Description
This quick and flavorful 15-Minute Ground Beef & Broccoli recipe combines lean ground beef with tender broccoli florets in a savory sauce made from oyster sauce, soy sauce, and honey. Perfect for a speedy yet satisfying dinner, it’s easy to customize with your favorite veggies and served over rice or noodles.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 12 ounces broccoli florets frozen
- 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
Flavorings
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced or grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
Thickener
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cool water
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef: Set a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart and stirring frequently, until it is no longer pink and fully cooked through.
- Prepare the sauce mixture: While the beef cooks, combine the beef broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes in a bowl or measuring cup. Set this sauce aside.
- Add garlic and ginger: Once the beef is cooked, push it out to the edges of the pan. Add the minced garlic and ginger to the center and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
- Cook broccoli with sauce: Pour the prepared sauce and broccoli florets into the pan and stir everything to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli reaches your preferred tenderness — typically several minutes if using frozen broccoli.
- Thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the cool water until fully dissolved to create a slurry. Slowly pour this slurry into the pan while stirring the beef and broccoli. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Finish and serve: Stir in the toasted sesame oil if using for additional flavor. Serve the ground beef and broccoli hot over cooked rice or noodles for a complete meal.
Notes
- Fresh broccoli can be substituted for frozen broccoli; just cut into bite-sized florets.
- Other vegetables such as snow peas, shredded carrots, baby corn, or bell peppers can replace some or all of the broccoli; firmer vegetables may need a few extra minutes to cook.
- If you don’t have fresh ginger, jarred or frozen minced ginger works well. Ground ginger can be used as a last resort but will produce a milder ginger flavor.
- Use low-sodium beef broth and soy sauce to avoid excessive saltiness in the dish.
- Natural oyster sauce without added MSG is recommended and can usually be found at most grocery stores.
- If you omit oyster sauce, increase soy sauce to 3 ½ tablespoons and honey to 1 ½ tablespoons; adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce or hoisin sauce can help replicate some of the flavor depth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
