Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz ground beef
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
For the Sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
Optional Garnish
- Sesame seeds
- Scallions
- Fried egg
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the ground beef, breaking it apart as it cooks, until about 80% cooked through.
- Add the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and honey. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and clings to the beef crumbles.
- Serve over a fresh bowl of rice.
- Optionally garnish with sesame seeds, scallions, and a fried egg.
Video
Notes
- Let the ground beef sear undisturbed for a minute before breaking it up so it browns and builds more flavor.
- Leave a little of the butter and rendered beef fat in the pan before the sauce goes in. It blends right into the glaze.
- The honey reduces into a glossy glaze on its own, so there’s no need for a cornstarch slurry here.
- Swap in ground pork, chicken, or turkey, and stir in a spoonful of chili crisp if you want some heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Table of Contents
- Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
- Introduction
- Why You’ll Love This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
- Why the Sauce Matters In This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
- What You’ll Need To Make This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
- How to Make This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
- What to Serve With This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
- How to Store Garlic Butter Ground Beef for Meal Prep
- Reheating Instructions
- Substitutions for Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
- What to Make Next
Introduction
If you need an easy dinner that comes together quickly without using a long list of ingredients, this Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe is a great option. With just six simple ingredients, one pan, and about 15 minutes, you can have a rice bowl that’s filling, easy to make, and perfect for busy weeknights.
Ground beef is one of the reasons this recipe cooks so quickly. Since it’s already broken into small pieces, it browns much faster than larger cuts of meat. Giving it a minute to sear before stirring helps develop more color and adds extra depth to the finished dish.
Butter is another ingredient that makes a difference here. As it melts, it carries the garlic throughout the pan while adding richness to the sauce. A simple combination of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and honey reduces into a glossy glaze that coats every piece of beef. Serve everything over steamed rice with a fried egg if you’d like an easy meal that’s ready in no time.
Why You’ll Love This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
One of the best things about this Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe is how the beef finishes cooking in the sauce. Instead of adding the glaze after the meat is fully cooked, the last few minutes happen together, giving the beef time to absorb some of the sauce as it thickens. The honey also does more than add sweetness. As it cooks with the soy sauce, it naturally reduces into a glaze without needing cornstarch. It’s also an easy recipe to double if you’re cooking for a family or preparing lunches for the week. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, making it a convenient meal to keep in your regular dinner rotation.
Why the Sauce Matters In This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
The sauce is what brings this Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe together, and each ingredient has a specific role. Light soy sauce provides most of the seasoning, while dark soy sauce deepens the color and adds a little extra richness without making the sauce overly salty. Honey helps balance the soy sauce while naturally thickening as it cooks. As the liquid reduces, the glaze becomes smooth enough to coat the beef without needing a cornstarch slurry. It also caramelizes slightly where it meets the pan, giving the sauce a little more umami flaor.
What You’ll Need To Make This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
- Ground beef – Any fat percentage works well. Beef with a little more fat develops more browning and creates a richer sauce.
- Butter – Butter creates the base of the recipe while carrying the garlic flavor throughout the dish.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic cooks in the butter first and builds the foundation of the sauce.
- The sauce – Light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and honey reduce into a glossy glaze that coats every piece of ground beef.
- Optional garnish – Sesame seeds, sliced scallions, a fried egg, and steamed rice complete the meal.
How to Make This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Watch it closely so it doesn’t brown too much.
Add the ground beef and let it cook undisturbed for about a minute before breaking it apart. This gives the beef time to brown before you continue cooking.
Break it apart and stir occasionally until it’s about 80% cooked through.
Pour in the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and honey. Stir everything together and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce reduces into a glossy glaze that coats the beef evenly.
Serve over steamed rice and finish with sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and a fried egg if you’d like.
What to Serve With This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe is satisfying on its own, and a few simple sides round out the meal.
- Fried egg. A runny yolk blends into the glaze and adds extra richness.
- Steamed jasmine rice. Warm rice soaks up every bit of the sauce.
- Garlic bok choy. Quickly sauteed bok choy adds freshness and balances the richness of the beef.
How to Store Garlic Butter Ground Beef for Meal Prep
Store the beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
This recipe works especially well for meal prep because it reheats quickly and the sauce holds up well in the refrigerator. For the best texture, keep the beef and rice in separate containers until you’re ready to eat. As the beef chills, the butter in the sauce will firm up. That’s completely normal, and it melts back into the glaze as the beef reheats.
Reheating Instructions
- Stovetop (best method). Add the beef to a skillet over medium heat with about 1 tablespoon of water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce loosens and the beef is heated through.
- Microwave. Place the beef in a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water. Cover loosely or with a damp paper towel and microwave for about 90 seconds, stirring halfway through.
Substitutions for Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe
This Garlic Butter Ground Beef Recipe is easy to customize with ingredients you already have.
- Ground pork, chicken, or turkey. All work well with the same sauce. Leaner meats may benefit from a little extra butter while cooking.
- Brown sugar or maple syrup. Either can replace the honey. Brown sugar creates a slightly deeper caramel flavor, while maple syrup offers a different style of sweetness.
- Chili crisp or gochujang. Stir in a spoonful at the end if you’d like a little heat. Chili crisp also adds a bit of texture to the finished dish.
What to Make Next
Want another quick ground beef bowl? Try my Japanese Ground Beef Egg Bowl!
Craving something sweet and savory? You’ll love my Sticky Ground Beef!
Prefer a Korean-inspired version? Cook my Bulgogi Ground Beef!
