Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir Fry
357 Comments
Dec 02, 2024
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This Mediterranean ground beef stir-fry is the perfect quick and healthy meal. Ground beef is sautéed with juicy tomatoes, sweet bell pepper, handfuls of spinach, and simple seasonings that pack it with flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Ground Beef Stir Fry
I thought long and hard on what to call this recipe since ground beef isn’t typically associated with Mediterranean food. But the colorful assortment of Mediterranean vegetables added to the ground beef give it a unique spin that’s healthier, lighter, and more veggie-packed than other ground beef stir fries. So if you’re looking for an easy stir fry that’s entirely different from your classic Asian chicken stir fry, this recipe is for you! Here’s what else you’ll love about it:
- No sauce is needed. The blistered tomatoes, combined with garlic and oregano, infuse the beef with just the right amount of flavor and juiciness. So no added sauce is needed!
- It’s made in just 25 minutes. One of the best things about stir fries is how easy they are to make. This one is no exception and it comes together really quickly.
- It’s perfect for protein-packed meal prep. With 27 grams of protein per serving, this dish is a fantastic way to boost your protein intake. Plus, I’ve included plenty of ideas below on how to meal prep this stir fry and turn it into a complete meal.
Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir Fry Ingredients
- Ground Beef: I’m using 90% lean ground beef, so there’s almost no fat to drain. But you can use 80% ground beef as well, then drain off any excess fat. You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey for a lighter option.
- Bell Pepper and Baby Spinach: Red bell peppers add natural sweetness and a vibrant red color to this dish, though you can use any color bell pepper you’d like. And if you don’t have baby spinach, you can use any tender leafy greens you prefer such as kale or Swiss chard.
- Cherry Tomatoes: You can use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. I prefer the latter as cherry tomatoes are much juicier and blister beautifully in a pan.
- Garlic, Green Onion, and Oregano: Aromatics and herbs give this dish a punchy, herby flavor. If you find that it needs more seasoning, feel free to add more garlic and oregano.
- Crumbled Feta: This can be optional if you’re dairy-free. Otherwise, the crumbled feta really adds a delicious Mediterranean flair.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make This Ground Beef Stir Fry
Sauté the tomatoes and bell pepper. Heat the oil in a large pan, then sauté the tomatoes and bell pepper for 4 to 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are beautifully blistered. Add the garlic and stir for another minute.
Add the spinach and green onion. Make sure to only add the white parts of the green onion! Stir everything for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Then, remove the veggies to a plate to cook the beef.
Cook the ground beef. Add the beef, oregano, salt, and black pepper to the pan, and use a spatula to break up the meat. When it’s browned, drain off any excess liquid.
Combine everything! Transfer the veggies back to the pan, add the green parts of the green onion, and stir everything together. Garnish with crumbled feta before serving for the final touch!
Ways To Serve
- Make a hearty grain bowl. This is great served over rice, lentils, or quinoa for a satiating meal. You could even dollop hummus or tzatziki on the side or drizzle tahini sauce on top for the ultimate Mediterranean flair.
- Ground beef lettuce wraps. Use this as a filling for a butter leaf lettuce wrap — a great low-carb option and one of my favorite ways to enjoy it, similar to chicken lettuce wraps!
- Turn this into a protein-packed breakfast. If you’ve been looking for creative ways to incorporate more veggies and protein at breakfast, this is the way to go. Top it with a fried egg or poached egg — the oozing yolk on this is delicious.
Storage Tips
- To store for the week: This will stay good in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, which is perfect for enjoying servings throughout the week. Just make sure to let it cool before closing the lid.
- Freeze this for later: If you’d like to make a second batch to keep stored in the freezer, don’t add the crumbled cheese on top. Freeze the rest of the ground beef stir fry in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and warm it back up on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes
- Stuffed Peppers: Another delicious way to enjoy ground beef with bell peppers.
- Best Ever Chili: The best family-friendly one-pot meal.
- Meatloaf: The glaze on this will have you coming back for more.
- Taco Soup: This will give your classic taco night a fun twist.
- Zucchini Lasagna: One of my favorite comforting meals that’s loaded with veggies.
If you make this Mediterranean ground beef stir fry recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir Fry
Description
Equipment
- All-Clad Saute Pan My favorite stainless steel fry pan!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 8 ounces baby spinach (small tub)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 green onion, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta, (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the tomatoes and bell pepper. Heat the oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cherry tomatoes and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered and saucy. Add the garlic and stir another minute.
- Add the spinach. Add the spinach and white parts of the green onion. Note that the spinach will take up most of the pan, but it will wilt down. Stir for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Remove these veggies to a plate.
- Cook the beef. Add the ground beef, oregano, salt, and black pepper to the pan, and use a spatula to break up the meat. Cook the ground beef until it's browned, then drain off any excess grease.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer the veggies back to the pan, add the green parts of the green onion, and stir until warmed through. Garnish with crumbled feta before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- Add more flavor by mixing in red pepper flakes (or other seasonings), kalamata olives or sun-dried tomatoes. Pair it with hummus or tzatziki sauce for a Mediterranean flair.
