Say goodbye to boring beef mince recipes….. these Asian Beef Bowls are super tasty, super easy and SUPER fast! Made with just a handful of staple Asian condiments, the ground beef can be switched with chicken, pork or even turkey.
Also, don’t miss the popular noodle version of this recipe – Asian Beef Ramen Noodles!
Super quick beef mince recipe!
This one is for all those nights when you peer into your fridge, find a packet of beef mince and are completely uninspired to make Spag Bol – yet again.
This is also one for all those nights when you’ve been baking, filming and photographing recipes all day, and you swear you don’t have the energy to make anything for dinner but your mother brain washed you so well, you feel guilty for even thinking about picking up the phone to order home delivery.
Oh wait. Is that just me? 😂
This is not a traditional Chinese or other Asian recipe, hence the obscure name “Asian Beef Bowls”.
However, if you have ever made a Chinese stir fry – or in fact, any Chinese recipe – you will likely instantly recognise all the ingredients in the sauce. No Western ingredients. This is made with 100% authentic Asian ingredients. And when you take the first bite, it will be so familiar to you.
Because the sauce is so similar to many stir fries, yet an exact replica of none!
Here’s what you need
And here’s how easy it is to make:
What to serve on the side
Serve this over rice or, for a healthy low carb option, Cauliflower Rice (77% fewer calories and 87% less carbs than rice).
For a side salad, here are a few suggestions.
Side Salads to accompany this dish
I love this recipe because it’s made with beef mince (ground beef) i.e. no meat slicing. Asian recipes made with beef mince aren’t that common, but there are a handful of terrific ones and they are worth knowing for the convenience of being able to make a quick meal when you’ve got a packet of mince on hand. Here’s a handful of my favourites:
Japanese Pork and Green Bean Stir Fry <<– On my mother’s website, RecipeTin Japan
Larb Gai (Thai Lettuce Wraps) and San Choy Bau (Chinese Lettuce Wraps)
Unlike most stir fries, this one doesn’t come with a ton of sauce. But it’s juicy and the beef has a ton of flavour in it so when it’s all mixed up with the rice, you certainly won’t feel like you’re missing sauce. Promise! ~ Nagi x ❤️
Watch how to make it
“Wow! Can’t believe something that was so quick to do was also so tasty.”
– Jacqui, January 2019
“This would have to be the tastiest easiest mince dish I have ever cooked in 15 minutes.”
– Wendy, 10 May 2017
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Asian Beef Bowls
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp Hoisin Sauce (or sub with Oyster)
- 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce (or sub with 1 1/2 tbsp Hoisin)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or Mirin, dry sherry, sake or any rice wine) (Note 1)
- 2 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce (Note 2)
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (or sub with black)
Stir Fry:
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 500 g /1 lb beef mince (ground beef) (lean is good)
- 1/2 cup shallots / scallions , sliced, plus more for garnish
Garnishes:
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix Sauce together in a bowl
- Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute or until onion starts browning.
- Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go.
- Once the beef has all changed from red to brown, add Sauce. Cook for a further 2 minutes, or until Sauce has evaporated and beef is cooked. If you want the beef cooked more, add a splash of water and keep cooking (I don’t do this).
- Stir through shallots, then serve over rice, garnished with more shallots and sesame seeds, if desired. Or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2017, updated with new video, new photos, step photos, refreshed writing, and latest and greatest in Life of Dozer!
More quick 15 minute Asian meals
- Quick Asian Beef RAMEN Noodles and Chicken Vegetable Ramen Noodles – 15 minutes, made in one pot
- Chinese Chicken and Corn Soup with Egg Ribbons – so simple, this will blow your mind…
- Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans – flavour packed!
- Egg Fried Rice – it all comes down to the sauce…
- See 15 Minute Recipes
Life of Dozer
Project Manager Dozer, reporting for duty!!!
Hi Nagi! I’m a cult follower of your blog and your mum’s blog. Truly God-send! <3
I just would like to ask, does this freeze well and if it does, How long does it stay good? TIA!
Yes, I have frozen this before and kept it for 2 months!
Hi Nagi,
Would i be able to add buk choy or chinese broccoli to this?
