15-Minute Ground Beef & Broccoli (Easy + Healthy)
Ground Beef and Broccoli is a flavorful, easy, healthy ground beef recipe that quickly comes together in 15 minutes in just one pan. It’s a must-try dinner the next time you’re wondering what to make with ground beef!
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If you're a fan of quick and easy ground beef recipes, you'll also love 30-Minute Skillet Lasagna, Easy Swedish Meatballs, Instant Pot Egg Roll in Bowl, and Ground Beef Stroganoff!
At least once a week, dinner around here starts with a pound of ground beef. These dinners are quick, they're easy, and everyone in my family love them. As a result, I have a variety of ground beef recipes in my repertoire, but I'm always on a quest to come up with new ones. Enter today's quick and easy Ground Beef and Broccoli!
My One-Pan Asian Ground Beef and Rice Skillet is on regular rotation at our house, and Easy Fried Rice is always a hit as well. But last week, I was craving something similar...yet different. Luckily, inspiration hit when I decided to call upon the flavors of a beloved Chinese restaurant classic for a new, shortcut, healthy ground beef recipe.
Beef and Broccoli has been one of my favorites since childhood and still I love it today. The hubby and kids enjoy it as well. However, since I don't always have flank steak or some other stir fry-friendly cut of beef on hand. But I always have ground beef! So I decided to modify the traditional recipe into this simple, lightning-quick, one-pan Ground Beef and Broccoli.
Ingredients
This easy ground beef recipe is effortless to make with simple ingredients.
- Lean ground beef. You could also substitute ground turkey.
- Broccoli. I always have a bag of frozen broccoli in my freezer, but you can opt to use fresh broccoli florets instead if you have them. I just recommend that you make sure fresh broccoli is cut into bite-sized pieces.
In addition to the ground beef and broccoli (that recipe title is such a spoiler, eh?), there are some important Asian-influenced aromatics and sauce ingredients that make this recipe so delicious.
- Garlic cloves. Minced.
- Fresh ginger. Peeled and grated. Sometimes I want to make this recipe when I don't have fresh ginger on hand. So I've learned to keep a jar of minced ginger in my fridge and/or frozen fresh ginger cubes in my freezer. As a last resort, 1 teaspoon ground ginger may be substituted for the 1 tablespoon fresh. However, the ginger flavor in the final dish won't be as strong if you use powdered ginger.
- Low-sodium beef broth. The combined ingredients in this sauce are on the saltier side, so I recommend using low-sodium broth as the base of the sauce in order to give you more control over its ultimate saltiness.
- Low-sodium soy sauce. Same song, different verse...use low-sodium. 😉 Or coconut aminos may be substituted for the soy sauce.
- Oyster sauce. I always read the ingredient label and look for natural oyster sauce with no MSG added.
- Honey. Just a touch will balance flavors, but it won't make your Ground Beef and Broccoli sweet.
- Rice vinegar. Sometimes called rice wine vinegar. Some rice vinegar comes seasoned, but you should be looking for plain/unseasoned. If you don't have rice vinegar, the closest substitutes would be apple cider vinegar, champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
- Garlic powder + crushed red pepper flakes. For extra flavor. Feel free to bump up the red pepper for extra heat, or swap it for some Sriracha instead.
- Cornstarch + cool water. Combined for a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Feel free to increase the amount to 3 tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons water for a thicker sauce. Or use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch, if you prefer.
- Sesame oil. A tiny amount added after taking your Ground Beef and Broccoli off the heat adds yet another layer of flavor. Either toasted or plain sesame oil will work, although I prefer the stronger flavor of toasted. Just be sure to store your bottle of sesame oil in the fridge after opening or it will likely go rancid before you can finish it (given that you only use small amounts in certain recipes and one bottle will last a long time!).
The sauce in this Ground Beef and Broccoli recipe is so good that I've witnessed family members literally licking their plates clean...and I may have been guilty of doing so a time or two myself. 😉
And while I find that the amount of sauce in this recipe is perfect to allow for seepage down into a bed of rice, feel free to increase it if you prefer more sauce.
How to Make Ground Beef and Broccoli
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
I'm not exaggerating when I say this quick ground beef recipe takes about 15 minutes to make from start to finish! Here are the easy steps:
- Brown your ground beef in a large skillet, Dutch oven, or sauté pan.
- Mix together the sauce while the ground beef is browning.
- Stir garlic and ginger into the cooked ground beef and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir your sauce and broccoli florets into the ground beef.
