Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry is your go-to recipe for a quick weeknight dinner.
Why is Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry the book-inspired recipe for The Hollow Places?
There’s a lot of Chinese take-out happening in The Hollow Places, which made my horror-loving heart very happy. One of my favorite things to do is order Chinese take-out for dinner and settle down with a good movie or TV show.
Sadly, I don’t live in an area where I can get good Chinese. That means I end up trying to make Asian-inspired dishes at home, and that’s how this book-inspired recipe came about.
Dinner’s ready in 20 minutes. That’s quicker than delivery, folks.
When I’m craving Chinese and don’t want to wait an hour+ for delivery, I whip up this Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry for dinner.
Note that I’m not claiming this meal is anywhere near authentic Asian cooking. But, it is full of robust flavor, has lots of tender-crisp veggies, and — my personal favorite — has tons of extra sauce.
Dinner’s ready to serve in just 20 minutes, which means it’s perfect for whenever you’re getting super hangry and/or don’t want to spend a lot of time in front of the stove.
While most stir-fry recipes call for sliced steak, this one uses ground beef — as the recipe name suggests — which is a huge time-saving hack.
Plus, there’s no marinating required; you just dump all the sauce ingredients into the pan, and it’s go time.
When it comes to veggies, you can use whatever you want in this recipe — the beauty of a stir-fry! – but I love using peapods because I don’t really eat them with anything else. Plus, their bright green color really makes for an eye-catching dish.
Raw green beans or broccoli florets would be good in this recipe, as well.
I like extremely saucy stir-frys, so I made sure my Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry contains plenty of sauce. It really coats those veggies, and there’s tons to pour over steamed white rice, which I suggest you serve it with.
But, if you just can’t get enough, go ahead and double the sauce ingredients.
You can never have too much sauce.
What do you serve with Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry?
If you’re looking for an Asian-inspired menu, serve Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry with a side of Veggie Soba Noodles.
Follow up your dinner with a couple of Monster Cookies or Red Velvet Brownies, both of which can be made ahead and frozen. Thaw the cookies or brownies during dinner so you don’t have to wait too long for dessert!
Super Easy Ground Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp cold water
- 1 lb lean ground beef (I like 90%)
- 7 oz raw peapods, cut in half
- 3 oz shredded carrot, divided
- Sesame seeds (optional, to taste)
- Cooked rice (optional, for serving)
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and black pepper in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Chop the peapods into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until completely browned, 4-5 minutes.
- Add the peapods and stir to combine. Cook 1-2 minutes, until peapods have slightly softened but are still a vibrant green.
- Add half the shredded carrot and stir to combine. Cook 1-2 minutes to slightly soften.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer, then stir the cornstarch slurry into the skillet. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring regularly, until the ingredients are coated with a thick, glossy sauce.
- Serve immediately over cooked rice (white or brown) and sprinkle with remaining shredded carrots and, if desired, sesame seeds.
