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Ground beef and broccoli in a brown sauce over a bed of rice.
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Ground Beef and Broccoli

This Ground Beef and Broccoli recipe is an easy 30 minute meal with a simple, flavorful sauce that your family will love eating with vegetables!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 488kcal
Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon peanut oil can sub vegetable or olive
  • 3 cups broccoli florets washed and patted dry
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced
  • Salt/White Pepper to taste

Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For Serving

  • 3 cups cooked rice any kind

Instructions

Prep Work

  • Combine cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons water in a covered container and shake to combine. Place in a cool location.
  • Combine remaining sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. *Start with 1 tablespoon of honey and add another at the end if desired.

Cook the Broccoli

  • Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli and toss to coat. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until slightly softened. Remove and set aside.

Cook the Beef

  • Season the beef with salt/white pepper if desired. Cook and crumble the ground beef and diced onions over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Drain grease. Add sliced bell peppers and cook for 1 minute.

Add the Sauce

  • Add sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Let it simmer/reduce for 2-3 minutes. Shake the cornstarch mixture, then slowly stir it into the sauce. Let it continue to bubble gently until desired thickness is obtained.

Add the Broccoli Back

  • Reduce heat to low. Add broccoli back and stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with green onions and serve over rice! *See notes for my process on making perfectly cooked, flavorful rice.

Notes

  • Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken may also be used in this recipe. You can also make my Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry with chicken breasts!
  • Frozen Broccoli may also be used. Thaw and pat dry and proceed as outlined in the recipe.
  • Ingredient Additions include julienned carrots, water chestnuts, celery, kale, and more.
  • Topping Options include green onions, roughly chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, crunchy chow mein noodles, and sliced almonds.
  • To Control the Sodium in this recipe, consider using low sodium soy sauce and/or reduced sodium broth. Some soy sauce brands contain more salt than others.
My process for perfectly cooked rice:
  • Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. (I add 2 chicken bouillon cubes to the water for enhanced flavor.)
  • Add 1 cup of white long grain rice and let the liquid come back up to a boil.
  • Cover tightly and reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. (I set my heat to low.)
  • Remove from heat and let it stand in the pot for 10 minutes with the lid on, any rice stuck to the bottom will release.
  • This yields 3 cups of flavorful, perfectly cooked rice. I use a Dutch oven for this which conducts heat well.
  • Note that other varieties of rice may require different liquid measurements and/or cooking times.
The Nutrition Information is per serving, there are 4 servings in this recipe, and the rice is included. Note that the nutritional information shared is an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1138mg | Potassium: 842mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 1357IU | Vitamin C: 102mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 4mg