Spicy Ground Beef Stir-Fry Bowl with Garlic Veggies & Rice: Fast, Fiery, Unforgettable

You want dinner that smacks like takeout, cooks like a sprint, and costs less than your daily latte? This is it.

One pan, bold heat, killer texture, and a glaze that clings to every grain of rice like it means it. The beef is juicy, the veggies are garlicky and crisp, and the sauce?

Sweet-salty-spicy perfection. No fluff, no fuss—just a power bowl that makes you feel like you hacked weeknight cooking.

What Makes This Special

This bowl delivers restaurant-level flavor with pantry basics.

The sauce balances heat from chili paste with umami from soy, and a touch of brown sugar makes it glossy and sticky. Garlic-scorched veggies bring crunch and freshness, while fluffy rice grounds it all.

It scales up flawlessly for meal prep, and it’s flexible enough to handle whatever produce you forgot in the crisper.

Servings, Prep Time, Cooking Time, Calories

Servings: 4 bowls
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Calories: ~620 per serving (with rice)

Gather Your Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) ground beef (85–90% lean for flavor)
3 cups cooked rice (jasmine or basmati; day-old rice is ideal)
2 cups broccoli florets (small bite-size)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, matchsticks or thin half-moons
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
3 green onions, sliced (whites for cooking, greens for garnish)
2 tbsp neutral oil (avocado, canola, or peanut)
1 tsp sesame oil (for finishing)

For the Spicy Sauce:

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional but clutch)
1–2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce or gochujang (heat to taste)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar or honey
1/4 cup beef broth or water
1 tsp cornstarch

To Finish:

Sesame seeds
Lime wedges
Fresh cilantro or basil (optional)

Final Steps to Deliciousness

Whisk the sauce. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili-garlic sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, broth, and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
The cornstarch is your glossy magic—don’t skip it.
Prep your rice base. If using leftover rice, break up clumps. If cooking fresh, make it first and keep warm.
Warm rice absorbs sauce like a champ.
Flash-cook the veggies. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Add broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper.
Stir-fry 3–4 minutes until crisp-tender. Add half the garlic and all the ginger, stir 30 seconds, then transfer veggies to a bowl.
Brown the beef like you mean it. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan.
Add ground beef and green onion whites. Cook 4–5 minutes, breaking it up, until well browned with crispy bits.
Season with a pinch of salt.
Build the flavor. Stir in remaining garlic and cook 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce.
Toss and let it bubble 1–2 minutes until thick and glossy.
Reunite the band. Return veggies to the pan. Toss to coat.
Drizzle sesame oil. Taste and adjust: add more vinegar for brightness, more chili for heat, or a splash of soy if you want extra salt.
Assemble the bowls. Spoon rice into bowls.
Top with the spicy beef-veg mix. Finish with sesame seeds, green onion greens, herbs, and a squeeze of lime.
Fast. Fiery.
Done.

Preservation Guide

Fridge: Store beef-veggie mix and rice separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze the beef-veggie mix (not rice) for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: Skillet on medium with a splash of water or broth to loosen sauce.
Microwave works; cover and stir halfway.
Meal prep tip: Portion rice and beef-veg into single-serve containers. Add lime wedge after reheating.

What’s Great About This

Speed: 30 minutes, start to finish.
Your delivery app is jealous.
Flavor density: Garlicky heat + umami + tang = maximum payoff.
Flexible: Swap veggies, change spice levels, use whatever rice you have.
Budget-friendly: Ground beef delivers big flavor without wrecking your wallet.
Macro-friendly: Protein-forward with room to tweak carbs and fats to your goals.

Nutrition Stats

Approx per serving (with 3/4 cup cooked rice):

Calories: ~620
Protein: ~30–32 g
Carbs: ~62–68 g
Fat: ~24–26 g
Fiber: ~4–6 g
Sodium: ~900–1100 mg (depends on soy and sauces)

Want leaner? Use 93% beef and reduce oil.

Want lower sodium? Use low-sodium soy and skip oyster sauce.

Want more fiber? Add snap peas or edamame.

Recipe Mistakes to Avoid

Overcrowding the pan: It steams instead of sears.
Use a big skillet or cook in batches.
Adding garlic too early: Burnt garlic = bitter. Add it near the end for fragrance.
Skipping cornstarch: Your sauce won’t cling; it’ll just puddle.
FYI, 1 teaspoon goes a long way.
Wet veggies: Pat them dry. Water kills the stir-fry sizzle.
No acid balance: If it tastes flat, a splash more vinegar or lime wakes it up instantly.

Optional Substitutions

Protein: Ground turkey, chicken, pork, or crumbled firm tofu.
For tofu, press and pan-fry until crisp before saucing.
Heat source: Swap chili-garlic sauce with sriracha, sambal oelek, or gochujang. Start small; add more.
Veggies: Green beans, snap peas, mushrooms, zucchini, or baby corn.
Keep total volume similar.
Rice: Brown rice, cauliflower rice (for low-carb), or quinoa. Noodles work too—hello, weeknight lo mein energy.
Gluten-free: Use tamari instead of soy and a GF oyster sauce or fish sauce splash.
No oyster sauce: Add 1/2 tsp fish sauce or a dash more soy + pinch of sugar.

FAQ

Can I make this less spicy without losing flavor?

Yes.

Use just 1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce and bump umami with extra oyster sauce or soy. Finish with lime for brightness so it still pops.

Do I need a wok?

Nope.

A large, heavy skillet works great. The key is high heat and space so everything sears instead of steams.

How do I keep rice from getting mushy?

Use day-old rice or spread fresh-cooked rice on a tray to steam off for 10 minutes.

Fluff with a fork before serving.

What if my sauce got too thick?

Stir in 1–2 tablespoons water or broth over low heat until it loosens to a glossy coat. Easy fix.

Can I add eggs?

Absolutely.

Soft-scramble 2 eggs in the skillet before the beef, remove, then fold back in with the veggies. Extra protein, silky texture—win.

How do I make it dairy-free?

It already is.

Just check labels on sauces to be safe.

Chef’s Notes

Brown hard, fast: Let the beef sit undisturbed for a minute or two to develop those crispy edges. Flavor lives in the browning.
Layer aromatics: Ginger goes in with veggies; garlic finishes with beef to stay fragrant, not burned.
Finish with freshness: Lime, herbs, and green onions lift the richness.
Skip them and you’ll notice—promise.
Heat is personal: Start conservative with chili and escalate. You can add heat; you can’t subtract it (IMO).
Texture trifecta: Crisp veg, juicy beef, fluffy rice.
If one’s off, adjust: quick-cook veggies, don’t drown the sauce, keep rice dry and steamy.

This Spicy Ground Beef Stir-Fry Bowl with Garlic Veggies & Rice is the kind of weeknight weapon you keep on repeat—fast to make, wild on flavor, and endlessly adaptable. Hungry yet?