If you're looking for a bold, weeknight-friendly Asian inspired meal, these crispy ground beef and broccoli bowls deliver big flavor with minimal fuss.
Tender clumps of crispy ground beef are tossed with seared broccoli and onions, drenched in an Asian chili sauce and served over rice with some sliced green onions and chili crisp. The result is a satisfying mix of flavors and textures that's endlessly adaptable. These bowls are perfect for tiny kitchens and busy weeknights, and prove that humble ground beef can absolutely steal the show.
I have recently "rediscovered" ground beef. For years, I rarely used it, opting for whole cuts of meat in nearly everything that called for beef. But, over the past several months, I've been using it more frequently.
I've used it to make the homemade krautburgers of my childhood, super easy and affordable stuffed peppers topped with cheese and tortilla chips, and these cheeseburger quesadillas, which are not something I ever thought would come out of my kitchen but they are SO GOOD we can't get enough.
What I'm trying to say is that ground beef is having a moment around here. So, a few weeks ago, when I went into the kitchen to make beef and broccoli bowls, I reached for ground beef instead of something like strips of flank steak.
My first attempt was ok, but it also lacked the texture I was hoping for. I wanted the ground beef to clump together and have a crispy exterior, almost like the edges of a smash burger. I also wanted the ground beef to be rich and flavorful all by itself, even before coating it with Asian chili sauce.
After some experimentation, I discovered that mixing ground beef with cornstarch, egg whites, soy sauce, a bit of toasted sesame oil and rice vinegar did the trick. 🙌
The idea is based on a technique called "velveting". Velveting is most often used to improve the texture of strips of beef before cooking with vegetables over high heat. But, it works with ground beef as well, producing tender clumps of flavorful meat with a gorgeously crispy exterior.
The crispy chunks of ground beef combined with rice and veggies in a delicious, spicy Asian sauce is deeply satisfying. I hope you love it as much as we do.
xo
-Rebecca
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Ingredient notes
- To make crispy ground beef you'll need ground beef, cornstarch, egg whites, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Mixing the ground beef with cornstarch and egg whites is what gives the beef a delicious crispy texture when cooked in a skillet with some oil. The soy sauce is essential for seasoning the beef but if you are sensitive to salt, you might want to use low sodium soy sauce.
- Rice: Use any kind of rice you like, but be mindful that different varieties require different cooking times. White rice cooks relatively quickly, in about 20 minutes. Brown and wild rice can take 45 minutes to an hour or longer. If using white rice, it's a good idea to rinse it first: put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear. This rinses off excess starch for fluffier, less sticky cooked rice.
- To make the Asian chili sauce, you'll need soy sauce, maple syrup, unseasoned rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, ground black pepper, and garlic. Making this sauce is a simple as adding all the ingredients to a saucepan and simmering the sauce until it has reduced and thickened. The amounts of everything in this sauce can be adjusted to your personal preferences. For example, if you don't like spicy food, reduce the amount of chili garlic sauce. Love garlic? Toss in a few more cloves. Hate it? Leave them out.
- Broccoli: If starting with a large head of broccoli, cut it into florets, then cut any large florets into bite size pieces
- 1 large yellow onion: I prefer the mild, even flavor of yellow onion in these bowls, but any variety of onion will do.
- The cherry tomatoes are added to these bowls fresh and raw, and the contrast of the crispy ground beef and seared broccoli with the bright fresh acidic flavor of the tomatoes is wonderful.
- Chopped green onions are sprinkled over the bowls right before serving. Slice the white and light green parts of the onions only.
- Chili crisp: Use any brand you like and serve along side the bowls, allowing each person to add as much, or as little, as they like.
Additions and substitutions
- To make these bowls gluten free: Substitute tamari for the soy sauce.
- Instead of, or in addition to, broccoli: Use any kind of vegetables you like in these bowls. Good options include asparagus, broccolini, broccoli rabe, carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers, and green beans.
- Instead of rice: Crispy ground beef and broccoli is also delicious served over noodles instead of over rice. Good options include lo mein noodles, soba noodles, and ramen noodles.
