Ground Beef Fried Rice
If you need a quick and easy meal with delicious flavor, this one-pan Ground Beef Fried Rice recipe is a weeknight hero! Ready in 30-minutes and clean-up is next to nothing.
You might also enjoy One-Pan Egg Roll Bowls or Teriyaki Rice Bowls.
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What You'll Love About Ground Beef Fried Rice
- Fast 30-minute meal
- Great recipe for ground beef inspiration
- A healthy complete meal in one skillet
- Easy clean-up
- Convenient ingredients like pre-cooked rice and frozen veggies
- Delicious Asian flavor
If you're craving something savory, satisfying, and easy to throw together in minutes, this Ground Beef Fried Rice is about to become your new weeknight bestie. It's pretty much everything you love about takeout only quicker, cheaper, and healthier!
This is one of those forgiving type recipes where you can swap, add, or eliminate any of the ingredients and it will still love you just the same--or rather you will love it! It's an easy one to play around with.
I also use convenient items like leftover rice and frozen veggies, which cuts way down on my cooking and prep time.
You'll also appreciate the ingredients list is short and to-the-point, no fancy items needed here!
Ingredients
Measurements for the ingredients are in the recipe card below.
- Beef- I use lean ground beef here but feel free to use ground turkey, chicken, or pork.
- Sesame oil- Toasted sesame oil offers a delicious nutty taste. You can also use olive or avocado oil.
- Rice- You'll want to use leftover or day-old long-grain white rice. I use basmati.
- Veggies- The main veggies are frozen veggie medley.
- Other veggies- Onions, garlic, and green onions for garnish.
- Eggs- A classic fried rice ingredient which offers additional protein and body.
- Sauce- Low sodium soy sauce and hoisin sauce.
Endless Variations
- Make it spicy- Add sriracha, chili garlic sauce, chili oil, or red pepper flakes.
- Use other veggies- Toss in diced bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, kale, or baby corn. Make sure to sauté them with the ground beef.
- Add crunch- Water chestnuts are a great addition for crunch or you can finish with roasted cashews or peanuts.
- Make this low-carb- Swap the rice for cauliflower rice to make this a lower-carb meal.
- More sauce options- Swap out the hoisin sauce for teriyaki or oyster sauce.
- Don't care for Asian flavors- Use taco seasoning and turn this ground beef fried rice into a Mexican flavored dish. Add cheese over the top and serve it with fresh toppings like tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream.
Step By Step Directions
See full instructions in recipe card below
- Step One. Brown ground beef and onion in a large non-stick skillet.
- Step Two. Add garlic, sesame oil, and frozen veggies. Sauté a few minutes.
- Step Three. Move the beef and veggies to one side of the pan and add eggs on the opposite side to scramble.
- Step Four. Combine scrambled eggs and meat mixture then stir in rice, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Fry the rice until crisp and golden.
- Step Five. Garnish fried rice with green onion slices and serve.
Tips
- 💡Use leftover rice. Make sure to use cold, day old or leftover rice so the rice fries up well. Fresh, hot rice will make the dish turn out mushy.
- 💡Use a non-stick skillet or wok. You'll want to use a pan the rice won't stick too.
- 💡Make sure your pan is set to a medium high heat. Fried rice is meant to be cooked fast and hot so it has a chance to crisp up.
Storing and Reheating Fried Rice
- Store beef fried rice in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Re-heat rice either in a hot dry skillet for a few minutes until warmed through or heat on high in the microwave.
More Quick and Easy Meals
- One-Skillet Gnocchi with Spinach
- Ruben Skillet Meal
- One-Skillet Taco Pasta
- Healthier Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
Ground Beef Fried Rice
Equipment
- 1 large non-stick skillet or wok
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ cups frozen vegetables--carrots, peas, green beans or your favorite combo
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 3 cups cold, cooked long-grain white rice
- 3 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon hoisin sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- green onion slices to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add ground beef and onions. Crumble and cook beef and onions until meat is fully cooked. If you have an excess amount of grease make sure to remove most of it. A little is fine. 1 lb ground beef½ cup onion, diced
- Stir in garlic and cook about 30-seconds then add sesame oil and frozen veggies. Sauté veggies for 2-3 minutes. 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoon sesame oil1 ½ cups frozen veggies
- Push the meat and veggie to one side of the pan and add beaten eggs to the opposite side. Quickly scramble eggs then combine with the meat mixture. 2 eggs lightly beaten
- Stir in cooked rice, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. Keep heat on medium high and fry rice, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 5-minutes. Taste for seasonings and garnish with green onions before serving. 3 cups cooked rice3 tablespoon soy sauce1 ½ tablespoon hoisin saucesalt and pepper to tastegreen onion slices
Notes
- Use leftover rice. Make sure to use cold, day old or leftover rice so the rice fries up well. Fresh, hot rice will make the dish turn out mushy.
- Use a non-stick skillet or wok. You'll want to use a pan the rice won't stick to.
- Make sure your pan is set to a medium high heat. Fried rice is meant to be cooked fast and hot so it has a chance to crisp up.
- Make it spicy- Add sriracha, chili garlic sauce, chili oil, or red pepper flakes.
- Use other veggies- Toss in diced bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, kale, or baby corn. Make sure to sauté them with the ground beef.
- Add crunch- Water chestnuts are a great addition for crunch or you can finish with roasted cashews or peanuts.
- Make this low-carb- Swap the rice for cauliflower rice to make this a lower-carb meal.
- More sauce options- Swap out the hoisin sauce for teriyaki or oyster sauce.
- Don't care for Asian flavors- Use taco seasoning and turn this ground beef fried rice into a Mexican flavored dish. Add cheese over the top and serve it with fresh toppings like tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream.
- Store beef fried rice in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- Re-heat rice either in a hot dry skillet for a few minutes until warmed through or heat on high in the microwave.
Nutrition
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