Beef meatball stir-fry has tender juicy meatballs, broccoli, bell pepper and red cabbage cooked in delicious sweet and sour sauce. It is such a satisfying dish that is ready in 40 minutes!
These beef meatballs are super soft and juicy, thanks to the egg and oat flour used to bind up the ingredients. The sticky sauce is irresistibly delicious, with the perfect balance of sweet and savory. The combo of vegetables can be switched out to anything you have on hand, or be as creative as you want.
It is such a comforting dish that is rich in umami, easy to make, and family friendly. Serve it over rice to soak up all the delicious flavors!
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Ingredients for this recipe
For the sauce:
- Tamari soy sauce
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Rice wine (sake) - Or dry white wine
- Rice vinegar
For the meatballs:
- Ground beef (I use 80% lean)
- Oat flour - 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 bell pepper
- Red cabbage
How to make beef meatball stir-fry
1. Make sauce mix. Combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Make meatballs. Combine the ground beef, oat flour, egg, grated ginger, onion powder and salt together in a bowl. Knead well, and roll into 20 meat balls.
3. Cook meatballs. Heat up the olive oil in a large pan. Sear the meatballs, rolling them around gently. Once seared, cover the pan with a lid and let cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes or until cooked fully. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Add vegetables. Cook the garlic and broccoli together until the broccoli is slightly tender. Add in the bell pepper and red cabbage. Cook for another minute.
5. Add sauce. Give a quick stir to the sauce mix and pour into the pan. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly.
6. Add in cooked meatballs. Toss gently to coat with the sauce.
7. Serve. Top with white sesame and scallion. Serve with rice.
*See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Tip
Watch carefully for the strength of the heat. When you first sear the meatballs, I recommend starting with medium heat rather than high heat. There is less risk of the meat sticking to the pan that way.
Make ahead option
These beef meatballs can be made ahead of time, and kept frozen for up to 2 months. You can either shape them first and freeze, or freeze the entire mixture in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge until soft before cooking.
FAQs
On top plain rice, noodles (rice noodles or gluten-free ramen noodles), or quinoa go really well with this dish.
When you poke a meatball and clear juice comes out, that’s the sign that the meatball is cooked. If you see cloudy or reddish juice, you should cook for a few more minutes. You can also use a meat thermometer and check if it has hit 160F°.
Leftover beef meatball stir fry can be refrigerated for up to 4 days, covered tightly. Microwave, or cook over the stovetop to reheat.
More beef recipes...
Recipe
Beef Meatball Stir Fry
Equipment
- 1 x skillet with a lid
Ingredients
For sauce
- ½ cup tamari soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons sake (rice wine) or dry white wine
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
For meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef I use 80% lean
- ⅓ cup oat flour or ½ cup gluten-free panko
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For vegetables
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 2 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
Instructions
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
- To make the meatballs, combine the ground beef, oat flour, egg, grated ginger, onion powder and salt together in a bowl. Knead well, and roll into 20 meat balls.
- Heat up the olive oil in a large pan. Sear the meatballs, rolling them around gently. Make sure all sides are being cooked.
- Once seared, cover the pan with a lid and let cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes or until cooked fully. (There is no need to add water to the pan as there should be some juice coming out of the meatballs by that time.) Shake the pan every 30 seconds or so to prevent burning.
- Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside. Lightly wipe off the leftover grease in the pan with paper towels.
- In the same pan you used for the meat balls, cook the garlic and broccoli together until the broccoli is slightly tender.
- Add in the bell pepper and red cabbage. Cook for another minute.
- Give a quick stir to the sauce mix and pour into the pan. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add back in the cooked meatballs. Toss gently to coat with the sauce.
- Top with white sesame and scallion. Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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