Ground Beef and Broccoli is a quick skillet dinner of browned ground beef and bright green, crisp-tender broccoli in a savory sauce of soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger and honey, spooned over rice or noodles. It is ready in 25 minutes and serves 4.
How to make it: Whisk the sauce, steam the broccoli and set it aside, brown the beef with onion in the same pan, then add the sauce and stir the broccoli back in.
Why You’ll Love It
- Fast: 10 minutes of prep and one skillet.
- Budget-friendly: ground beef and basic pantry ingredients.
- Crisp broccoli: steamed first, it stays bright green and crisp-tender.
- A sauce that clings: a little cornstarch makes it coat every bite.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: One pound. Plain, lean, ground sirloin or 93% lean all work.
Broccoli: One head, cut into small, bite-sized florets (about 4 cups) so they cook evenly.
The sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari), plus 3 tablespoons of beef broth for savory depth, honey to balance it and rice wine vinegar to brighten it. Water can stand in for the broth.
Aromatics: Fresh garlic, a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger for warmth, a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil for a nutty finish, and a dash of red pepper flakes for a mild kick.
Onion: Half a yellow onion cooks with the beef and adds natural sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 3 tablespoons beef broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 piece fresh ginger (1-inch), peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- A dash of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Sesame seeds and sliced green onions, for garnish
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
How to Make Ground Beef and Broccoli
1. Mix the sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, beef broth, garlic, honey, vinegar, cornstarch, ginger, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
2. Steam the broccoli. Put the broccoli florets and water in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cover with a lid and steam until the broccoli is bright green and just tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Move the broccoli to a plate.
3. Brown the beef. In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, breaking the beef up as it cooks, until nicely browned and cooked through to 160°F, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and drain off excess fat if needed.
4. Add the sauce. Reduce the heat to low. Pour the sauce over the beef and cook for a few more minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Add the broccoli and stir until everything is well combined.
5. Serve. Take the skillet off the heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve with rice or noodles.
The Secret to Good Ground Beef and Broccoli (and Mistakes to Avoid)
Prep everything before the pan gets hot. A stir-fry comes together fast. Cut the broccoli, mince the garlic and ginger, and whisk the sauce first, so nothing overcooks while you chop.
Cook the broccoli first, then take it out. Steaming the florets first keeps them crisp-tender and bright green; they return only at the end to pick up the sauce. To sauté them instead, pat washed florets dry and toss them in a little hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes. Either way, aim for bright green, not soft.
Give the beef room. Use a large skillet or a wok. A crowded pan makes the meat steam instead of brown, which costs flavor, so brown it in batches if your skillet is small.
Drain before you sauce. Pour off the excess fat once the beef is browned, or soak it up with a paper towel.
Give a thin sauce another minute. If it still looks loose, simmer it a minute longer; it keeps thickening as it cools slightly.
Taste before serving. Add more soy sauce, honey or red pepper flakes to suit you.
Tips for Success
How much rice should I cook?
Plan on 3 cups of cooked rice for 4 servings. Add 1 cup of long grain white rice to 2 cups of boiling water, bring it back to a boil, then cover tightly and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Let it stand off the heat, lid on, for 10 minutes.
How do I keep it from getting too salty?
Use low-sodium soy sauce and reduced-sodium broth, and taste before adding salt. Some soy sauce brands contain more salt than others.
Variations
- Ground turkey or chicken: use either in place of the beef, and cook ground poultry to 165°F.
- More vegetables: cook a sliced red bell pepper with the browned beef for 1 minute, or stir in snap peas, julienned carrots, water chestnuts, celery or kale.
- Brown sugar sauce: swap the sauce for 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger and red pepper flakes. With no cornstarch, it thickens only slightly in 2 to 3 minutes.
- Spicy: add more red pepper flakes, or 1 teaspoon hot sauce.
- Gluten-free or low-carb: use gluten-free tamari, and serve it over cauliflower rice.
- Toppings: chopped peanuts, sliced almonds or crunchy chow mein noodles.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator. Reheat covered, in a skillet or the microwave, until it reaches 165°F. The sauce thickens in the fridge, so add a splash of water or broth as it warms.
What to Serve With It
Spoon it over steamed white rice or noodles, or make a pan of egg fried rice to go alongside. For more quick skillet dinners, try 15 minute Mongolian ground beef noodles, Chinese beef and onion stir fry or chicken and broccoli stir fry. With sliced steak and ramen instead of ground beef, there is beef and broccoli ramen stir fry, and for a hands-off night, slow cooker ground beef chow mein.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you do beef and broccoli with ground beef?
Yes. Ground beef stands in for the sliced steak of classic beef and broccoli. It costs less, uses ingredients most kitchens already have, and is just as flavorful.
What’s the sauce in ground beef and broccoli?
A soy-based stir-fry sauce: soy sauce, honey, garlic, fresh ginger, rice wine vinegar, a little beef broth and sesame oil, thickened with cornstarch.
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes. Thaw it, pat it dry, and cook it the same way as fresh.
Can I make ground beef and broccoli ahead?
Yes. Cook the beef and sauce in advance and refrigerate them. When it is time to eat, steam the broccoli, reheat the beef to 165°F and combine the two.
Final Notes
Whisk the sauce first, pull the broccoli while it is still bright green, and taste before serving. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Ground Beef and Broccoli
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 3 tablespoons beef broth
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 piece fresh ginger 1-inch, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- crushed red pepper flakes a dash
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets, about 4 cups
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- sesame seeds and green onions sliced green onions, for garnish
- cooked rice or noodles for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, beef broth, garlic, honey, vinegar, cornstarch, ginger, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
- Put the broccoli florets and water in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cover with a lid and steam until the broccoli is bright green and just tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Move the broccoli to a plate.
- In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, breaking the beef up as it cooks, until nicely browned and cooked through to 160°F, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and drain off excess fat if needed.
- Reduce the heat to low. Pour the sauce over the beef and cook for a few more minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Add the broccoli and stir until everything is well combined.
- Take the skillet off the heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve with rice or noodles.
