Healthy Mongolian Ground Beef Bowls

These Healthy Mongolian Ground Beef Bowls are quick, easy, and ready in just 20 minutes! Made with a sweet and savory sauce, this high-protein dinner is perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.

Skip takeout and make these Healthy Mongolian Ground Beef Bowls at home! Packed with bold flavor, lean protein, and a delicious sticky sauce that easily comes together in just 20 minutes for the whole family. This one pan dish is perfect for meal prep or those busy nights when you don’t know what to cook (or feel like cooking). Simple yet SO satisfying and is just one of those meals you’ll make once and then crave on repeat!

Why You’ll Love This

• Quick and easy – everything cooks together all in one skillet in just 20 minutes for a delicious and flavorful easy weeknight dinner.
• Healthier than takeout – this meal is lower in sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats making this dish a much better option than ordering your favorite Chinese restaurant!
• Balanced and satisfying – this meal is packed with protein and fresh veggies that add fiber and nutrients.
• Perfect for meal prep – these beef bowls reheat beautifully for healthy lunches or dinners. You can also easily customize this to your liking!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• ground beef – I recommend using 90/10 or 93/7 for less grease. You could easily swap out the beef for ground turkey, ground chicken or even beef steak.
• broccoli – you’ll need about 3 cups of bite size broccoli florets and feel free to use fresh broccoli or frozen broccoli.
• red bell pepper – this adds a pop of color, natural sweetness and slight crunch. I like to cut the bell pepper into thin strips.
• olive oil – I like to use a good olive oil or other neutral oil to sauté the veggies and brow the meat, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavor. 
• garlic – you can use fresh chopped garlic cloves or minced garlic from the jar.
• ginger – adds a little zip and really balances out the richness of the sauce. If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can substitute a half teaspoon of ground ginger.
• green onions – adds a boost of flavor and a pop of color.
• sauce ingredients – a delicious mixture of soy sauce (I use low sodium soy sauce), beef broth, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey or light brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and a tablespoon cornstarch to thicken.

How to Make Mongolian Beef Bowls

1. Prepare the sauce. The first step is to whisk together the soy sauce, beef broth, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together the corn starch and cold water until there are no lumps to make a slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry to the stir fry sauce and set aside.
2. Cook the meat. In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, drizzle olive oil and cook ground beef until it starts to brown and crumble. Drain any excess grease, if needed.
3. Sauté the veggies. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cooking an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add in the broccoli and red bell pepper slices and cook everything for 5 to 6 minutes, until veggies are slightly tender, but still crisp and beef is no longer pink.
4. Toss everything together. Pour in the sauce and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until sauce has slightly thickened and its glossy. Turn off the heat and stir in the green onions. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
5. Serve. We love spooning this Mongolian ground beef and veggies over rice, but you could serve with cauliflower rice, noodles or all on its own. Top with sesame seeds, extra green onions and enjoy!

Tips for the Best Mongolian Beef Bowls

• Prep ingredients first – this Mongolian beef and veggies cooks quickly, so I like to chop and measure everything ahead of time so I can quickly throw this meal together.
• Use lean ground beef – this keeps the dish from becoming too greasy and helps the sauce cling better.
• Bright green broccoli – if you want to ensure your broccoli stays vibrantly green, you can blanch if first in boiling water before adding to the skillet.
• Don’t skip the fresh ginger – it adds a signature flavor that really makes this taste like takeout, but better!
• Use low-sodium soy sauce – I find that regular dark soy sauce is way too salty for my liking, so lower sodium soy sauce is perfect in this dish. You could also substitute with coconut aminos or tamari if gluten-free.
• Taste and adjust – this sticky sweet stir fry sauce is one of my favorites, but feel free to taste and adjust the sauce as needed so it’s to your liking.
• Serving suggestions – this stir fry tastes great served over brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or even noodles.

Variations

• Make it gluten-free – you can easily swap out the soy sauce and use tamari or coconut aminos to make this recipe gluten-free.
• Make it spicy – add in extra red pepper flakes, dash of cayenne pepper, a drizzle of sriracha or chili garlic sauce for even more flavor and added spice.
• Low-carb option – we love serving this over white rice or brown rice, but feel free to enjoy with cauliflower rice or even zucchini noodles for a lower carb option.
• Vegetarian – swap out the ground beef for tofu, tempeh or even your favorite noodles for a meatless option.
• Extra veggies – you could also add in snap peas, zucchini, cauliflower, carrots or mushrooms for extra nutrition. Just use your favorite vegetables!

Prepping and Storage

To Store: This Mongolian ground beef and veggies can be stored in a sealed, airtight container for 4 or 5 days in the refrigerator. You can easily reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave until warmed through. Feel free to add a splash of beef broth or a few tablespoons water to loosen up the sauce.

To Freeze: You can freeze the cooked beef mixture (without rice) in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

More Stir Fry Recipes

Hope you all enjoy this Italian Chopped Salad recipe! If you love this salad as much as we do, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!