Description
A quick and flavorful 15-minute recipe for ground beef and broccoli cooked in a savory sauce with garlic, ginger, and a touch of honey. Perfect served over rice or noodles for a satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 12 ounces broccoli florets frozen
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced/grated ginger OR 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Cooked rice or noodles for serving
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Thickening & Flavoring
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cool water
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil optional
Instructions
- Cook the Beef: Set a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink, breaking it apart and stirring as it cooks.
- Prepare the Sauce: While the beef cooks, combine beef broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a bowl or large measuring cup. Set this sauce mixture aside.
- Add Aromatics: Once the beef is cooked, push it to the edges of the pan and add the minced garlic and ginger in the center. Stir for a minute or two until fragrant. Drain excess grease from the pan.
- Cook Broccoli with Sauce: Add the sauce mixture and frozen broccoli to the pan, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally. Follow the broccoli package timing if using frozen.
- Thicken the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch into the cold water until dissolved to make a slurry. Slowly pour this slurry into the pan while stirring the beef and broccoli mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the toasted sesame oil if using. Serve the hot ground beef and broccoli mixture over cooked rice or noodles.
Notes
- You can substitute fresh broccoli for frozen; just cut into bite-sized florets.
- Other vegetables such as snow peas, shredded carrots, baby corn, or bell peppers can be used instead of or with broccoli. Firmer vegetables may require longer simmering and possibly extra broth to maintain sauciness.
- If fresh ginger is unavailable, jarred or frozen minced ginger is a good alternative. Ground ginger can be used in a pinch but will yield a milder flavor.
- Using low-sodium beef broth and soy sauce helps prevent the dish from becoming too salty.
- Natural oyster sauce without added MSG is preferred and can often be found in regular grocery stores.
- Oyster sauce can be omitted; to compensate, increase soy sauce to 3 ½ tablespoons and honey to 1 ½ tablespoons, optionally add Worcestershire sauce or hoisin sauce to deepen flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
