Ground Beef and Broccoli (High-Protein, 15-Minute Meal)
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This Ground Beef and Broccoli is an easy high-protein takeout fake-out made with lean ground beef, crisp broccoli, and a savory Mongolian-style sauce. Ready in just 15 minutes, this one-pan dinner is perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.
I usually serve this over white rice, but brown rice works great too. You can also skip the rice entirely and use cauliflower rice instead. Make extra savory sauce to pour on top or even add your favorite Korean BBQ sauce.
For more ground beef recipes, try Big Mac casserole and Ground Beef Stir Fry.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- 250 calories and 26 grams of protein per serving.
- Macro-friendly Mongolian-style sauce, no takeout needed.
- Dairy and gluten-free as written.
- Ready in 15 minutes.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Ground Beef
We’re using 97/3% ground beef for the perfect amount of fat without making your sauce too oily. You can also use ground turkey, pork or chicken. Keep in mind that chicken and turkey aren’t nearly as fatty and flavorful as beef so you might need to add extra sauce.
Broccoli
I like to use fresh broccoli but if you’re short on time, go with defrosted pre-cut broccoli. If using frozen, thaw and pat it completely dry first. This helps prevent your sauce from getting too thin. Cook until the broccoli is a bright beautiful green and still slightly crunchy. This ensures the broccoli doesn’t get soggy and mushy.
Sauce
The Mongolian inspired sauce is a savory mixture of coconut aminos, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce and rice vinegar. We add a touch of red pepper flakes for some spice but omit this if you cant handle the heat. If your sauce seems too watery, add some cornstarch to thicken it at the very end, stirring completely.
Variations
- For extra spicy, add sriracha or chili crisp stirred in at the end.
- Add your favorite veggies: bell peppers, snap peas, shredded carrots – add with the broccoli, same cook time.
Dietary Modifications
- This recipe is both dairy and gluten-free.
Expert Tip!
When steaming, do not let it overcook or get soggy. Add it very close to the end and just until you get a bright green, tender crisp, usually 2-3 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
I keep it classic with jasmine white rice or brown rice. For a low carb option, serve with cauliflower rice or a mix of regular rice and cauliflower rice.
Yes! Frozen broccoli works fine. Thaw it first and pat it dry so it doesn’t release excess water into the pan and thin out your sauce. Fresh broccoli will hold its texture a little better, but frozen is a great time-saver.
97/3% is the sweet spot. There’s enough fat for flavor, but not so much that you end up draining a ton of grease and losing sauce. 96/4 works great too.
Absolutely, this is one of the best meal prep recipes. Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. For best texture, slightly undercook the broccoli if you know you’re prepping for the week. Reheat in the microwave with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Yes! Ground turkey or ground chicken both work well with the same sauce. The flavor will be a little lighter since beef has more richness, but it’s still delicious. Just note that the macros will shift, ground turkey is leaner, so your protein-to-fat ratio will change.
Usually the culprit is excess moisture from the broccoli. If using frozen, thaw and pat it completely dry first. If the sauce is still too thin at the end, stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp cold water) and cook 1–2 minutes until glossy and thick.
Check out some of our other easy ground beef recipes!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Ground Beef and Broccoli
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Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef (93/7)
- 4 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger (or 1 tsp. fresh grated)
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
- 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce (optional but adds great flavor)
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Steam or microwave the broccoli until just tender. Set aside. I like to put it in a shallow bowl with a little water and microwave for a couple minutes to soften.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef with onion over medium heat until browned, approximately 5 minutes, breaking up into smaller pieces. Drain excess grease.
- Add garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook another minute until fragrant.
- Add coconut aminos, hoisin, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and stir to coat the beef.
- Toss in the broccoli, stir to mix everything together. Lower to medium low, cover the pan and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add salt and pepper and stir.
- Serve it hot over rice or cauliflower rice. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds or red pepper flakes. This is also delicious with a little dijon mustard.
Notes
- Optional, if you like a thicker sauce you can add a 1:1 cornstarch slurry before adding the broccoli.
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions. Nutritional information DOES NOT include rice.
