Crispy Ground Beef and Baby Broccoli Power Bowls

Did I eat 12+ ounces of broccoli in one day when testing this recipe? You bet. Did I enjoy every bite? Yes, I did.

Any recipe that makes eating lots of veggies fun while delivering a big protein punch is a big winner in my book. I’m excited for you to try this one so let’s jump straight in.

Ingredients and Substitutes

Here’s a look at everything you’ll need:

• Steamed Rice
• Baby Broccoli
• White Onion
• Extra Lean Ground Beef
• Hoisin Sauce
• Coconut Aminos
• Rice Vinegar
• Sriracha

You’re welcome to use another veggie like broccolini, regular broccoli florets, bok choy, green beans, or brussels sprouts. The cooking times may vary slightly, but they all work great with the ground beef (or your choice of mince) and flavors here.

And speaking of flavors, let’s talk about the sauce.

I like using coconut aminos instead of soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce because you get lots of umami flavor without too much saltiness. Soy sauce works fine as a replacement, but you may need to scale back to avoid an overly salty dish.

The closest replacement for hoisin sauce may just be more coconut aminos and a natural sweetener like maple syrup or honey. If you have some frozen crushed garlic and ginger cubes, add those to make up for the lack of hoisin. A little Chinese five spice would also be a great addition.

As for the sriracha and rice vinegar, you can use any vinegar and chili sauce.

Now, let’s take a look at how to make this ground beef and broccoli situation.

Step 1: The Baby Broccoli Stir Fry

You’re looking to pick up some color/browning on the veggies while slightly softening them. The broccoli should be a bright vibrant green color, and the onion should be starting to turn translucent.

Make sure the pan and olive oil are hot before (carefully) adding the veggies.

Part 2: The Crispy Ground Beef

Give the beef time to brown on one side (at least 2-3 minutes untouched) before breaking it apart and fully cooking.

Add the sauce to the fully cooked ground beef, stir well, then leave the beef alone. After a couple minutes, the sauce will reduce and begin to caramelize on the bottom. That gives you the crispy texture you’re after.

Part 3: Serving

Toss the veggies and crispy beef together and you’re ready to serve. All you need is a bit of rice and an appetite.

I hope you enjoy having your veggies and eating them, too. Feedback and recipe reviews are always appreciated around here. Hope to cook together again soon! – Mason

5 from 1 vote

Servings: 4 Servings

Crispy Ground Beef and Baby Broccoli Bowls

By Mason Woodruff

Stir fried baby broccoli and onion with crispy caramelized extra lean ground beef in an umami sauce.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• ▢ 12 oz Baby Broccoli or Broccolini, halved and cut into 1" pieces
• ▢ 1 medium White Onion, medium-diced
• ▢ 1 pinch Salt and Pepper
• ▢ 16 oz Extra Lean Ground Beef
• ▢ 2 bags (10 oz each) Frozen Steamed Jasmine Rice, or 4 cups steamed rice
• ▢ 2 Green Onions, thinly sliced (for serving)

For the Beef Sauce

• ▢ ¼ cup (72g) Hoisin Sauce
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Coconut Aminos
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Sriracha
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Water

Instructions 

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat before adding the broccoli and onion. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so, until the veggies soften and begin to brown in spots. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Add the beef to the pan and brown one side for 2-3 minutes before breaking apart and fully cooking. Mix the sauce ingredients together and add to the fully cooked ground beef. Stir to fully coat the beef then leave untouched for 2-3 minutes until the sauce reduces and begins to caramelize on the bottom.
• Add the veggies back to the pan and toss together with the beef.
• Serve over the microwaved steamed rice with sliced green onions.

Notes

See the post above for ingredient substitution ideas.

The stir fry has four 8-ounce servings (no rice) with 285 calories, 29g protein, 22g carbs, and 8g fat each. 

You can add more volume to the meal by mixing cauliflower rice with the jasmine rice. Adding 4 cups of riced cauliflower to the 4 cups of jasmine rice only adds 25 calories per serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 8oz stir fry + 1 cup steamed rice, Calories: 495kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 8g, Fiber: 5g

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