- Mix cornstarch into cool water.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into your Ground Beef and Broccoli. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for a few final minutes to thicken the sauce.
Voilà! All the flavor of Chinese take-out...except healthier!
And dare I say tastier *and* faster than delivery? 😉
A funny side note about this sauce is that I actually based it on a recipe I originally developed for my cookbook. The Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli I was attempting way back when tasted great, but I couldn't get the texture of the beef to my liking using the crock pot.
So I ended up scrapping the recipe. But -- hoarder that I am -- I fortunately still had the sauce ingredients and proportions hanging out in the deep, dark recesses of my computer files. So I transformed it into this Ground Beef and Broccoli recipe that we all know and love today! 🙂
Substitutions + Additions
My family loves this healthy ground beef recipe so much -- and I make it so often -- that I always keep the ingredients on hand.
However, if you want to make it and find that you're lacking an ingredient or two, you can easily make substitutions!
- Swap out the veggies: This dinner is nicely balanced with protein and vegetables. However, you may substitute other vegetables for some/all of the broccoli, or even bump up the total amount of veggies. Snow peas, shredded or thinly-sliced carrots, baby corn, or diced bell peppers would all be delicious. Some commenters over the years have reported adding mushrooms, zucchini, green onions, cherry tomatoes, and even pineapple chunks...let your imagination run wild and free! Keep in mind that firmer veggies may require a few extra minutes of simmering to become tender. You can always add a little extra broth if too much sauce is evaporating due to additional cooking time.
- Oyster sauce: Many people ask if this recipe can be made without oyster sauce. The answer is yes, although the final dish may be missing some of its depth of flavor. Some commenters have said the recipe turns out fine leaving out the oyster sauce altogether. Otherwise, possible substitutes for the oyster sauce are as follows. You will want to taste and adjust these ingredients if something still seems to be missing.
- Increase the total soy sauce in the recipe to 3 ½ tablespoons and increase the total honey to 1 ½ tablespoons. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, if you like.
- Increase the total soy sauce in the recipe to 3 ½ tablespoons and add 1 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce, if you have it.
At the end of the day, you can make this Ground Beef and Broccoli your own!
Some commenters over the years have mentioned adding fish sauce to this recipe or boosting the amounts of garlic, ginger, vinegar, and/or oyster sauce, to taste.
You can sprinkle your finished dish with sesame seeds if you like.
And if you want even more veggies, you can always serve a simple green salad drizzled with flavor-packed Asian dressing on the side!
So are you a fellow beef and broccoli aficionado? Or a fan of simple ground beef recipes?
A lover of speedy skillet suppers?
A hater of washing dishes?
All of the above?
If so, this Ground Beef and Broccoli recipe definitely deserves a spot on your must-make list.
After all, it relies on ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge/freezer/pantry, and it's a nice change of pace from spaghetti or meatloaf or Sloppy Joes when you've got ground beef to use up. I truly believe that this is one of the best ground beef recipes out there!
One family-pleasing dinner, coming right up... 🙂
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes
- Ground Beef Stir Fry
- Taco Pasta Skillet
- Skillet Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
- 30-Minute Skillet Pastitsio
- Cheeseburger Macaroni
- Easy Shepherd's Pie
15-Minute Ground Beef & Broccoli (Easy + Healthy)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced/grated ginger, OR 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 12 ounces broccoli florets, frozen
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cool water
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, optional
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
Instructions
- Set a large skillet, sauté pan, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking apart and stirring as the meat cooks.
- While the beef is cooking, combine the beef broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a bowl or large measuring cup; set aside.
- After the beef is cooked, push it to the edges of the pan, add the garlic and ginger in the center, and stir for a minute or two until fragrant. Drain the grease from the pan. Add the sauce and the broccoli to the pan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for several minutes (using the cooking time on the package as a guide, if using frozen broccoli) and stir occasionally until the broccoli is cooked to your desired tenderness.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk the cornstarch into the water until dissolved. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan while stirring the beef and broccoli. Bring to a boil and cook for a minute or two, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened. Stir in the sesame oil, if using, and serve hot over rice or noodles.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- You may use fresh broccoli instead of frozen...just make sure the florets are cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Or you may substitute other veggies for some/all of the broccoli, such as snow peas, shredded or thinly-sliced carrots, baby corn, or bell peppers. Keep in mind that firmer veggies may require a few extra minutes of simmering to become tender. You can always add a little extra broth if too much sauce is evaporating due to additional cooking time.
