Name: Black Pepper Ground Beef
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 16 oz ground beef; 3 cloves garlic (finely minced); 1 small onion (cut into thick wedges); 3 scallions (cut into ½-inch pieces (whites and greens separated)); 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine; 1½ tbsp sugar; 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; Steamed rice (for serving); Sliced cucumbers; Extra black pepper

Black Pepper Ground Beef Recipe
What Makes This Black Pepper Ground Beef Not Basic!
Why You’ll Love the Black Pepper Sauce
What You’ll Need To Make Black Pepper Ground Beef
How to Make Black Pepper Ground Beef
Tips & Variations
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Make Next

What Makes This Black Pepper Ground Beef Not Basic!

This Black Pepper Ground Beef might take you only 20 minutes to make, but I promise that it’s beyond just basic tasting! The sauce is rich and slightly sweet with that heavy hit of black pepper that lingers on your tongue even after you swallow. Additionally, simple steps such as browning the beef before adding the sauce adds those extra layers of additional flavors that ultimately makes this Black Pepper Ground Beef so delicious. Once you top your Black Pepper Ground Beef over a fresh bowl of rice, it’ll be hard to find a better pairing!

Wooden spoon lifting a bite of saucy black pepper ground beef with onions and scallions from a rice bowl, showing the glossy pepper sauce coating.

Why You’ll Love the Black Pepper Sauce

The sauce is what causes this Black Pepper Ground Beef to stand out beyond every other standard ground beef recipe there is. All it is is just a mix of oyster sauce, soy sauce, a little bit of sugar, and lots of cracked black pepper to make it, and it’s worth every drop. I see other brands sell the sauce in a bottle, and I get it! It’s one those versatile sauces that can be put on anything beyond just ground beef! It goes well on chicken too, like my Black Pepper Chicken recipe!

What You’ll Need To Make Black Pepper Ground Beef

Beef

16 oz ground beef
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, cut into thick wedges
3 scallions, cut into ½-inch pieces (whites and greens separated)

Black Pepper Sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1½ tbsp sugar
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Optional Garnishes

Steamed rice, for serving
Sliced cucumbers
Extra black pepper

How to Make Black Pepper Ground Beef

Finely mince the garlic, cut the onion into thick wedges, and slice the scallions into ½-inch pieces, separating the whites and greens.

Small onion being sliced into thick wedges on a wooden cutting board to add texture and sweetness to black pepper ground beef.

In a small bowl, combine dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Shaoxing wine being poured from a metal measuring cup into a bowl of soy sauce and oyster sauce to make black pepper sauce for ground beef.

Heat a pan with a bit of oil, then add the garlic, onions, and scallion whites. Cook until softened and fragrant.

Minced garlic, thick onion wedges, and scallion whites sautéing in oil in a nonstick skillet as the flavor base for black pepper ground beef.

Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spatula. Cook for about 5 minutes or until mostly browned.

Ground beef being broken apart with a wooden spatula in a skillet with sautéed garlic and onions while cooking for black pepper ground beef.

Pour in the sauce and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the beef.

Dark soy-based black pepper sauce being poured over browned ground beef in a skillet, coating the meat with a glossy, peppery glaze.

Finish by adding the scallion greens and cook just until wilted.

Fresh scallion greens being added to simmering black pepper ground beef in a skillet just before finishing the dish.

Serve the Black Pepper Ground Beef over a fresh bowl of rice and optionally garnish with cucumbers and extra black pepper.

Freshly cracked black pepper being ground over a bowl of black pepper ground beef and rice to enhance aroma and spice before serving.

Tips & Variations

If you really love the taste of black pepper, try a more coarse grind on your pepper.

I know there’s always a couple of you out there that always ask for extra spice! I found the best way to add spice is to add 1 tbsp of Sriracha or hot sauce to the black pepper sauce.

For a leaner version of this Black Pepper Ground Beef, use ground turkey or chicken!

For a lower carb version (this one’s for you Dad!), try serving the Black Pepper Ground Beef in lettuce wraps!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use pre-ground black pepper?

Yes, but freshly cracked black pepper adds more bite and aroma. The reason I use fresh cracked black pepper is because the freshly cracked peppercorns will release their natural aromas and oils when they are cracked, which ultimately yields a “stronger” black pepper taste.

Will it still taste good without oyster sauce?

Oyster sauce adds depth and sweetness, but you can substitute with hoisin or a mix of soy sauce, sugar, and a pinch of MSG if you don’t have it!

What’s the best way to serve this?

I always like to put my Black Pepper Ground Beef over a fresh bowl of white rice, but it’s also great with noodles or wrapped in lettuce leaves for a low-carb version!