- Use ground pork instead of ground beef, or a combination of both pork and beer.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Mix the ground beef with cornstarch, egg whites, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Let this mixture rest for at least 10 minutes while you get the sauce and rice cooking.
Follow the package instructions to cook whatever variety of rice you like, seasoning it with a generous pinch of salt and some toasted sesame oil.
Make the sauce by adding all the ingredients to a saucepan and letting the mixture simmer until it's reduced by half and thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Cook the ground beef mixture in a hot skillet with some oil until its browned and crispy.
Transfer the crispy ground beef to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
Cook the broccoli and sliced onion in the hot skillet until the veggies are blackened in spots.
Add the ground beef back to the pan, then add the sauce. When the sauce begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low. Taste and add more salt and/or ground black pepper if desired.
To serve, top bowls of rice with sliced cherry tomatoes and crispy ground beef and broccoli. Sprinkle some sliced green onions over the bowls and serve with chili crisp.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to leave a comment and rate it!
📖 Recipe
Crispy Ground Beef and Broccoli Bowls
If you’re looking for a bold, weeknight-friendly Asian inspired meal, these crispy ground beef and broccoli bowls deliver big flavor with minimal fuss.
Ingredients
For the crispy ground beef and rice:
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 large egg whites
- ¼ cup (2 ounces/ 55 grams) soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 cup (200 grams) rice, any variety (*See note)
- Salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the sauce:
- ½ cup (4 ounces, 110 grams) soy sauce
- ¼ cup (78 grams) maple syrup
- ¼ cup (2 ounces/ 60 grams) unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, more to taste
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
For the bowls:
- 4-5 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 12-14 ounces broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ¼ cup chopped green onions, use the white and light green parts only
- Chili crisp, for serving
Instructions
- Prep the beef: Add the ground beef, cornstarch, egg whites, ¼ cup of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, and a tablespoon of unseasoned rice vinegar to a large bowl and stir to mix everything together. Let this mixture rest for at least 10 minutes while you get the sauce and rice cooking. (If prepping the meat in advance, cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.)
- Cook the rice: Cook the rice according to the package instructions, seasoning it with a generous pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil. (*See note below)
- Prepare the sauce: Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a small to medium size saucepan and set it over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook until the sauce is reduced by half and thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Cook the beef: Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil to a skillet and heat until it’s just beginning to smoke. Add half of the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to spread the ground beef out in the pan and then break it up into bite size pieces. Let it fry, undisturbed for 4 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the pieces over and continue to cook until the ground beef is browned and crispy on both sides. Transfer the crispy ground beef to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining raw ground beef.
- Rinse out the pan.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and set it back over high heat. Add the broccoli and the onion and stir them around in the pan. When they start to sweat, sprinkle with salt. Continue to cook at very hight heat until the veggies are blackened in spots.
- Add the ground beef back to the pan, then add the sauce. When the sauce begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low. Taste and add more salt and/or ground black pepper if desired.
- To serve: Divide the rice between 4 bowls and top with the sliced cherry tomatoes. Add the ground beef and broccoli and top with the green onions. Serve with chili crisp.
Notes
Use any kind of rice you like, but be mindful that different varieties require different cooking times. White rice cooks relatively quickly, in about 20 minutes. Brown and wild rice can take 45 minutes to an hour or longer. If using white rice, it’s a good idea to rinse it first: put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear. This rinses off excess starch for fluffier, less sticky cooked rice.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 951Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 13gUnsaturated Fat: 36gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 3049mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 5gSugar: 14gProtein: 58g
Ethan Cole says
This sounds like the perfect weeknight meal. I love the tip about velveting the ground beef to get that crispy texture, I will definitely have to try that. I came across your post on Pinterest and the photos looked so good I had to click through. I often save recipe videos and images from there to my phone so I can follow along in the kitchen without opening multiple browser tabs. For anyone else who likes to keep a local copy of their favorite pins, I use SavePinSet to download videos, images, and GIFs easily. Thanks for the great recipe.