- If you don't have fresh ginger on hand, jarred minced ginger or frozen minced ginger are the best alternatives. In a pinch, 1 teaspoon ground ginger may be substituted for the 1 tablespoon fresh, but the ginger flavor in the final dish won't be as strong.
- If you don't use LOW-SODIUM beef broth and soy sauce, you dish may turn out too salty.
- I like to use natural oyster sauce with no added MSG, which I can typically find it at my regular grocery store.
- Many people ask if this recipe can be made without oyster sauce. The answer is yes, although the final dish may be missing some of its depth of flavor. Some commenters have said the recipe turns out fine leaving out the oyster sauce altogether. Otherwise, possible substitutes for the oyster sauce are as follows. You will want to taste and adjust these ingredients if something still seems to be missing.
- Increase the total soy sauce in the recipe to 3 ½ tablespoons and increase the total honey to 1 ½ tablespoons. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, if you like.
- Increase the total soy sauce in the recipe to 3 ½ tablespoons and add 1 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce, if you have it.
Nutrition
Post originally published on October 12, 2017, and updated on September 24, 2020, August 15, 2021, and March 7, 2025.
Thanks for the recipe!
It was good - I like a little more seasoning, so I added extra soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, plus some salt, black pepper, Worcester, pinch of brown sugar, & a little water to loosen the sauce up just a touch.
I’ll try it again but with thinly sliced beef for a different texture.
And maybe frozen green beans instead of broccoli!
Really yummy and will definitely make again! used chicken stock instead of beef because that’s what I had on hand.
The fresh broccoli was a nice tip also added peppers!
Delicious, and easy! I did add half a cup of beef broth, as was cooking fresh broccoli, and we like sauce!
This is a good basic recipe but needs some tweaks to be delicious. Double the aromatics. Increase vinegar and chili flakes. Add a lot of chopped scallion (green parts) at the end. I served it with flat rice noodles...yummy!
I did not care for this recipe at all. Way too much broth. It turned out more like soup than stir fry.
And the flavors were so bland in the end…most likely bc they were overpowered and diluted by the broth.
I was going to bring this to my parents for dinner but it’s too bad to serve to someone. I’ll just keep it for shameful leftovers.
Hi Heather. I'm really sorry to hear that. 1 1/2 cups of broth isn't really enough to make a "soup"...is it possible that there may have been a measuring error? That being said, if you prefer little to no sauce at all, you could always reduce the amount of broth used or cook the recipe a bit longer to allow some of it to evaporate off. 🙂
What can I substitute for rice vinegar?
I'd swap apple cider vinegar. 🙂
Super quick easy and delicious recipe! I added about a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil and doubled the corn starch and water since it was still a bit runny. This will definitely go into the monthly rotation.
Does the calorie count include the cooked rice?
No. 🙂
Easy, healthy and yummy!! My pickiest eaters went back for more!
So good and so easy! Perfection.
Very easy and quick to make but the flavor is okay. Tastes like cafeteria food.
I have made so many different beef & broccoli recipes over the years, but this one is the best so far! I will definitely be making this again. I used tamari to make it gluten free and did a 1:1 swap with brown sugar for the honey since I didn’t have any honey. Turned out great!
I always keep a bag of frozen broccoli in the freezer for this recipe. We raise grass fed beef, and I always have good hamburger on hand. Love this recipe!
I just made this and it is soooo awesome! this is exactly what I've been looking for..a new, delicious way to cook ground beef. It was easy to make too. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Super tasty. my husband and I both loved it ! I used fish sauce instead of oyster sauce because I didn't have oyster sauce. I used arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch to be gluten-free! absolutely delicious
Great recipe! It was not too sweet as other recipes that use brown sugar. This will definitely be a keeper!
Love this recipe. I often add in mushrooms, red peppers and/or cherry tomatoes (whatever I have in the fridge) I also omit the oyster sauce bc it has gluten. I substitute with fish oil.
Great recipe! I used low sodium beef broth and regular soy sauce and it tastes great! It will be a family norm around our house ❤️❤️
Great recipe. I added more pepper flakes because we like hot, a cup and a half of fresh pineapple, and more sesame oil, but everything else was as written. Really yummy and easy to put together.
Love love this recipe! I make it all the time and add fresh spinach, apple cider vinegar, and parmesean cheese. Easy and quick for weekday. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!