Garlic Ground Beef Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
For the Sauce:
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
Optional Garnish:
- Sesame seeds
- Scallions
- Fried egg
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat with a bit of oil. Add the ground beef and minced garlic. Break the beef apart slightly, then let it cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes to develop some browning.
- Begin stirring everything together and continue cooking until the beef is about 80% cooked through.
- Add the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, ketchup, sesame oil, and sugar. Stir well and continue cooking until the sauce reduces into a glossy glaze that clings to the beef.
- Serve over a fresh bowl of rice.
- Optionally garnish with sesame seeds, scallions, and a fried egg.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, keeping the beef and rice separate so the rice stays fresh.
- Reheat in a pan over medium heat for the best texture, or microwave for about 2 minutes.
- Use 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor, or leaner beef with a little extra oil in the pan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Table of Contents
- Garlic Ground Beef Recipe
- Introduction
- Why You’ll Love This Garlic Ground Beef Recipe
- Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Garlic Ground Beef Recipe
- Garlic Ground Beef Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Garlic Ground Beef
- What to Serve with Garlic Ground Beef
- How to Store Garlic Ground Beef For Meal Prep
- Garlic Ground Beef Substitutions
- What to Make Next
Introduction
This Garlic Ground Beef Recipe is one of those meals I come back to whenever I want something fast, cheap, and filling. It comes together in one pan with a handful of pantry ingredients and takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. The ground beef gets browned with plenty of garlic before being tossed in a sweet and salty glaze that clings to every bite. I make this on the busiest weeknights when I don’t want to put much thought into dinner, and it always delivers. Spoon it over a bowl of warm rice with a fried egg on top, and you’ve got a meal that tastes amazing and is surprisingly simple.
Why You’ll Love This Garlic Ground Beef Recipe
You’ll love this Garlic Ground Beef Recipe because it’s about as low-effort as dinner gets. There’s no marinating, no chopping beyond the garlic, and only one pan to wash. Ground beef is one of the most affordable proteins you can buy, although it is rising in price, and this sauce turns it into a true staple.
It’s also the kind of recipe that fits into just about anything. You can serve it over rice, spoon it into lettuce cups, or use it as a filling for wraps or rice bowls, which is my personal favorite. Once you get the sauce ratio down, you’ll probably find yourself making it without even looking at the recipe.
Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Garlic Ground Beef Recipe
The sauce is what really makes this Garlic Ground Beef Recipe. The ingredient list is short, but every component earns its place. Light soy sauce brings the salty flavors, while dark soy sauce gives the beef its rich color and a little extra depth. The ketchup might sound unusual, but it adds just enough acidity and tanginess to round everything out and help the sauce coat the beef. Sesame oil finishes the dish off with its nutty aroma, while the sugar balances the saltiness and helps everything reduce into a glossy glaze. As the sauce cooks down, it coats every piece of beef instead of pooling at the bottom of the pan. The name of the game is patience, and you’ll see it thicken into that sticky finish that makes this recipe so good.
Garlic Ground Beef Recipe Ingredients
Ground beef – The main protein. An 80/20 blend is my go to because the extra fat browns better and tastes better. Leaner beef works too, you’ll just want more oil in the pan.
Garlic – Four cloves might sound like a lot, but garlic is the star.
Sauce (dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, ketchup, sesame oil, sugar) – A balanced blend that’s salty, a little sweet, and just tangy enough. This is what gives the beef its glossy glaze and classic savory flavor.
Optional garnishes (sesame seeds, scallions, fried egg, steamed rice) – Rice turns this into a complete meal, the fried egg adds richness from the yolk, and the sesame seeds and scallions add color and a little freshness.
How to Make Garlic Ground Beef
Heat a pan over medium-high heat with a bit of oil. Add the ground beef and minced garlic. Break the beef apart slightly, then let it sit undisturbed for a couple of minutes.
Once the bottom has some color, start stirring everything together and keep cooking until the beef is about 80% cooked through. It’s fine if there’s still a little pink, because it’ll finish cooking once the sauce goes in.
Add the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, ketchup, sesame oil, and sugar. Stir well so everything is evenly coated, then keep cooking until the sauce reduces into a glossy glaze that clings to the beef. This usually takes just a couple of minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the liquid has mostly cooked off and the beef looks shiny and dark.
Spoon the ground beef over a fresh bowl of rice. Garnish with sesame seeds, scallions, and a fried egg if you like, then serve.
What to Serve with Garlic Ground Beef
This Garlic Ground Beef is a full meal over rice, but a couple of simple sides round it out nicely. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Fried egg. A great add on that adds richness, and the runny yolk almost works like an extra sauce when you break it over the beef and rice.
- Cucumber salad. I toss thinly sliced cucumbers with a splash of rice vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a little sugar. The crunch and acidity cut through the richness of the beef.
- Sautéed greens. Bok choy or gai lan cooked with a bit of garlic and oyster sauce is a traditional side that is a great compliment.
How to Store Garlic Ground Beef For Meal Prep
This Garlic Ground Beef Recipe is great for meal prep and keeps really well. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors meld nicely as it sits, so leftovers taste just as good. I like to store the beef and rice separately so the rice doesn’t get soggy. When you’re ready to reheat, you have a couple of options:
- Reheat in a pan. The best way to bring back the texture. Warm it over medium heat for a few minutes until heated through.
- Microwave. The most convenient option. Cover and microwave on high for about 2 minutes, giving it a stir halfway through.
Garlic Ground Beef Substitutions
This Garlic 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, turkey, or pork. All of these work as a 1:1 substitution. Leaner meats like turkey will need a bit more oil to keep them from drying out.
- Honey or brown sugar. Either can replace the regular sugar and will still help the sauce caramelize.
- Sriracha or chili flakes. Add a tablespoon if you want some spice to go with the sweet and savory sauce.
- Oyster sauce. Swap it in for the ketchup if you want a deeper, more umami flavor instead of the acidity.
What to Make Next
Craving another quick ground beef dinner? You’ll love my Sticky Sweet Ground Beef!
Want something with whole cloves of garlic? Try my Whole Garlic Chicken Stir Fry!
Feeling like chicken instead? Cook my Sweet Honey Chicken!