- Swap the veggies for what you have on hand. Many people have swapped spinach for zucchini or kale!
- To store for the week: This will stay good in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, which is perfect for enjoying servings throughout the week. Just make sure to let it cool before closing the lid.
- Freeze this for later: If you’d like to make a second batch to keep stored in the freezer, don’t add the crumbled cheese on top. Freeze the rest of the ground beef stir fry in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and warm it back up on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted August 2021, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
My husband and I love this!! It’s so tasty, healthy and easy to make. And since there are only two of us, we have plenty of leftovers. Another win!
Oh yes, it’s always a lovely thing to have leftovers of this recipe. If you can be so lucky, haha! ;) Enjoy!
I am not one to leave reviews, but had to for this recipe!! SO good!! I wanted to do something outside my comfort zone and try something new and I’m so happy I did! I made it for the first time a few weeks ago and already have made it again. Served it over rice with tzatziki on top. Highly recommend this recipe!
Thanks so much, Abby! I’m thrilled that you loved this ground beef recipe, and thank you for taking the time to write a review. I really appreciate it!
I made this for a big family dinner recently, it is amazing! Really quick & easy to make, and so delicious. It is going to be something that I make regularly from now on :-)
Wonderful! I’m glad this beef stir fry was a hit :)
Another winner Lisa! Super tasty & comes together quick!
Happy to hear you’re loving this quick and easy stir fry recipe, Mel!
MY FAVORITE! We serve this over brown rice or cauliflower rice. Sometimes I substitute the feta with goat cheese or sharp white cheddar, depending on what I have on hand. Thank you, Lisa!!!
Hi Holly – Love how you serve this ground beef stir fry!
I really loved this recipe for an easy weeknight meal that our whole family enjoyed. I doubled the recipe for our family of 6 and there were no leftovers.
Happy to hear everyone gobbled up this recipe, Ashley, yay!
This recipe is wonderful. Easy and flavorful. Great ingredients! It’s one of my favorites of yours and one of my favorites overall from all sources.
Hi Judy – Happy to hear you’re loving this ground beef stir fry!
I honestly wasn’t expecting much and thought it would be bland but wow! It was sooooo good this will become a staple!
Hi Cathie – I’m happy to hear this recipe pleasantly surprised you! Enjoy! :)
We tried this one recently and loved it!! We have plans to try it again soon with some zucchini. Thanks for another winner Lisa!
I think zucchini would be a great addition!
Super easy one pot meal! Every member of my family likes this meal so it is a winner for me. We added on top of rice. So good and so pretty too.
I’m happy to hear the whole family loved it, Allie!
I have this one on repeat! Comes together easily for a quick and nutritious meal.
Hi Gisele – This recipe is definitely one to keep in your rotation for a quick and easy dinner!
Very tasty I am thinking ground lamb would be a good addition to change up meat options. Lots of flavor !
Hi Tim – I’m sure ground lamb would taste amazing in this dish!
Lisa, I rely on your site for so many delicious and nutritious recipes – and this one was no exception. Easy to make, with tons of flavor. I served it with feta cheese, basmati rice, and your tahini sauce. Yum! Thank you for all you do!
Hi Laura – Thrilled to hear you’re loving this beef stir fry!
Delicious! My family loved it, even my picky eater. This will be on repeat at my house!
Hi Chris – I’m so glad this stir fry satisfied the picky eaters!
I took out a pound of ground beef from the freezer yesterday and wondered what I was going to make. Imagine my surprise when I opened my emails to find a “5 recipes to make with ground beef” in my inbox. This recipe fit the bill. I used up some spinach I had, along with adding a chopped zucchini. I can imagine using mushrooms, carrots, anything really.
My son requested that I make it again, so it’s going in the rotation. Thanks!
Oh, perfect timing, Melissa! There really is so much you can do with a pound of ground beef. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, and yes, it’s super adaptable so have fun with it!
I made this tonight cause I didn’t feel like cooking and I had some ground beef in the fridge. This is a super simple recipe and a delicious meal. I had some tomatoes on the fire that were getting a little refrigerated wrinkled that I wanted tear up and I peeled them. And instead of just oregano, I used Italian seasoning that was not salted. I turned out spectacular. My son loved it. I put his over some rice and just eat mine and bowl and we have enough for two more meals. It’s definitely will be something that we do again. It was really really good and very very easy.
Hi Nancy – You can always count on this stir fry for a quick and easy meal! I’m glad both you and your son enjoyed this.
My family really enjoyed this for dinner. Served with lemon dill rice, feta and sliced pepperoncini. Was very quick to put together.
Hi Karin – That sounds amazing with lemon dill rice!
So delicious! It got a thumbs up from my family!
Wonderful! I’m happy your family loved it, Amy!
A favorite! A good strong feta really makes it! I put it over Jasmine rice.
I’m happy you love it, Lynne! And yes, it’s delicious over rice. Enjoy!