Regards,
Jasmine
Hi Jasmine, you definitely could!!
A super tasty, fast meal. I added some beans and sliced broccoli. A winner!
Thanks Nagi.
Sounds fabulous!
Nagi, wow! You did it again. I made this for the first time tonight. The whole family LOVED it! It’s definitely in the rotation. Thank you for continuing to share your gift with others! 🙂
Thanks so much Windy, if the family loves it then it’s a winner!
Wow! Can’t believe something that was so quick to do was also so tasty. #winner
Woot! Thanks Jacquie!
Magi, you are a gem! I get up at 3am to cook for my night-night shift working husband and your recipes are quick and easy but most importantly they are tasty and filling! Now I can sleep until 3:30 🙂 Thank you sooooooo much.
I can’t believe I have been spending $10 a POP on these bowls at the local Asian food store! These we’re so quick and easy and will be added to my roster of recipes!
Quick, easy, really tasty, what more can I say, except thx Nagi!
Could fish sauce with erithritol substitute for the sauce ingredients? I’m trying to avoid sugar. I suppose I just need to experiment. Thanks for all your delicious recipes!
I haven’t tried to be honest Julia, worth a try and I’d love to know if it works!
Hi Nagi, i want to make this tomorrow but i’don’t want to use so much sugar. Can i leave the sugar out or wil this affect the flavour ? Thanks.
Offcourse it wil affect the flavour..stupid me 🙂 but wil it taste good anyway i meant ?
I don’t know about the flavor but Nagi did mention that it might affect the caramelization.
Thank you. I agree – better than 5 star! So simple even I could do it & not muck it up! So full of flavour yet quick and easy to make. I know what I’m having for my birthday dinner next year! 😉
Thanks so much Pat! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Another hit! While wrangling twin newborns and a 15 month old toddler (Yes… what the hell was I thinking), I was able to make this quick dish and it was super tasty! Thank you for your no nonsense, simple and practical recipes that taste amazing!
This was delicious and easy to put together and enough for lunches for the rest of the week.
But what I wanted to thank you for is giving us all the information on nutritional facts. I’m diabetic
and it’s so neat to have that information. I’ve already tried two of your recipes and love them.
Thank you
On my third batch of this yum stuff. This time I threw in the snow peas & ‘shrooms I needed to use up. It’s another one of our Nagi’s favorites and we thank you, Dear Girl.
That’s great! So pleased you enjoyed this Victoria – N x
What a cracker of a recipe! The flavours reminded me of the chinese food I grew up eating here in Australia. My family and I truly loved it. I didn’t have hoisin so I used peking duck sauce as a substitute. Also served it with a runny fried egg. Thanks you 😊
That’s so great to hear Naz! I’m so glad you enjoyed this. This is a huge favourite for me too, I make it quite often! N x
Love the chicken chow mein recipe, easy , so does my husband
I’m so glad! Thank you for letting me know Lyn! N x
Nagi, how can I thank you enough? Your recipes are so tasty, easy enough for family food, and the kids love them. These beef bowls are a fave, but also your chili con carne, pad see ew, chili mac, garlic chicken, and chicken pasta bake. Also carrot soup. Everything I’ve tried is great and I now have a new repertoire. And as the proud owner of a naughty 2 year old male Golden, the Life of Dozer is the icing on the cake. Thanks!!
I swear, all Goldies are naughty… in a cute fun way! 😂 Glad you are enjoying my recipes Serena, thank you for letting me know! N x
This was so so good. I licked the frypan after we were done.
This was really good! So easy and tasty, I had it with steamed broccoli and rice for 4 days in a row and can still have it. Definitely one I will repeat in future, maybe the very near future.. Thanks Nagi!
I love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed this Seraphina! N x
Hey Nagi,
This recipe rocks, made it a few times now and just loving it!!!
But what am I telling you that you already don’t know :))
Thanks for sharing 🙂
It didn’t have enough stars, I think it should have 10, but I clicked on 5 and it didn’t apply for some reason 🙁
Got the 5 stars Lara!!! Really glad you enjoyed this one, thanks for sharing your feedback! N xx