you don’t want to be waiting on the rice at the end.
- Yield: This recipe as written makes enough to feed my family of 4 with a tiny bit leftover, but note that one of my kids is a toddler and one typically eats a light dinner. If you have hungrier mouths to feed, this might yield 3 or 2 generous servings only.
- Useful Tools (affiliate links): Angled Measuring Cup | Sauté Tool | Cast Iron Skillet
- Storage: Leftovers keep very well, tightly-covered in the fridge, for 3-4 days.
This is so good and super easy!! I love that it’s just ground beef because I always have that on hand. One of my favorite recipes since I’ve found it.
Yay, so happy to hear it! Thank you for leaving this review- it means a lot to me. Have a great day!
Good and easy. This meal is for two hungry men or three polite people. I would double the recipe for your family. I did double the sauce and I would do it next time.
Haha, I am glad you enjoyed it and I do understand – I think my sense of serving sizes may be skewed because my kids are still relatively little.
Delicious. I added carrots to the recipe. I will definitely make this again. My family loved it. Thank you!
So good! I made some modifications for what I had in the cupboard and it was still so yummy! I added a little more soy sauce because it felt like it needed more salt for my taste buds. I also roasted the broccoli with garlic salt and pepper instead.
That sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing this review. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Very good and easy! I made it as written just increased the quantity for our family. Will definitely make again!
Made this tonight using no substitutions. I served it over cheddar broccoli rice. It was amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
I put a seasonal twist on this by adding cubed yellow squash and cut green beans along with the broccoli.