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Asian Ground Beef & Rice (30-Minute Dinner)

ByJessica Loizzo Updated on

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This Asian ground beef and rice is savory, saucy, and on the table in about 30 minutes. Yes, 30 minutes! Ground beef and crisp-tender veggies get tossed in a coconut amino sauce with garlic and fresh basil, then spooned over rice, and the rice cooks right alongside everything else so nothing’s waiting around. It’s one of my family’s favorite weeknight meals!

Colorful beef and vegetable stir-fry served over white rice in a white bowl, with fresh basil leaves on the side, perfect for a healthy meal.

This one is a keeper!

My family genuinely loves Asian-inspired food, but it’s not something I make all the time, mostly because so many recipes call for a long list of specialty sauces and ingredients I don’t always have on hand…and don’t really want on hand if I’m honest. This one’s different, though. It only uses two sauces, coconut aminos and fish sauce, which makes it a great base recipe for busy weeknights when you still want big flavor without a special trip to the store…because, yeah that’s not happening.

Before I start talking your ear off about these Asian ground beef and rice bowls, please take a moment to check out these other 30 minute ground beed recipes. It’s nice to have other options if your kids don’t love Asian flavors. My kids really enjoy this ground beef pasta with peas. Its flavor is a little more kid-friendly and it has pasta in it which seems to be all kids favorite thing to eat. Mexican flavors also seem to be a favorite for all, young and old, so this 30-minute ground beef Mexican pasta is also a hit in my home. Okay! Now that we have options, let’s continue to chat!

I’ve been making versions of this asian recipe for years, and it’s still a favorite in our house. My husband and daughter both ask for it, and it reheats really well, so it’s an easy one to make ahead for lunches too. I absolutely LOVE having leftovers for lunch, you agree?

It’s also endlessly adaptable. We usually make it with ground beef because it’s quick and fuss-free (also a little cheaper), which is exactly what you want on a weeknight. Flank steak or skirt steak are wonderful too if you have a little extra time, but they take more prep than ground beef, so I save those for nights when I’m not racing the clock.

The basil is my favorite part. It’s not the herb you’d expect in an Asian-style dinner, but it adds a freshness that makes this feel a little different from your typical asian beef and rice bowl. And I always reach for coconut aminos over soy sauce here. It’s slightly sweet, a little more natural, and doesn’t leave you feeling weighed down or overly salty. I really can’t stand the bloat these days.

If you’re concerned about mushy rice, don’t be! I make a lot of rice in my house – it just works for my family and I’m proud to say I’ve mastered how to cook long grain white rice if you need a little extra help. Once you make it a few times, it becomes second nature.

Let’s Make It

Please note that these pictures are meant to provide a helpful visual overview of the recipe. Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Assorted fresh ingredients for stuffed bell peppers including ground meat, rice, vegetables, and seasonings on a wooden surface.
Ingredients: Long-grain white rice, chicken stock, butter, kosher salt, ground beef, olive oil, yellow onion, red bell pepper, carrots, broccoli florets, garlic cloves, arrowroot starch or cornstarch, black pepper, red pepper flakes, coconut aminos, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, fresh basil, green onions
A pot of rice being cooked on a stove, with butter melting into the boiling rice, captured from above.
Start the rice. Add 1 1/2 cups rinsed long-grain white rice, 3 cups chicken stock, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and remove the lid partially while the rest of the meal finishes.
Ground meat being cooked in a white skillet with a wooden spatula, on a wooden surface, ideal for recipes and meal prep.
Meanwhile, brown the beef. While the rice cooks, heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 pounds ground beef and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it into bite-size pieces as it browns.
Fresh broccoli and red bell peppers being added to a stir-fry with ground meat in a white skillet on a wooden surface.
Cook the vegetables. Add 1 diced yellow onion, 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper, 2 thinly sliced carrots, and 2 cups small broccoli florets to the beef.
Colorful vegetable and ground beef stir-fry in a white skillet with a wooden spoon, on a wooden surface.
Stir well and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the beef and vegetables.
A hand adding grated cheese to a colorful vegetable stir-fry with broccoli, carrots, and ground beef in a white skillet on a wooden surface.
Add the garlic and thickener. Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, if using, over the beef and vegetables. Stir until evenly coated
Colorful stir-fried vegetables including broccoli, red bell peppers, and carrots being cooked with soy sauce in a white skillet.
Add the sauces. Pour in 2/3 cups coconut aminos.
Colorful stir-fried vegetables including broccoli, red bell peppers, and carrots in a white skillet, with a hand pouring soy sauce.
Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce. Let simmer for about 3 minutes for the sauce to thicken.
Fresh vegetable stir-fry with broccoli, carrots, and ground meat being prepared in a white cooking pot on a wooden surface.
Remove the beef mixture from the heat and stir in 1/3 cup fresh basil.
Colorful beef and vegetable stir-fry served in white bowls with rice, garnished with fresh herbs, on a wooden table.
Serve – add the rice to a bowl then top with the beef and veggies. Delicious!

