Ginger Beef
Tender ground beef in a sweet-and-savory, garlicky, ginger-spiked glaze! Served over rice (or noodles, or in lettuce leaves), this quick-and-easy, ultra-flavorful dish is sure to become a weeknight staple.
I love using ground beef in this dish! Ginger beef is typically made with battered and fried strips of steak. It’s a classic, wonderful dish, but it’s also time-consuming, messy and not nearly as healthy as this version. Leave the grease behind and enjoy this wholesome, gluten-free ginger beef made with ground meat!
The sauce for this ginger beef is garlicky and warm. Fresh ginger adds great warmth to this sauce, and perfectly compliments the garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Plus, there’s a little brown sugar in the glaze, which balances the salty soy sauce.
This recipe calls for dark soy sauce, and I highly recommend it. Dark soy sauce is darker and sweeter than regular soy sauce, and adds great richness to the sauce. If you don’t have dark soy sauce, you can substitute with this combination: 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce, 1 teaspoon molasses, and 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar.
I served my ginger beef over jasmine rice, but you have options! You can also serve the ginger beef over your favorite Asian noodles (rice noodles or ramen), or in lettuce leaves for carb-free meal.
Ginger Beef
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup soy sauce, or tamari sauce
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce*, see below for substitution
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cooked rice for serving, or noodles or lettuce leaves
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds for serving
- Chopped green onions for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, dark soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat.
- Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Spoon the beef mixture over rice and top with sesame seeds and green onions.