Stir-fried beef meatballs feature tender, juicy meatballs, broccoli, peppers and red cabbage cooked in a delicious sweet and sour sauce. It’s such a satisfying dish that’s ready in 40 minutes!
These beef meatballs are super soft and juicy, thanks to the egg and oat flour used to bind the ingredients. The sticky sauce is irresistibly delicious, with the perfect balance of sweet and savory. The vegetable combination can be substituted with whatever you have on hand or be as creative as you like.
It’s such a comforting, umami-rich, easy-to-make, family-friendly dish. Serve it over rice to soak up all the delicious flavors!
Go to:
Ingredients for this recipe
For the sauce:
For the meatballs:
- Ground beef (I use 80% lean)
- Oatmeal – You can make this by grinding gluten-free oatmeal in a blender. Or use ½ cup gluten-free panko.
- Egg
- Grated ginger
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Olive oil
For the vegetables:
- Garlic
- Broccoli florets
- Yellow pepper
- Red cabbage
How to make stir-fried beef meatballs
1. Prepare the sauce. Combine all sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Prepare the meatballs. Combine the minced meat, oat flour, egg, grated ginger, onion powder and salt in a bowl. Mix well and form 20 meatballs.
3. Cook the meatballs. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Sear the meatballs, rolling them gently. Once browned, cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the vegetables. Cook the garlic and broccoli together until the broccoli is slightly tender. Add the bell pepper and red cabbage. Cook for another minute.
5. Add the sauce. Quickly mix the sauce and pour it into the pan. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly.
6. Add the cooked meatballs. Toss gently to coat with sauce.
7. Serve. Complete with white sesame and shallots. Serve with rice.
*See recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Tip
Look carefully at the strength of the heat. When searing meatballs for the first time, I recommend starting on medium heat rather than high heat. This way there is less risk of the meat sticking to the pan.
Make the forward option
These beef meatballs can be made ahead and stored frozen for up to 2 months. You can shape them and freeze them first, or freeze the entire mixture in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator until soft before cooking.
Frequently asked questions
Over white rice, noodles (rice noodles or gluten-free ramen) or quinoa go very well with this dish.
When a clear juice comes out when you poke a meatball, it is a sign that the meatball is cooked. If you see cloudy or reddish juice, you should cook a few more minutes. You can also use a meat thermometer and check to see if it has reached 160°F.
Stir-fried beef patties can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, tightly covered. Microwave or cook on the stovetop to reheat.
Other recipes with beef…
Recipe
Stir-fried beef meatballs feature tender, juicy meatballs, broccoli, peppers and red cabbage cooked in a delicious sweet and sour sauce. It’s such a satisfying dish that’s ready in 40 minutes!
Ingredients
For sauce
- ½ cup tamari soy willow
- 2 spoons sugar
- 2 spoons corn starch
- 3 spoons sake (rice wine) or dry white wine
- 4 spoons rice vinegar
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef I use the 80% lean blend.
- ⅓ cup oatmeal or ½ cup gluten-free panko
- 1 big egg
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 spoons olive oil
For the vegetables
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 yellow pepper sliced thinly
- 2 cups red cabbage sliced thinly
Prevents the screen from going dark
Instructions
-
Combine all sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
-
To make the meatballs, combine the minced meat, oat flour, egg, grated ginger, onion powder and salt in a bowl. Mix well and form 20 meatballs.
-
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Sear the meatballs, rolling them gently. Make sure all sides are cooked.
-
Once browned, cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until cooked through. (You don’t need to add water to the pan as some juice should run out of the meatballs by then.) Shake the pan every 30 seconds or so to prevent burning.
-
Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside. Lightly wipe off any fat remaining in the pan with paper towels.
-
In the same pan you used for the meatballs, cook the garlic and broccoli together until the broccoli is slightly tender.
-
Add the bell pepper and red cabbage. Cook for another minute.
-
Quickly mix the sauce and pour it into the pan. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly.
-
Add the cooked meatballs again. Toss gently to coat with sauce.
-
Complete with white sesame and shallots. Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
Nutrition for rice is not included in the calculation.
Nutrition
Serve: 1serveCalories: 346kcalCarbohydrates: 18GProtein: 19GFat: 21GSaturated fat: 7GPolyunsaturated fats: 1GMonounsaturated fats: 11GTrans fats: 1GCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 1454mgPotassium: 509mgFiber: 2GSugar: 6GVitamin A: 605UIVitamin C: 81mgSoccer: 61mgIron: 3mg
The nutritional information on this website is an estimate only and is provided only as a convenience and courtesy. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipes on this site is not guaranteed.