A Few Tips to Set You Up for Success

Keep your broccoli florets small so they cook through in the same amount of time as the carrots and peppers.

Swapping in soy sauce for coconut aminos? Use less than the recipe calls for, since soy sauce is saltier and coconut aminos has a milder, slightly sweet flavor.

Ground beef is the move for a fast weeknight dinner, but if you’ve got a little extra time, flank steak or skirt steak, thinly sliced, make a really nice upgrade for a weekend version of this meal.

Got kiddos who aren’t sold on the sauce? Spoon the beef and vegetables over the rice before adding the sauce, then let everyone sauce their own bowl at the table.

For more heat, add the red pepper flakes with the other seasonings, or let everyone sprinkle their own on top.

Leftovers hold up well in the fridge for a few days and reheat nicely for lunch.

Enjoy!

And there you have it! Another quick and easy dinner for you and your family. If you make it, I’d love to hear how it goes in the comments. Check out my instagram page for my recipes and behind the scenes! I love connecting with you!

Yield: Serves 5

Weeknight Asian Ground Beef and Rice with Vegetables

Colorful beef and vegetable stir-fry served over white rice in a white bowl, with fresh basil leaves on the side, perfect for a healthy meal.
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This Asian-style ground beef and rice is a savory 30-minute dinner made with browned ground beef, crisp-tender vegetables, and a sweet-salty coconut amino sauce, all spooned over fluffy rice. Garlic, fresh basil, and a touch of fish sauce give it big flavor with minimal effort, making it a fast, family-friendly meal you'll want on repeat.

Ingredients

Rice

  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed well
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Beef and Vegetables

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, if needed
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups small broccoli florets
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Sauce

  • 2/3 cup coconut aminos
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, optional

Finish

  • 1/3 cup chopped or torn fresh basil
  • Sliced green onions, optional

Instructions

    1. Start the rice. Add 1 1/2 cups rinsed long-grain white rice, 3 cups chicken stock, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook according to the rice package directions (mine usually cooks in 14-15 minutes), or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let it rest, covered, for about 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
    2. Meanwhile, brown the beef. While the rice cooks, heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 pounds ground beef and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it into bite-size pieces as it browns. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil only if the pan seems dry. Drain excess grease if necessary.
    3. Cook the vegetables. Add 1 diced yellow onion, 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper, 2 thinly sliced carrots, and 2 cups small broccoli florets to the beef. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender.
    4. Add the garlic and thickener. Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, if using, over the beef and vegetables. Stir until evenly coated.
    5. Add the sauce. Pour in 2/3 cup coconut aminos, 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, if using. Stir well and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the beef and vegetables.
    6. Finish with basil. Remove the beef mixture from the heat and stir in 1/3 cup fresh basil.
      Serve. Fluff the rice with a fork and divide it among bowls or plates. Spoon the saucy ground beef and vegetables over the rice and finish with sliced green onions or additional basil, if desired.

Notes

Arrowroot or cornstarch: Use 1 tablespoon of either. Both will help the coconut amino sauce lightly thicken and cling to the beef and vegetables.

30-minute tip: Start cooking the beef as soon as the rice is covered and simmering. The beef and vegetable mixture should finish at about the same time as the rice

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

5

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 685Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 11gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 1673mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 5gSugar: 12gProtein: 47g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.

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© Jessica Loizzo
Cuisine: asian / Category: 30-Minute Dinners

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