This easy ground beef fried rice is such a simple, budget friendly dinner that I keep coming back to when I want something quick and delicious that uses up ingredients I am likely to already have on hand. It comes together in one pan in about 25 minutes, and is anything but another boring beef mince and rice meal.
I love fried rice. It’s one of the best simple dinners that is so easy to throw together after a busy week. If you cook your rice ahead of time, even in the morning, it becomes such a quick meal to make. Plus it’s satisfying without needing to order takeaway.
It is also a really delicious way to enjoy a budget friendly staple of rice and mince, and it makes a great option for meal prep as leftovers taste just as good when reheated.
I’ve started buying my beef mince (ground beef) from Costco as I have found the quality so much better than the other supermarkets, especially for the price. I’ve been vacuum sealing it in convenient 500 gram packets in the freezer, meaning I can always make something for dinner. Beef mince is so versatile so if you’re looking for more options to use this budget friendly protein, you can find all my favourites in this collection of dairy free ground beef recipes.
I am always looking for new ideas though, and fried rice is one of my go to budget dinners because I can usually make it with pantry staples. If you love my budget fried rice, think of this as the heartier, protein packed version for when you want something a bit more filling.
Key Ingredients
This beef fried rice recipe is perfect for weeknights as it uses pantry staple ingredients and frozen vegetables meaning you may just have everything you need to make it!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Beef mince – also known as ground beef. This is the protein and the bulk of the dish. I use a regular beef mince but feel free to use lean beef mince if you prefer.
- Hoisin sauce – I love using hoisin in the beef because I like the flavour, but you can use oyster sauce instead if that is what you have.
- Soy sauce – used in two places, once to flavour the beef and again to season the rice at the end. Just regular soy sauce here, don’t use dark soy sauce as that will have a completely different result.
- Garlic and ginger – these are the aromatics that really elevate the savoury flavour of the beef.
- White pepper – a little secret ingredient that adds that gentle warmth and flavour you get from good fried rice.
- Cooked white rice – Day old rice is best here as it is drier than fresh rice, so it fries and crisps up instead of steaming and clumping.
- Frozen peas – no need to thaw them first, just throw them in frozen. You could also use frozen mixed veg, like corn, carrot and peas, for more colour and variety.
- Eggs – scrambled through the rice for that classic fried rice feel.
- Sesame oil – this is added right at the end which seasons the rice and helps make it taste like what you’d get at a restaurant.
- Spring onions – also known as green onions or scallions. The green tops are scattered over the top to serve. If you don’t have fresh, you can also use fried shallots to garnish which are a great pantry staple to add flavour and crunch.
Gluten Free Option: to make this gluten free, swap the soy sauce for tamari and check that your hoisin sauce is gluten free.
You’ll Also Love: Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Essential Tools
I love using a wok over high heat for this recipe because it is going to give us that ‘fried’ taste and little bits of char that you get when ordering from a restaurant. However if all you have is a large frying pan, then just use what you have.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the mince and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned.
Step 2: Add the hoisin, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and white pepper and cook until the beef is dark and a little sticky. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Step 3: Heat the oil in the wok. Add the rice and frozen peas and toss until just heated through.
Step 4: Push everything to the side of the wok and pour the eggs into the cleared space. Scramble them gently until just set, then toss them through the rice.
Step 5: Return the mince to the wok and toss everything together over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is hot and starting to crisp slightly.
Step 6: Pour over the soy sauce and toss well to combine. Take the wok off the heat and drizzle over the sesame oil. Scatter over the green parts of the spring onion and serve straight away.
Serving Suggestion: I love to serve this beef fried rice with a good drizzle of sriracha but that is completely optional depending on if you like chilli or not!
👉 Use cold, day old rice for the best results! Freshly cooked rice holds too much moisture, so it clumps and steams instead of frying. If you forgot to cook your rice ahead of time, spread freshly cooked rice out in a thin layer on a tray and pop it in the fridge for half an hour or so to dry out before you start.
Meal Prep and Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave until it’s piping hot all the way through, and only reheat it once.
This beef fried rice is a great option for meal prep as not only does it taste just as good a few days later, it also freezes well for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
A long grain white rice like jasmine works really well.
You can, but it is not ideal. Fresh rice is too moist and tends to clump and steam rather than fry. Day old rice from the fridge gives you the best texture. If you are short on time, spread fresh rice on a tray and chill it for half an hour first.
The usual culprit is rice that is too wet. Use day old rice, keep the heat high, and use a large enough pan that means you’re not overcrowding.
Yes. Swap the soy sauce for tamari and double check that your hoisin sauce is gluten free, as some brands are not.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
More easy dairy free dinners:
Egg Fried Rice with Prawns
Korean Beef Bowls (Quick and Easy!)
Teriyaki Beef Bowls
Hot Honey Sweet Potato Beef Bowl (Viral TikTok Recipe!)
Easy Ground Beef Fried Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
For the beef:
- 500 grams (1 lb) beef mince/ground beef
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
For the fried rice:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 cups cooked and cooled white rice preferably day old
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- spring onions/green onions green tops sliced, to serve
Instructions
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the mince and cook, breaking it up as you go, until browned.
- Add the hoisin, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and white pepper and cook until dark and sticky. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Heat the oil in the wok. Add the rice and frozen peas and toss until just heated through.
- Push everything to the side of the wok and pour the eggs into the cleared space. Scramble gently until just set, then toss through the rice.
- Return the mince to the wok and toss everything together over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is hot and starting to crisp slightly.
- Pour over the soy sauce and toss well to combine. Remove from the heat and drizzle over the sesame oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Scatter over the green parts of the spring onion and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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