Whole30 Ground Beef Stir Fry

This Whole30 Ground Beef Stir Fry is such a FAST and EASY dinner win! Sometimes, you just need to quickly get dinner on the table and this is that kind of meal. 

I include a homemade stir fry sauce, to keep this budget-friendly, But you can make this dish even faster with a store-bought variety.

Why We Love This Whole30 Ground Beef Stir Fry

First, it’s Whole30, Paleo, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and egg-free. Such a great allergen-friendly dinner option!

Second, it’s super simple and quick to make. A great meal for crazy weeknights when you are scrambling to get dinner on the table and need a fast option. Keep this one in your back pocket!

Third, this is a budget-friendly meal! We love it with ground beef, but you can use whatever ground meat works for your dietary needs and budget. Plus, it uses frozen green beans to minimize food waste and as a budget-friendly option.

Finally, this Whole30 Ground Beef Stir Fry freezes wonderfully. That makes it perfect for meal prep! Make it ahead and then just heat it up for a grab and go option.

Ingredients

Keep in mind, I include a homemade stir fry sauce for this Whole30 Ground Beef Stir Fry to keep it budget-friendly. However, you can make this a 5-ingredient dish if you use a store-bought stir fry sauce instead. See below for a link to my favorite Whole30 Approved Stir Fry sauce.

Main dish

• Ground beef – I usually use 85/15 leanness, but you can use whatever is accessible to you. If using a ground beef or pork with a higher fat content, drain excess fat before adding in the sauce. Also, you can use whatever ground meat works best for your family. This dish works well with ground pork, turkey, or chicken as well. 
• Coconut oil – I love coconut oil for a flavorful oil that works well at high heats. You can also use avocado oil here instead. 
• Onion – A yellow, white, or sweet onion all work equally well in this dish.
• Minced garlic – I prefer to buy pre-minced garlic like this one from Walmart. But, you can always mince your own whole garlic cloves instead.
• Salt and pepper – Traditional table salt and ground black pepper work well here.
• Optional toppings: I like my stir fry with a little bit of crunch, so I love crushed salted cashews on top! Or, if you love a little kick, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. 
• To serve: I serve this on top of a bed of steamed cauliflower rice or cooked rice.

Sauce

If you want to just buy a stir-fry sauce and make this a 5-ingredient dish, I recommend this Whole30 Approved Teriyaki sauce option. But, it’s hard to find and often pricey. I prefer to just make my own easy stir fry sauce below.

• Coconut aminos – On Whole30, soy is prohibited, as is soy sauce. However, coconut aminos are a great replacement for soy sauce and add a great depth of flavor. We can find coconut aminos at Walmart or Trader Joes. 
• Basalmic vinegar – A flavorful vinegar that is available at most grocery stores. You can see an example here at Walmart.
• Orange juice – Pure, 100% orange juice from the refrigerated breakfast section (often by the milk).
• Date paste – I blend dates with water to create a paste that helps add a touch of sweetness to a Whole30 + Paleo sauce without using added sugar. I blend the dates with water first into a paste to help give a smoother texture to the finished sauce. Not on a Whole30? You can also use coconut sugar instead.
• Potato or arrowroot starch – These are the grain-free, Paleo, and Whole30 swaps for cornstarch to thicken a sauce. Just make sure to whisk them into the liquids before adding to heat, per the instructions. If you try to whisk these starches into a hot liquid, they will clump! Learn more about Paleo and Whole30 flours, including which to use when and links to my favorite brands here.
• Ground ginger – Found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.
• Garlic powder – Garlic powder or granulated garlic (my preference) both work well here. 

Substitutions

I share this Whole30 Ground Beef Stir Fry recipe with my preferred and recommended ingredients. But, should you need to swap something out for dietary reasons or based on what you have on hand, here are some swaps that will still turn out tasty:

• Use any ground meat, in equal amounts, instead of the ground beef. If your ground meat is higher in fat content, drain excess fat after cooking before adding sauce.
• Use avocado oil instead of coconut oil for high-heat sauteing.
• Use a store bought teriyaki or stir fry sauce instead of the homemade sauce. I recommend this Whole30 Approved Teriyaki sauce for a Paleo or Whole30 option. 
• If you are not on a Whole30, use coconut sugar or monk fruit sugar in the sauce instead of the date paste.

Instructions

• In a large saute pan over high heat, add coconut oil. Once hot, add frozen green beans (with caution, this will sizzle!). Saute for 5 minutes, until blackened and just tender, then remove from pan and set aside. 
• Add onion, garlic, and ground beef to the saute pan, lowering to medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and cooked through with no remaining pink.
• While meat is cooking, whisk together all of the stir fry sauce ingredients.
• When meat is browned, add sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes, until sauce is thickened. Stir back in green beans. 
• Serve over steamed cauliflower rice or cooked rice and add optional crushed cashews and/or red pepper flakes, if desired.

Whole30 Ground Beef Stir Fry

Autumn @wholefoodfor7

A quick and easy dinner option full of protein and veggies with an easy sauce.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 6 people

Calories 337 kcal

1/2x1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef can sub other ground meat of choice
• 2 tablespoons coconut or avocado oil
• 1/2 medium yellow or white onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 12 ounces frozen green beans
• Optional to serve: Cauliflower rice (or rice if not on Whole30), crushed salted cashews, and red pepper flakes.

Stir Fry Sauce

• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons date paste (see below) can sub coconut sugar if not on Whole30
• 1 tablespoon potato or arrowroot starch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• In a large saute pan over high heat, add coconut oil. Once hot, add frozen green beans (with caution, this will sizzle!). Saute for 5 minutes, only stirring halfway through to create blacked bits, until just tender, then remove from pan and set aside.

• Add onion, garlic, and ground beef to the saute pan, lowering to medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and cooked through with no remaining pink. Drain any grease.

• While meat is cooking, whisk together all of the stir fry sauce ingredients.

• When meat is browned, add sauce and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until sauce is thickened. Stir back in green beans.

• Serve over steamed cauliflower rice or cooked rice and add optional crushed cashews and/or red pepper flakes, if desired.

• FREEZE leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

See blog post above for substitutions and a time-saving hack if you want to use premade stir fry sauce.
Nutrition information does not include cauliflower rice or rice or optional toppings.

Calories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 22gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 498mgPotassium: 438mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 29IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 3mg

Keyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, easy, egg-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, main dish, nut-free, paleo, whole30