An easy ground beef and bell pepper dinner recipe tossed with a simple asian-style sauce. Serve over rice for a quick weeknight meal!
Ground beef is my go-to protein because it’s affordable, freezer-friendly, and perfect for making family meals in so many different recipes. This Beef & Pepper Stir Fry is a healthy yet delicious way of preparing it!
The sauce is made with pantry staples including soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes for the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors.
Enjoy this ground beef stir fry paired with your favorite rice along with any of your favorite veggies. It’s easy and versatile!
Beef & Bell Pepper Rice Bowl Ingredients
- 1½ cups uncooked rice
- 2-3 tbsp oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 bell peppers (any color)
- 1 small zucchini
- 2 tbsps chopped garlic
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Step 1 Cook the rice according to the package instructions which usually takes about 20 minutes on your stove top. For the best rice, I prefer to brown the rice in the pan for a few minutes with a few tablespoons of butter before adding the water. You an also replace the water with chicken or beef broth for added flavor!
Step 2 While the rice is cooking, chop the onion, bell peppers, and zucchini into small bite-size pieces.
Step 3Heat a large skillet to medium-high and sauté the veggies with a few tablespoons of oil. I prefer to start with the onions so that they have a chance to soften a bit more followed by the peppers and zucchini, and then add the chopped garlic during the last minute of cooking.
Step 4 Add that appetizing hunk of raw ground beef to the pan and chop until brown. It looks so pretty and square when they vacuum seal it. I find it easiest to scoot the veggies to the side and use the center of the pan to break it up.
Step 5 Once your beef is browned, you can optionally blot out some of the grease or leave it in for extra juiciness and flavor. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to soak up.
Serve over fluffy cooked rice and enjoy! It’s a delicious, well-balanced meal full of protein and colorful vegetables that’s easy to make without stretching your grocery budget. Is that even possible these days? The great thing about ground beef is you can stock up on it when it’s on sale and simply freeze for later.
Easy Ground Beef & Bell Pepper Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1½ cups uncooked rice
- 2-3 tbsp oil
- 1 small yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 bell peppers (chopped)
- 1 small zucchini (chopped)
- 2 tbsp chopped garlic
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the package instructions (read the notes below for helpful tips).
- While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet to medium and sauté the veggies in oil for 5-10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic during the last few minutes.
- Scoot the veggies to the side of the pan and add your ground beef. Chop and brown it until no longer pink. You can optionally remove some of the grease if your beef has a high fat content.
- Add ⅓ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsps brown sugar, a tbsp of vinegar, and 1+ tsps of red pepper flakes. Combine well and allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes.
- Enjoy over cooked rice! You can optionally serve with extra soy sauce, red pepper, or sesame seeds.
Notes
- Any kind of rice can be used for this recipe! White, brown, jasmine, etc. For the best rice, sauté it dry in the pan with a few tablespoons of butter until it browns a bit. You can also add a ton of flavor by replacing some or all of the water with chicken or beef broth.
- Remember, soy sauce is very salty so you probably don't need to add any extra salt. Do a taste test once everything is mixed to see if you'd prefer more sauce. It's always best to start with less and add more if needed!
- The fat percentage in your ground beef will determine whether you'll want to drain the grease or not.
- Not a fan of beef or watching your calories? Replace ground beef with ground turkey or chicken. You could also replace the rice with frozen cauliflower rice for a healthier option.
- Make this dish heartier by adding a bit of butter or sesame oil to the beef mixture.
- Want to bring it up a notch? Drizzle with Yum Yum sauce, a popular creamy sweet and spicy sauce you can purchase at most grocery stores.
- Include any sort of sautéed veggies to this stir fry including broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage, etc.
- If you don't have fresh garlic or onion on hand, feel free to use garlic powder and onion powder as an easy replacement.
- If you're looking for more ground beef dinner ideas check out this List of 10 Super Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes Your Family Will Love!
Don’t forget to pin and save this easy budget dinner recipe for later! 🙂
