One-Pan Asian Ground Beef and Rice Recipe

This quick and easy Asian Ground Beef and Rice recipe requires a simple list of real ingredients, only one pan, and under 30 minutes from start to finish!

One-Pan Asian Ground Beef and Rice recipe in skillet with text overlay.

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If you enjoy Asian-inspired entrees, you'll also love Easy Fried Rice, Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken, or Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken!

I've mentioned it before but, like any good child of the 80s, I ate my fair share of Hamburger Helper growing up (and I was actually quite fond of it). Now as a busy (read: tired) mama, I can certainly appreciate the convenience of these simple ground beef and rice recipes:

  1. Brown some ground beef.
  2. Throw a few boxed ingredients into the same pan.
  3. And voilà...about 20 minutes later, you've got a hot meal on the table.

But seeing as how I strive to feed my family recipes made from real, unprocessed ingredients, the good ol' smiling hand guy doesn't exactly fit in with my style of meal planning.

Aerial view of Ground Beef and Rice recipe in skillet.

Lucky for me, however, this doesn't mean I can't recreate the same type of quick, easy, one-pan dinners while using real, wholesome ingredients.

And doing so honestly doesn't take much longer than that dinner originating from a box. 😉

Close-up of wooden spooning dipping into ground beef and rice recipe.

I've already shared my copycats for Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni, Lasagna, and Beef Taco varieties. But one of my favorite flavors of HH as a kid was called Rice Oriental.

So that's the one to which I'm paying homage with today's ground beef and rice recipe...except this one-pan, Asian-inspired version is made with fresh, natural ingredients, meaning it ends up tasting waaaaay better.

Aerial close-up of recipe made with ground beef, rice, carrots, and peas.

How to Make It

Luckily, making this from-scratch, ground beef and rice recipe is just as straightforward as its boxed predecessor:

  1. Start out by browning a pound of ground beef in a large pan or skillet.
  2. Stir in rice, beef broth, soy sauce, and a few seasonings.
  3. After about 10 minutes, mix in shredded carrots, and then just before the rice and carrots are tender, add some frozen peas.
Hamburger Helper Rice Oriental copycat recipe in bowl and skillet.

That's it, y'all!

One pan.

A handful of basic ingredients.

Under 30 minutes.

Protein + veggies + carbs.

An all-in-one meal!

I like to add a simple side salad to round things out and dinner...is...DONE!

Aerial close-up of serving in a bowl with spoon.

So shoot it to me straight...do you have (or have you had in the past) a secret (or not-so-secret) affinity for Hamburger Helper?

Whether your answer is yes or no, I think you will love this One-Pan Asian Ground Beef and Rice recipe!

Wooden spoon scooping up Asian Ground Beef and Rice recipe.

It's simple and yummy, popular with kids and adults alike, and made with ingredients that you likely already keep on hand. In fact, from the first time I cooked it, it secured a spot in our regular dinner rotation. That's right, fellow children-of-the-80s, sing it with me...MAKES A GREAT MEAL! 😉

More One-Pan & One-Pot Dinners

One-Pan Asian Ground Beef and Rice recipe in skillet with wooden spoon.

One-Pan Asian Ground Beef and Rice Recipe

This quick and easy Asian ground beef and rice recipe requires a simple list of real ingredients, only one pan, and under 30 minutes from start to finish!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Calories: 521kcal
Print Pin Rate

Video

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Set a large skillet, pan, pot, 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. Drain the grease from the pot; add the rice, beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic powder, and pepper, and stir well to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then stir and reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in shredded carrots and continue to cook for 5 to 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice and carrots are tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Stir in the thawed peas and cook for another minute until heated through.

Notes

  • If you don't have oyster sauce, you may omit it, but I always keep a bottle in my fridge because I think it adds great depth of flavor to Asian recipes. If you don't include it in this recipe, you might find that you need to stir in a bit more soy sauce (to taste) at the end of the cooking time.
  • To quickly thaw my frozen peas, I place them in a colander and run them under hot tap water for a minute.
  • When you bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer, make sure that the simmer is a simmer...not barely bubbling (or the rice won't cook and absorb the liquid) and not bubbling too fast (or the liquid may get absorbed too fast and the bottom may burn). For my stove, this was medium-low heat, adjusting up or down a tad as needed when I would stir every few minutes.
  • If too much liquid remains once your rice is cooked, you may remove the lid and turn up the heat for a minute or two, stirring so that it doesn't burn. If the liquid evaporates before the rice is done and everything starts to stick to the bottom, you may stir in a bit more broth or water.

Nutrition

Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 955mg | Potassium: 940mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5625IU | Vitamin C: 16.4mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3.4mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Post originally published on January 9, 2017.

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4.95 from 54 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




54 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Very flavorful dish! Quick and easy to make which fits my hectic lifestyle. Delicious and filled with all you needs, veggies, protein, and carbs. I make it regularly nowadays and double the portions so the whole family can enjoy!

  2. luckily I had all the ingredients from my previous asian food experiments, so I made it mostly according to directions. only changes I made were, when i was almost done with the beef i added chopped onion, and I only had frozen peas and carrots, so I added those after letting the rice simmer for 10 minutes.

  3. 5 stars
    This was super good! I slept through lunch and dinner so I looked up quick recipes with rice and ground beef and this popped up. super easy to make too, I didn't have ALL the ingredients bc I only have an air fryer in my dorm so I had to tweak some stuff but it was delicious! 20/10