Sticky Ground Beef Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ground beef, I used 90/10
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
For the Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sriracha, adjust to taste
Optional Garnish
- Steamed rice
- Sesame seeds
- Scallions
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium heat with a bit of oil. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef and break it apart. Cook until mostly browned, about 4 minutes.
- Add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Stir well and continue cooking until the sauce thickens and coats the beef.
- Remove from the heat and serve over a fresh bowl of rice.
- Optionally garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Table of Contents
- Sticky Ground Beef Recipe
- Introduction
- How This Sticky Ground Beef Recipe Is So Delicious
- Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Sticky Ground Beef Recipe
- Sticky Ground Beef Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Sticky Ground Beef
- What to Serve with Sticky Ground Beef
- How to Store Sticky Ground Beef
- Sticky Ground Beef Substitutions
- What to Make Next
Introduction
Ground beef is a staple in my household, and this Sticky Ground Beef Recipe will be is the perfect way to use any ground beef you may have lying around the fridge. It’s not only quick, but it uses just a few pantry ingredients and is so flavorful. As much as I have cooked ground beef, this one is actually my favorite because of how sticky, slightly sweet, and spicy the dish is without needing spend tons of time cooking.
How This Sticky Ground Beef Recipe Is So Delicious
This Sticky Ground Beef Recipe is so delicious because it layers the simple ingredients in the order that maximizes each of their respective flavors. Cooking the garlic and ginger at the beginning will help infuse the oil with its aromatic flavor that carries throughout the entire dish. Additionally, using ground beef works super well because of its surface area, which gets those browned bits on the sides that add a caramelized flavor. Once the sauce is added to the beef, it thickens around the beef, creating that signature sticky texture that defines this recipe.
Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Sticky Ground Beef Recipe
The sauce is what makes this Sticky Ground Beef Recipe stand out…after all it’s what makes the beef sticky! The hoisin sauce adds richness and sweetness, which is a great contrast to both the light and dark soy sauces. The brown sugar further emphasizes that sweetness and helps the sauce thicken while the rice vinegar balances everything with its acidity. The final touch to this Sticky Ground Beef Recipe is the sriracha, which gives the dish just enough heat to balance some of the sweetness. It’s simple, but every ingredient works together to create a super well rounded flavor.
Sticky Ground Beef Recipe Ingredients
Ground beef – The main protein of the dish. It cooks quickly and absorbs the sauce really well.
Garlic + ginger – The core aromatics that give the dish most of its flavor. Garlic adds deep flavor, while ginger brings a subtle warm note.
Sauce (dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha) – A balanced sauce that seasons the beef, adds sweetness, depth, and heat, and creates a glossy, sticky coating.
Steamed rice + garnishes (sesame seeds, scallions) – The perfect way to serve this. The rice absorbs the sauce, while the garnishes add color and texture.
How to Make Sticky Ground Beef
Heat a pan over medium heat with oil and cook the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
Add the ground beef and break it apart, cooking until mostly browned.
Add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Stir well and continue cooking until the sauce thickens and coats the beef evenly.
Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions if desired.
What to Serve with Sticky Ground Beef
This Sticky Ground Beef Recipe is delicious on its own, but if you want to round out the meal, there are multiple sides that compliment it the best:
- Steamed white rice. Perfect for soaking up all that sauce and balancing the richnesss of the dish.
- Kimchi. The spice and acid is a refreshing contrast to the beef.
- Sautéed greens. Perfect if you want something warm that compliments the dish without overpowering the core flavors of the main dish.
How to Store Sticky Ground Beef
This Sticky Ground Beef Recipe stores really well, making it a great option for meal prep. You can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. I usually store it separately from the rice or next to the rice to keep the texture better. When reheating, you have a couple of options:
- Reheating in a pan. Helps bring back some of that texture and is the best way to reheat this.
- Microwave. The most convenient way to reheat this. Simply heat for 2 minutes at high power!
Sticky Ground Beef Substitutions
This Sticky Ground Beef Recipe is very flexible, and you can substitute some ingredients depending on what you have available. A few of my favorite substitutions are:
- Ground chicken or turkey. A lighter option that still absorbs the sauce well.
- Honey. Can be used instead of brown sugar and will still add that glossiness.
- No hoisin sauce. You can substitute hoisin sauce with a mix of soy sauce and a bit of sugar, although the flavor will change slightly.
What to Make Next
Craving something with noodles? You’ll love my Gochujang Alfredo!
Want another quick ground beef dish? Try my Bulgogi Ground Beef!
Feeling like fried rice instead? Cook my Garlic Bacon Fried Rice!
