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.
- Healthy Hamburger Helper: The iconic dish with a healthy spin!
- or this list of even more ground beef recipes!
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.
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
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Recipe originally posted August 2021, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
I made the beef version last week. I also added zucchini and Kalamata olives before serving. We enjoyed it so much that today I decided to change the meat to boneless skinless chicken thighs. I will let you know after we’ve tasted it!
I didn’t really know what to expect when I decided to try this recipe. I’m not a big fan of hot tomatoes. A friend is staying with me and prefers simpler flavors, but I was concerned this would be tasteless, boring and dry, but boy was I surprised. This is delicious, full of flavor and will now become a regular meal in my house. Not only was it simple to make and healthy, but it was delicious. Thank you for this great recipe!
Thrilled you loved this beef stir fry, Andee!
This was so easy to put together. I had it in a lettuce wrap with both hummus and tzatziki. My husband had it as a bowl with rice. This is definitely become a recurring meal.
Love the way you served this as wraps, Dominique!
I am not a cooking lover, this recipe was so easy and delicious.
You don’t need to be a chef to whip up this delicious meal! Enjoy, Maria.
This is the best recipe when you have a couple of friends coming over for dinner. It’s quick to make and gives you time to enjoy some conversation instead of spending the whole evening over the stove. And not only is it delicious, especially with some kalamata olives added, it’s a healthy choice along with some rice and a nice green salad. It’s definitely a favorite in my recipe box.
It really is the best meal to whip up in a pinch! Glad you this worked out perfectly for your dinner guests, Carol!
Super easy and delicious just as the recipe says. And my husband liked it too. A win win in my recipe book
Glad you loved this stir fry recipe, Carol!
Would this work with ground turkey instead of beef?
Hi Victoria – Yes, that’s fine!
A winner dinner for us time-pressed cooks!
This was really good, and so easy! It was a very nice change from my usual low-carb skillet meal repertoire, and flexible. I always double recipes so that we have leftovers, so I had more of some ingredients called for, and less of others on hand. It still came out fantastic, and my family loved it. I served it with cabbage steaks that I roasted for a long time so that they came apart in “noodles”…it was really tasty. Thank you, Lisa, this is definitely going into my repertoire!
What a great pairing with cabbage steaks! Glad this dish was a hit, Karen.
I made it with homemade pickled onions and tzatziki sauce and it was delicious
That sounds amazing Luke, enjoy!
This is so easy and delicious!! I served it with roasted carrots.
Perfect pairing! So happy you loved this recipe, Karen!
This was great! I added a zucchini & then Mediterranean chili sauce to add a punch of flavor – yum!
Perfect additions!
I’m visiting my daughter and wanted something healthy and fast and this was so easy and all fresh, made it exactly to the recipe (with a light sprinkle of feta and spring onions as suggested) and it was perfect, with nothing else. Thank you! (I often consult your recipes, but this is my first review… I really appreciate the simple and fresh combinations, takes out that extra step of checking!!)
Hi Carol – Thanks so much for taking the time to write a review! I’m happy you enjoyed this ground beef stir fry. :)
I really enjoyed this recipe! My only modifications were adding cumin, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, dried thyme, and chili powder, in addition to the other seasonings. It really enhance the flavor for me! I also topped it with a homemade tzatziki sauce and served it over rice! Delicious!
Love those spice and herb additions! Thanks for sharing your tweaks, Elizabeth! :)
I tried this new recipe for dinner tonight, and I added some jalapeños to my ground beef because I really enjoy that spicy flavor—it’s just a personal preference. I also thought that the jalapeño, bell peppers and tomatoes would complement each other well, and they did! I served it all with some quinoa, and honestly, it turned out to be amazing.
What a delicious addition with the jalapenos, Liz! I’ll have to give that a try next time.
I just made this for the first time. I cook for three adults (including myself) and we’re always looking for great tasting EASY, QUICK meals. The reason easy and quick are stressed is because normally it takes me two hours to get a meal on the table as almost everything is from scratch.
This took me around 40min (including prep). I added a grated carrot to the capsicum-tomato mix and served it with cous cous and steamed celery and broccoli. We we all pleasantly surprised as to how flavoursome it was. A great, easy, fantastic, tasty meal.
Amazing! I’m so glad you found an easy dish that you all loved. Enjoy, Liora!