Lean Ground Beef with Asian Stir-Fry Vegetables
Lean ground beef browned with paprika, tossed with a pile of Asian stir-fry vegetables and a streak of Sriracha. One skillet, fifteen minutes, done.
The numbers work quietly here — 23 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber in a 306-calorie plate, mostly because the vegetable-to-meat ratio tilts heavily toward the greens. That ratio also means this fills you up more than the calorie count would suggest.
Ingredients
- onion 0.5
- garlic 1 clove
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- 96% lean ground beef 3 ounces
- paprika (ground spice) 1 teaspoon
- mixed vegetables, Asian style 1.5 cup
- Sriracha sauce 1.5 teaspoon
Method
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Chop the onion and press the garlic.
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Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the onion with the garlic. Add the ground meat and cook until it is browned and fully cooked. Season with paprika powder, pepper and salt.
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Add the vegetables and Sriracha to the meat and stir-fry everything for another 5 minutes.
Cook the ground beef without stirring for the first minute once it hits the hot pan. Letting it sit undisturbed builds a brown crust that gives the dish depth. The frozen vegetables will release moisture as soon as they go in, so that initial sear on the beef is your only window for real browning.
Behind this recipe
Can I use regular ground beef instead of 96% lean?
Yes, but the macros shift significantly. Regular 80% lean ground beef has roughly three times more fat per serving, which would push the total well above 400 calories. The recipe’s 18 grams of fat come mostly from the tablespoon of olive oil, not the beef — that balance only works because the beef is nearly fat-free to begin with.
What vegetables are in a typical Asian-style frozen mix?
It depends on the brand, but most include a combination of broccoli, snap peas, water chestnuts, carrots, and baby corn. Some add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, or edamame. The recipe works with any blend — the five-minute stir-fry time stays the same regardless of the specific vegetables.
Can I make this spicier?
Double the Sriracha to a full tablespoon, or add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes with the paprika in step two. For depth instead of just more heat, stir a teaspoon of gochujang into the vegetables during the last minute of cooking.
