Gingery Broccoli Beef Stir-Fry

This weeknight-friendly Gingery Broccoli Beef stir-fry recipe came to me at the just-right time. Since last November we’ve been abuzz with houseguests. I took a four-month business course, and I started to teach cooking classes. And we’ve made the most of being able to travel again to see family. I can’t get enough of this gingery broccoli beef for four reasons, and think you might, too:

• It uses pantry and freezer staples I love and almost always have around, like broccoli, fresh ginger, ground beef and soy sauce or coconut aminos.
• It’s a 30-minute complete meal made in one pan, rice notwithstanding, perfect for busy days, lazy days, or any time fast, delicious nutrition is the aim.
• It’s a season less dish, as appropriate in May as it is in November.
• Our little household loves it. That’s all the reason I need to include this in our regular rotation.

How Recipes Evolve

It's not often one sees the straight line in how recipes evolve, but this one is a perfect example. I learned this gingery broccoli and beef recipe from my friend Mandy. Mandy added oven-roasted broccoli to Michelle at Unbound Wellness's Mongolian Ground Beef. In a step toward speed and energy efficiency I stir-fry the broccoli in the same pan as the beef. I cut the broccoli stems into thin coins, and slice the florets to have have flat edges that allow a similar caramelization as roasting. Triple score: this way it takes less time, uses less electricity, and has one less pan to wash. Taking a page from traditional stir-fries, I add the sauce directly to the pan with the browned beef and broccoli. The stir-fry method seems a little more like the Chinese beef and broccoli dishes I have always loved, just using the weeknight classic ground beef.

Mandy and I have each made our adaptations from Michelle's original yet the spirit remains the same.

Making Gingery Broccoli Beef Stir-Fry

Grass-fed beef is the way to go. Grass fed beef is lower in overall fat than grain fed beef. Not only that, grass-fed beef contains two to six times more Omega-3 fatty acids than feed-lot beef. and is packed with B vitamins, vitamins A, E, and other antioxidants compared to grain fed beef. Thinly-sliced sirloin would easily work.

Don't count this recipe out for vegans. I suspect that plant-based meat crumbles or crumbled and browned tofu would be a swell swap for the ground beef in this recipe. If you give either option a try, please let the rest of us know how it goes.

If low-carb is your jam, swap the rice for cauliflower rice like Mandy does. It serves four, so my sweetheart and I each have dinner and a grab-and-go lunch with very little effort.

Don't be shy with the ginger! I uses pieces that are longer than my thumb and about twice as wide. The three-step recipe is really straightforward: Start your pot of rice first, and in about 20 minutes you'll have tasty, simple weeknight meal.

Weeknight Gingery Broccoli Beef Stir-Fry

Course: Main Dish, Quick + Easy

Cuisine: Fusion

Season: All Season

Dietary: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free

Preparation: Fast + Easy, One Pot/One Pan

0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Pam Spettel

Using ground beef in a classic broccoli beef stir-fry makes a fast, easy weeknight meal with amped up ginger for extra deliciousness.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. broccoli
• 2 tsp. olive or avocado oil
• 1 lb. lb. lean ground beef, grass fed preferred
• 1 generous thumb fresh gingerroot, peeled
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 large green onions, cut into 1" pieces
• ⅓ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup beef or vegetable broth, or water
• 2 tsp. corn starch or arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• salt + pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, broth, sugar, and cornstarch until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set this sauce mixture aside.
• Slice thick broccoli stems into thin coins. Cut thinner stems and florets into 1" - 2" pieces. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When it begins to shimmer add the stems and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they have browned brown in places but are still bright green. Add the remaining broccoli pieces and stir-fry until they are bright green and have softened but remain slightly crisp. A little brown on the crowns is delicious! Remove to a plate.
• Crumble the ground beef into the skillet and break into pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium high heat until no pink remains. Use a microplane or other grater and grate the ginger and garlic into the meat. Add ¾ of the slices green onions and stir. Cook, stirring often, until the beef is well browned, about 10 minutes total for this step.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the cooked broccoli back into the skillet. Add the reserved soy mixture to the meat and broccoli, stirring until the sauce slightly thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
• Serve the broccoli beef mixture over rice, and garnish with the remaining green onion slices.