Ground Beef Stir Fry
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Stir fry sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce - the regular kind
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoons regular white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder - (Note A)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar - regular white sugar also works
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Other ingredients
- 1 pound (500 g) ground beef
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil - divided
- 1 medium (150 g) red bell pepper - chopped or sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium (150 g) green bell pepper - chopped or sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium (60 g) carrot - cut into thin matchsticks or thin slices
- 1 medium (150 g) onion - cut or sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 6 cloves garlic - finely minced
- 2 small green Thai/birds eye chilies - finely chopped (Note B)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 3 green onions - aka scallions
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds - optional
Instructions
Preparation of Veggies & Sauce
- This recipe moves fast, so have all your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin. Tip: Use the checkboxes next to each ingredient to make sure you've got everything ready.
- Separate the green onions into whites and greens. The whites include the bulb and the light-green stalk with it. The greens are the hollow, darker green stems. Slice the whites thinly and cut the greens into bite-sized pieces. Keep them separate.
- Combine all the ingredients listed under “stir-fry sauce” in a bowl or a jar with a lid. Also add ⅔ cup of room-temperature water. Whisk or shake until well combined. Set aside.
Stir Frying Steps
- Add the ground beef to a wok/large skillet/saute pan, preferably non-stick, over high heat. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Break it up with a spatula/spoon as it cooks. I like to leave it a bit chunky for this recipe, as you can see in the photo. Transfer the beef to a large bowl. Set aside.
- In the same wok or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over high heat. Add the red and green bell peppers along with the carrot, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until the peppers are tender-crisp.
- Add onion pieces (regular onion, not green onion) to the wok and saute 1 minute. Transfer all the vegetables to the same bowl as the cooked beef.
- In the same wok or skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, chopped green chilies, minced ginger, and the sliced white parts of the green onions. Saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute or just until the garlic becomes light golden. Careful not to let it brown. Keep the stir-fry sauce stirred/mixed and ready to add immediately after this step.
- Pour in the stir-fry sauce and stir for 1 minute. Return the cooked ground beef and all the vegetables, along with any of their juices, to the wok/skillet. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens.
- If you prefer your vegetables more tender, cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a few tablespoons of water, but only after the veggies have softened to your liking, as they’ll release some liquid as well. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. For a sweeter stir-fry, add a little extra sugar, but do so sparingly.
- Add the reserved green pieces of the green onion. Mix and cook for 30 seconds. Optionally, sprinkle in toasted sesame seeds before turning off the heat. Serve with cooked rice or use as a filling for lettuce wraps. If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen. Leave your rating and comment below.
Notes
Note A: Chicken Bouillon – You can use paste or crumbled cubes instead of powder. Dissolve in a little water first before adding it to the sauce, so you don’t end up with lumps. Reduce the total water going into the sauce mix by the amount you'll use for dissolving bouillon.
Note B: Chilies – You can use crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne instead of fresh chilies. Add them to your sauce mix. I'd avoid hot sauces as they can throw off the salt balance. A little heat really makes a difference to the overall flavor. Adjust the amount to your taste, choose milder chilies if you prefer, but don’t leave it out entirely.