Is ground turkey good for making this stir-fry?

While I have not personally made this simple ground beef stir-fry dish with ground turkey, someone left a 5-star review on this recipe who did. Here’s what they said: “This was really good. I used lean ground turkey, as I don’t eat beef. My husband enjoyed it too. Thanks for a great recipe.” ~Helen

What are the three rules of stir-frying?

The so-called three rules of stir-frying are: 1. Be prepared – Since stir-frying is a pretty quick process, preparation is key. All ingredients (e.g. meat, veggies, sauces) should be chopped, measured, and ready to go before turning on the stove and preheating the skillet. 2. Crank up the heat – Stir-frying requires cooking over high heat to achieve a quick sear and help ingredients maintain their crisp texture. A wok or large skillet should ideally be preheated before adding oil to it. 3. Cook in the right order – Start with some of the basic aromatics (e.g. peppers, onion) and veggies. Take the vegetables out and cook the protein. Then, after the protein is cooked, add the veggies back in and incorporate the desired sauces and spices. The main thing here is to cook your veggies and protein separately; they should only be combined after each is fully cooked.

How do you thicken stir fry sauce?

If the sauce is thinner than I’d prefer, I’ll whisk 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch with equal parts water in a small bowl until it makes a cornstarch slurry (a white liquid). Then, I stir this mixture into the sauce and bring it to a simmer to thicken.

The Best Ground Beef Stir Fry Recipe

Servings: 4 servings 1x

Scale

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces*
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup coconut aminos
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon of dried ground ginger)
½ – 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (such as Huy Fong or Lee Kum Kee brand; sold in a small jar, similar to Sriracha, which could be used as a substitute)
For serving: cooked white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice
For garnish: sesame seeds (optional)

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Instructions

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, spray with cooking spray and add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Swirl the pan to coat.
Add the green beans, peppers, and onions to the pan and cook until green beans are just tender, about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove vegetables to a shallow bowl or plate and cover with another plate to keep warm.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray then add the ground beef. Break up the meat using a spatula and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink.
Add the 3 cloves garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
Return the skillet with the cooked beef to the stove. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil, the coconut aminos, honey, ginger, and chili garlic sauce. Stir to combine.
Stir the vegetables back into the meat mixture and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables are hot.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Serve beef and vegetable mixture over rice of choice.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

*Feel free to change up the vegetables with what’s in season or what’s on hand. For instance, broccoli florets, sugar snap peas, and water chestnuts could all be used in place of the green beans.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe without rice included
Calories: 230
Fat: 6 g
(Sat Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 467 mg
Carbohydrate: 14 g
(Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 10 g)
Protein: 27 g
Cholesterol: 68 mg

Dietary

Dairy-Free Egg-Free Gluten-free Grain-Free High Protein Nut-free

Recipe By: Jessica Beacom