Honey Garlic Black Pepper Ground Beef Bowls
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These Honey Garlic Black Pepper Ground Beef Bowls are a quick, flavor-packed dinner that comes together in just 30 minutes! Ground beef is cooked with colorful bell peppers, onion, and green onions, then tossed in a sweet and savory honey garlic sauce with fresh ginger and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
Serve everything over fluffy jasmine rice and finish with sesame seeds, extra green onions, and chili crisp for an easy, satisfying meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Looking for more simple weeknight dinners? Some of my recent favorites include this Cheesy Ground Beef Tortellini Bake, One-Pot Chicken Mac and Cheese, Slow Cooker Garlic Ranch Chicken & Potatoes, Ground Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potato Bowls, Creamy Tuscan Chicken and Rice, Chicken Piccata Meatballs, or Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken.
And if you’re tired of always trying to figure out what’s for dinner, be sure to sign up for my free weekly meal plan, Dinner Decided, where I’ve already done the thinking for you. Every other week, you’ll get 5 easy dinners, a sweet treat, and a shopping list sent straight to your email! Plus, each meal plan prioritizes smart ingredient overlap to minimize food waste and strategic uses for leftovers.
Table Talk with Tawnie
If you’ve been loving my speedy weeknight Asian-inspired meals like my chili crisp ramen, cashew chicken stir fry, and honey garlic chicken bowls, then you’ll be sure to also love this new recipe! So much better than takeout, packed with flavor, and uses ingredients you most likely have in your kitchen. If you need to cut back a little on the pepper when serving to kiddos, that’s what I usually do! My family all really likes this with the momofuku noodles!
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A free weekly meal plan where I’ve already done the thinking for you. 5 easy dinners, a sweet treat, a shopping list, smart ingredient overlap to minimize food waste and strategic uses for leftovers.
- Ground beef: I like to use 90/10 or 93/7 ground beef for a leaner option that still stays flavorful. You can also use ground turkey or chicken if preferred.
- Onions & bell pepper: Yellow onion and red bell peppers add color, freshness, and a little natural sweetness to the bowls.
- Freshly cracked black pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper is one of the stars of this dish. It gives the sauce much more depth and a bold, peppery flavor than pre-ground pepper.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds the best flavor to the sauce, so I recommend using freshly minced garlic rather than garlic powder here.
- Soy sauce: I use low-sodium soy sauce to keep the sauce from becoming overly salty. If using regular soy sauce, you may want to reduce the amount slightly.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Make the sauce
Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce.
Brown the beef
Cook the ground beef. Drain excess grease if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan for flavor.
Cook the vegetables
Add the onion, bell peppers, and the white parts of the green onions and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Add sauce & finish
Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onion tops and more black pepper if desired.
Serve & enjoy!
Assemble your bowls with jasmine rice, sesame seeds, more green onions, extra cracked black pepper, chili crisp (if you like a little heat🔥) and ENJOY!
Expert Tips
- Don’t stir the beef constantly: Let it sit for a minute or two at a time so it can develop browned, crispy bits. Those caramelized pieces add tons of flavor to the finished bowls.
- Use freshly cracked black pepper: It is one of the stars of this dish and gives the sauce much more depth and a bold, peppery flavor compared to pre-ground black pepper.
- Don’t overcook the veggies: Cook the vegetables until they are just tender but still have some bite. You don’t want them to become mushy as you finish the skillet.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the sauce well: Make sure it is fully combined before adding the sauce to the pan, then give it another quick whisk right before pouring since the cornstarch can settle quickly.
- Adjust the consistency as needed: If the sauce thickens more than you’d like, simply stir in a splash of beef broth or water to loosen it up.
Quick Weeknight Asian-Inspired Meals
You don’t have to order takeout to enjoy delicious Asian meals at home! From easy to make Chicken Fried Rice and Healthy Orange Chicken to Beef and Broccoli and Mongolian Beef, I’ve got you covered with Asian-inspired recipes the whole family will love!
Variations / Substitutions
- Vegetables: Swap the bell peppers and onion for other quick-cooking vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, or snap peas.
- Adjust the black pepper: Feel free to lessen the amount of black pepper if serving for little kiddos! You can also add more fresh, cracked black pepper on top of the finished bowls for those who prefer a little more!
- Soy sauce: Tamari works as a gluten-free substitute for soy sauce.
- Rice: Serve these bowls over jasmine rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or your favorite grain.
- Lower carb: Serve over steamed broccoli instead of rice or stir in a few handfuls of spinach at the end of cooking for an easy way to add more vegetables.
- Make it spicy: Add chili crisp, red pepper flakes, or a drizzle of sriracha for extra heat.
Storage / Freezing
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warmed through, adding a splash of water or beef broth if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Freeze: Let the ground beef mixture cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze the beef mixture separately from the rice. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Honey Garlic Black Pepper Ground Beef Bowls
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
For the Bowls
- 1-2 Tbsp. neutral oil (optional, depending on the fat content of your beef)
- 1 lb. ground beef (90/10 or 93/7)
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 2 small red bell peppers (diced)
- 4 green onions (sliced (whites and greens separated))
For Serving
- Cooked jasmine rice
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions
- Chili crisp (optional)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce and set aside.1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup beef broth, 3 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper, 6 cloves garlic, 2 tsp. fresh ginger, 2 tsp. cornstarch
- Brown the beef: Add the oil and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into medium-sized crumbles. Cook until deeply browned, about 7-8 minutes Start Timer. Drain excess grease if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan for flavor.1-2 Tbsp. neutral oil, 1 lb. ground beef
- Cook the vegetables: Add the diced onion, bell peppers, and the white parts of the green onions. Cook for 4-5 minutes Start Timer, until the vegetables are just tender but still have a little bite.1 small yellow onion, 2 small red bell peppers, 4 green onions
- Add the sauce: Give the sauce one final whisk to get anything that has settled at the bottom. Pour it into the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes Start Timer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the beef. Remove from the heat.
- Finish: Stir in the green onion tops. Taste and add more freshly cracked black pepper if desired.
- Assemble: Serve over warm jasmine rice. Top with sesame seeds, more green onions, extra cracked black pepper, chili crisp if you like heat (or you can find mild chili crisp that’s also really delish!)Cooked jasmine rice, Sesame seeds, Green onions, Chili crisp
Notes
- Don’t stir the beef constantly: Let it sit for a minute or two at a time so it develops browned, crispy bits. Those caramelized pieces add tons of flavor.
- Black pepper: Freshly cracked black pepper is one of the stars of this dish. It gives the sauce much more depth than pre-ground pepper.
- Cornstarch: Whisk the cornstarch into the sauce before adding it to the pan, and give it another quick whisk right before pouring, since it settles quickly.
- Sauce consistency: If the sauce thickens more than you’d like, stir in a splash of beef broth or water.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photos by Megan McKeehan of The Broke Girl Table
