Jump to Recipe· 4.8 from 5 reviews

This ground beef fried rice is an easy and cost-effective meal for a weeknight! It’s gluten and soy-free and can be made grain-free if made with cauliflower rice.

What is Ground Beef Fried Rice?

If you’re looking for a cost-effective and super easy option for dinner, ground beef fried rice is for you! I first started making this out of necessity for something cheap and easy, and keep making it because it’s so good. It’s made with ground beef, jasmine rice, shredded carrots, broccoli, and coconut aminos for a simple and minimal weeknight meal.

This recipe is gluten and soy-free and can be made paleo and AIP if you make it with cauliflower rice instead!

The Ingredients for Ground Beef Fried Rice

  • Ground beef. I personally love the grass-fed ground beef from Butcher Box.
  • Salt and pepper.  You can leave the pepper out for AIP.
  • Avocado oil. 
  • Onion, garlic, and ginger. 
  • Shredded carrots.
  • Broccoli florets.
  • White rice. You can use cauliflower rice for grain-free, paleo, or AIP.
  • Eggs. You can leave out for AIP.
  • Coconut aminos. This is the gluten-free soy sauce replacement to get that rich umami flavor.
  • Apple cider vinegar.
  • Green onion. To top it off!

How to make Ground Beef Fried Rice

  • Brown the ground beef. Season with half of the salt and pepper. Set aside and drain some of the excess fat.
  • Saute the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir in the carrots and broccoli and saute for another 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  • Add the rice to the pan. Allow the rice to begin to crisp, turning it often to crisp on all sides.
  • Move the rice to one side of the pan. Add the eggs to the other side. Scramble until cooked, and break it up, incorporating into the rest of the fried rice.
  • Stir in the ground beef, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

  • Serve. Top with green onion.

Tips and tricks for making ground beef fried rice

  • Use rice that is cold or at room temperature. Using rice that is fresh and still hot will make your fried rice sticky rather than crispy. I like to make the rice earlier in the day and cool it in the fridge, or the day before.
  • Use pre-shredded carrots. Another shortcut and they cook much faster than diced carrots!

How do you make this recipe AIP?

  • Leave out the egg.
  • Omit black pepper.
  • Use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice.

Why do you need cold or day-old rice for fried rice?

Cold, day-old rice is very important for making fried rice. Fresh rice has too much moisture and it will get mushy in a hot pan, whereas rice that has sat a bit in the fridge will crisp much better.

What if you don’t have cold rice?

We’ve all been there when we forget to make an ingredient ahead of time. What I’ve done before for this dish is made the rice as usual, and then spread it flat on a sheet pan and set it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This helps to chill the rice and remove some of the moisture. It’s not perfect, but it works great in a pinch.

Storage and reheating instructions

This recipe is great for making ahead of time and can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can reheat it for a few minutes in a pan over medium heat until warm.

What other vegetables can you use?

  • Bok choy
  • Zucchini
  • Mushrooms
  • etc!

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Ground Beef Fried Rice {Gluten and Soy-free}

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dishes
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Fusion
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

This ground beef fried rice is an easy and cost-effective meal for a weeknight! It’s gluten and soy-free and can be made grain-free if made with cauliflower rice.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 thumb grated ginger
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 2 1/2 cup white rice, cooked and cooled (see notes for paleo/AIP)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp green onion, chopped

Instructions

  1. Using a large pan, brown the ground beef over medium heat, and crumble well. Season with half of the salt and pepper. Set aside and drain some of the excess fat.
  2. Using the same pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the carrots and broccoli and saute for another 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  3. Add the rice to the pan, breaking it up, and spreading it to the bottom of the pan so there are not clumps. Allow the rice to begin to crisp, turning it often to crisp on all sides.
  4. Once the rice starts to crisp, move it to one side of the pan and add the eggs to the other side. Scramble until cooked, and break up, incorporating into the rest of the fried rice.
  5. Stir in the ground beef, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
  6. Serve topped with green onion.

Notes

  • Make sure that the rice is cold, and not fresh so it will more easily crisp.
  • All nutrition facts are estimated and will vary.
  • For AIP, omit the eggs and black pepper. Use raw cauliflower rice and cook as directed rather than using white rice.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 431
  • Fat: 13.2
  • Carbohydrates: 44
  • Fiber: 1.5
  • Protein: 31.9

This recipe was published in 2021 and updated in 2024.