This is a very easy, healthy, quick and delicious recipe to throw together. I added more garlic and some red pepper flakes for my family’s liking. I love that this recipe is versatile enough to add whatever you have on hand, and for me that was a mixture of ground turkey and beef plus zucchini with red and orange peppers. The feta added a nice flavor combination. Everyone loved it. I will add this to my dinner rotation!
You really can’t beat a stir fry like this! Happy to hear you loved it.
Love this dish! I made it for my family with home made hummus, pita bread and cucumber tomato salad. I added red pepper flakes for some spice and altered the seasoning to taste.
What a delicious pairing! Sounds like a great Mediterranean meal, Cris.
This was delicious! My 15 year old son loved it. This recipe is a great low carb dinner. We will make this again!
Happy to hear your son loved this beef stir fry, Keri!
Super simple and delicious
Glad you loved this Mediterranean ground beef!
I have never commented on a recipe before. Ever. But came to say that I just made this for the second time and it is my FAVORITE recipe. Amazing for meal prep. I added sun dried tomatoes and served with tzatziki like the recipe suggested. May add some Kalamata olives for a salty zip next time like others have said. I’m going to be eating this for lunch for the rest of the week and I’m excited!!
Thrilled to hear you’re loving this beef stir fry for meal prep! It really is such a great meal to customize to your liking.
I’m excited to make this! What should I serve it with? Rice?
I have a few serving suggestions in the post, but I typically like to eat this with rice!
I LOVED this recipe ! I used Italian seasoning and kale and oh my gosh def getting added to the recipe rotation!
Happy to hear you’re loving this recipe, Natalie!
Wow, made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious.
Quick and easy as I finish work late, big hit with all the family x
Thrilled to hear the whole family enjoyed this recipe, Helen.
Edit: I DID add Kalamata olives at the end of cooking as well, extra garlic + mix of garlic salt and pepper seasoning to taste.
Delicious! I had ground beef in the fridge that I needed to cook TODAY! I found your recipe and it was easy and very satisfying over a bit of rice. Thank you!
Perfect timing! I’m glad you enjoyed this beef stir fry.
Delicious!!! I threw in some Kalamata olives at the end just to use them up and it so very good!
I will definitely make again!
Thanks, Michelle!
Wonderful Mediterranean stir fry, didn’t have spinach on hand, so added zucchini and frozen corn. So good!
Thanks, Lilia! I’m happy you enjoyed it. :)
Made this tonight, it was ok…needs more flavor. I added red onion and topped with balsamic glaze. Someone said they added olives and I wish I had done that too.
I made this for a food serving program in WA state, but with a large increase in ingredients. Added green olives, and the dish was a hit. I fed 50 people that night and all were so happy with it, they just loved it. Accused me of serving international food. LOL.
Great recipe!
What a great idea for a food serving program, Doug! Glad everyone enjoyed it, especially with olives.
Loved this recipe. I added roasted corn for color! Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Did you use 93/7 ground beef for this.
Tried this for the first time and was so impressed I will definitely be making this one as a regular in my future
Thanks so much, Karla! I’m happy you loved it.
A friend made this for a quiet dinner party. I love Mediterranean food. This seemed a bit bland and I am not sure what would make it “pop” with more flavor….. It tasted okay, just seemed something was missing.
Hi there! I went a little lighter on the seasoning, but feel free to add more!
So good! Thank you.
Is a serving size, 1 cup?
I followed the recipe. But, I added calamata olives just to give it that extra Mediterranean boost! It worked! Also had Woodbridge Cabernet to go along.
Hi Bob – I love the idea of adding olives to this!
I made this tonight for dinner! I used roasted red peppers since I didn’t have Bell and added Sun dried tomatoes. I served it over organic brown rice and it was delicious!!! Quick, easy and delicious!!! Thanks Lisa!!!
Hi Laureen – Happy to hear this worked out great with roasted red peppers instead!
Yum! I added zucchini and red onion, half a cup of orzo, some beef broth and used canned, diced tomatoes instead of fresh (since that’s all I had). Wonderful! Excited for leftovers over the next several days.
Hi Hannah – Love the way you amped this one up! Sounds delicious.
Followed the recipe exactly. Very easy to make. For such basic ingredients this turned out amazing! Will definitely make it again.
Hi Marion – Nothing beats a simple yet delicious recipe!
For a beef recipe this is very light and filling at the same time. We loved it! Tastes even better reheated for lunch. Thank you for all you do!
So glad you enjoyed it, Jen! Thanks for making my recipes. :)
DELICIOUS! Quick and easy! I have tried 5 of your dinner recipes already and they have all been a hit!! (Your lentil and chickpea soup is definitely my favorite so far) I made this Mediterranean beef recipe twice already and I can’t get enough of how flavorful it is!! I thoroughly enjoy your recipes and thank you for being thorough and having photos because it truly helps during the cooking process.
Thanks so much, Angela! I’m happy you’re enjoying so many different recipes. I appreciate you continuing to come back and make more! :)