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Thai Ginger Beef

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Easy Thai Ginger Beef recipe is a delicious alternative to stir-fry. Bursting with flavor, it’s an easy ground beef recipe ready in 20 to 30 minutes and is incredibly easy to prepare… making it perfect for weeknight meals!

Side view of Thai Ginger Beef over basmati rice in a white bowl with chopsticks

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Traditionally, Ginger Beef is made with marinaded top sirloin. And it’s phenomenal. But requires a minimum of 30 minutes to marinate.

This Thai Ginger Beef is a quick rework of the classic dish, using ground beef, adding asparagus and Thai chilis, and changing the marinade into a cooking sauce. Of which most of the ingredients may already be in your pantry.

A bowl of white rice topped with Thai ginger beed and a garnish of purple edible flowers and shredded scallions.

Substitutes for Thai Chili

Thai chili (Amazon affiliate link) is a thickly-skinned chili, usually found in red and green colors (I find them bagged in the produce section at Safeway). If you’re looking for a substitute for the Thai chilis, here are some recommendations:

  • Cayenne pepper (less heat but similar flavor)
  • Serrano chili (milder heat, less than the Cayenne, medium flavor)
  • Habanero pepper (similar to serrano heat, but with a fruitier flavor)
  • Dried Thai chili (if fresh chilis are unavailable, dried Thai chilis may be easier to find. They yield the same heat as fresh. When substituting dried Thai chilis, 1 teaspoon is equivalent to two Thai chilis)
Overhead shot of a bowl of ground beef stir fry with rice, and a bowl of chilli sauce and another of dried red pepper flakes on the side.

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Closeup side view of Thai Ginger Ground Beef in a white bowl with asparagus and scallions

Thai Ginger Beef: an Easy Weeknight Meal

A delicious alternative to stirfry, this Thai Ginger Beef is bursting with flavor, ready in 20 to 30 minutes, is incredibly easy… perfect for weeknight meals.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients 

Cooking Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry white wine, or broth
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Sir Fry

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon dark toasted sesame oil optional for flavor
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 4 green onions cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 bunch asparagus cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 Thai chilis seeded and chopped (or chili of choice)
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 cup water

Garnish:

  • sesame seeds
  • red pepper flakes
  • chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Instructions

Cooking Sauce:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, dry sherry, water, sugar, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Stir Fry:

  • Heat a large skillet with vegetable oil and sesame oil. Then brown the beef, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the green onions, asparagus, and chilis; stir-fry until the veggies begin to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooking sauce; cook for another minute.
  • Combine the cornstarch and water in a small jar; shake to mix. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the skillet. Bring to a boil; then reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring, until thickened.
  • Serve immediately over cooked rice or noodles. Garnish each bowl with sesame seeds, red pepper flakes and/or chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

If you can’t get Thai Chilis they can be substituted with cayenne pepper, Serrano chili, Habanero pepper or dried Thai chili. 

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcal | Protein: 23g

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: easy recipes, ginger beef, ground beef, pantry ingredients, quick dinners

3 Comments

  1. Everything was going great… Until I got to the end of the recipe instructions and was left with my 2 sliced garlic cloves on the counter😐 of course, I threw them in there anyway!

    1. I’m so glad I’m not the ONLY one to do just that!! Glad you enjoyed it. BTW — I always throw them in too! Thank you for trying the recipe.

5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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