- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- kcal
- 600.7
- protein
- 39.9 g
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 500 g
- 300 g
- 3 cloves
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 120 ml
- 1 tbsp
- ½ tsp
- ½ tsp
- 600 g
- 1 tsp
Process
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Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened and translucent.
Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until no pink remains and the meat is lightly browned.
Stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste, salt and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly.
Add the trimmed green beans, soy sauce, brown sugar and beef broth. Stir everything together and bring to a simmer.
Cover the skillet and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the green beans are crisp-tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve hot over cooked white rice and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if using.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- Do not stir the beef constantly while it browns. Let it sit undisturbed for a minute at a time so it develops a browned crust instead of steaming in its own juices.
- If the sauce looks watery after the covered simmer, uncover and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes over medium heat until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Fresh green beans should squeak slightly when bent and snap cleanly. Limp or rubbery beans will turn mushy in the skillet.
- For a thicker sauce without extra cooking, stir 1 teaspoon of cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of cold water and add it during the last minute of simmering.
Substitutions
- green beans→frozen cut green beans, added without thawing and simmered 2 minutes longer
- ground beef→ground turkey or ground chicken, with an extra 1 tablespoon of oil since they are leaner
- soy sauce→tamari for a gluten-free version
- white rice→cauliflower rice or rice noodles
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm in a covered skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes with a splash of water or broth, or microwave in 1-minute bursts until steaming. Freeze the beef and green bean mixture without rice in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 600.7 kcal |
| Protein | 39.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54.6 g |
| Fat | 23.4 g |
| Saturated fat | 8.2 g |
| Fiber | 3.7 g |
| Sugar | 5.8 g |
| Sodium | 932 mg |
| Cholesterol | 111 mg |
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why is my ground beef skillet watery?
The beef released its juices and the broth has not reduced enough. After the covered simmer, uncover the pan and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and clings to the meat and beans. Adding too much broth at the start also causes this, so measure the 120 ml rather than pouring freely.
Can I use frozen green beans instead of fresh?
Yes. Add frozen cut green beans straight from the freezer at step 4 without thawing, and simmer covered for 10 to 12 minutes instead of 8 to 10. They release extra water, so leave the lid off for the final 2 minutes to let it cook off.
How do I know when the ground beef is fully cooked?
The meat should show no pink when you break a chunk open with your spoon, and the crumbles should be firm rather than squishy. This usually takes 5 to 6 minutes over medium-high heat. If you are unsure, cut the thickest piece in half; the interior must be uniformly brown.
Can I make this ground beef skillet ahead of time?
You can cook the whole skillet up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. The green beans soften a little on reheating, so if you want them crisp, cook the beef mixture ahead and add freshly blanched beans when you reheat. Reheat gently in a covered pan over medium heat with a tablespoon of water.
Why did my garlic burn and turn bitter?
Garlic burns in seconds once the pan is dry and hot. Add it only after the beef has released its fat and browned, and stir it for just 1 minute with the tomato paste, which buffers the heat. If you smell sharp acrid garlic, lower the heat immediately and add the broth to stop the cooking.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Not as written, because regular soy sauce contains wheat. Swap in tamari or a certified gluten-free soy sauce and check that your beef broth is gluten-free. Everything else in the ingredient list is naturally gluten-free.
Can I double this recipe for a bigger family?
Yes, but use the widest skillet you own or two pans. If you pile double the beef into one narrow pan, it steams instead of browning and the sauce stays watery. Brown the beef in two batches, then return it all to the pan before adding the green beans and broth.
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