Ground Beef Fried Rice
Skip the takeout and make ground beef fried rice at home! You’ll love this quick, one-pan dinner that’s big on flavor and surprisingly nutritious. Need more dietitian-approved dinners? Try my 10-minute tuna rice bowls, slow cooker salmon rice, or ground turkey fried rice.
A healthy, one-pan dinner your family will love
- Made in one pan: This ground beef fried rice comes together in under 30 minutes with minimal prep and clean-up, making it perfect for busy weeknights. If you want more one-pan dinners, try my chicken enchilada skillet or healthy hamburger helper.
- Family-friendly: Your family will ask for this comforting recipe on repeat — little do they know, it’s also packed with protein, fiber, and nutrients.
- Dietitian-approved: You’ll get lean protein, energizing carbs, and plenty of vegetables in every serving.
Want to feed your family nourishing meals? Check out my high-protein recipe catalogue, or some of my tasty high-fiber recipes.
Key ingredients
- Oyster sauce: A staple in many Asian kitchens, this thick, savory-sweet sauce adds depth and richness you won’t get from soy sauce alone. It’s usually easy to find in the international aisle, but if you can’t, just leave it out and add a little extra soy sauce.
- Lean ground beef: Choosing lean beef keeps the dish hearty while reducing excess fat and calories. For more ground beef recipes, try my crispy beef tacos, kid-friendly taco cups, or sweet potato burger bowls.
- Cooked and cooled rice: Cold, day-old rice is key for the best texture. Cooling firms up the starches so the grains stay separate and slightly chewy, instead of clumping together. Fresh rice can work, but the results won’t be as good.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and detailed instructions.
How to make beef fried rice
Step 1: Prepare a simple sauce.
Step 2: Scramble eggs and set aside.
Step 3: Cook ground beef and frozen vegetables.
Step 4: Add rice, scrambled eggs, and sauce, and stir. Cook until browned and caramelized.
Tips and tricks
The beauty of this ground beef fried rice is that it’s super easy to make, and just as easy to customize. That’s why it’s one of my easy dinner staples as a dietitian! But of course, it can be made extra delicious with a few simple tips.
- Don’t skip the oyster sauce or honey. You could flavor fried rice with soy sauce alone, but a small amount of these additional flavor boosters adds so much complexity and satisfaction. I highly recommend making the sauce as described in the recipe if you can.
- Use cooked and cooled rice. This is key to avoiding mushy fried rice, keeping each grain firm and chewy.
- Give the rice time to toast and caramelize. Once all your ingredients are in the pan, it’s important to give everything time to cook and toast. Be patient, let the sauce get sticky, and be okay if the rice sticks to the bottom — it adds so much flavor and texture!
And of course, feel free to add and swap ingredients to make this recipe work for you and your family. You can easily switch out the meat, vegetables, or toppings and still have a delicious dinner ready in under 30-minutes.
More quick and easy dinner recipes
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Ground Beef Fried Rice
Ingredients
Fried Rice
- 1 tsp butter
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables, I like the blend with carrots, peas, corn, and green beans
- ½ cup frozen edamame, removed from shells
- 3 cups cooked and cooled rice, I like medium-grain
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
To serve
- sliced green onion
- sesame seeds
- chili crisp
Equipment
- small bowl or measuring cup
Instructions
- To a small bowl or measuring cup, add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and honey. Whisk and set aside.
- Heat your saute pan to medium.
- Coat the pan with butter, then add eggs. Push them around the pan with a spatula and break them up until scrambled, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add ground beef to pan. Cook and crumble with a spatula, stirring occasionally, until minimal pink remains and you have small, even crumbles.
- Stir in garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 1-minute.
- Stir in frozen vegetables and edamame, and half the sauce. Cover and cook, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are defrosted.
- Stir in scrambled eggs, rice, green onion, and remaining sauce. Take your time to break up any chunks of rice and ensure every grain is coated in sauce. This may take 1-2 minutes.
- Once the sauce is thoroughly stirred in, cook for 2 minutes undisturbed. Then mix, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and stirring them in. Repeat 2-3 times until the rice looks lightly toasted.
- Turn off the heat. Serve with sliced green onions, chili crisp, and sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Important prep: This recipe requires leftover rice that’s been cooked and cooled. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use instant rice.
- If you don’t have oyster sauce, leave it out and use an extra splash of soy sauce.
Sooo good! This saved me from takeout tonight.
Thank you so much for your review!
Ground beef fried rice is such a great switch-up because it’s a protein most of us keep stocked in the freezer! You will love this one — it’s super delicious and family-friendly.