Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir Fry
317 Comments
Updated May 23, 2024
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This Mediterranean ground beef stir fry is what a quick and healthy dinner is all about! It’s loaded with savory veggies, classic coastal seasonings, and packs in a ton of flavor without the need for a sauce.
I hummed and hawed on what to call this recipe as ground beef is not typically what you’d consider mediterranean food. But the blistered tomatoes, bell pepper, baby spinach, green onion, and garlic are most definitely Mediterranean in nature. So consider it a healthier, veggie-packed ground beef stir fry that’s light in flavor. A divergence from your typical Asian chicken stir fry flavors, yet delicious in a whole new way!
And speaking of flavors and sauces, there’s actually no sauce in this recipe. Once the tomatoes break down they become oozy and liquidy, and that melds with the garlic and oregano and douses the rest of the ingredients in garlicky, Mediterranean goodness. You’re gonna love it.
What’s In This Mediterranean Stir Fry?
From the blistered tomatoes to bell pepper and oregano, this non traditional stir fry is made from the best Mediterranean ingredients.
- Bell Pepper: Red bell pepper is ideal for its natural sweetness and vibrant red color, but any color works!
- Cherry Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes can be a substitution, but cherry tomatoes are ideal here since they’re much juicier and blister beautifully in a pan.
- Baby Spinach: It’s amazing how much a small tub of spinach wilts down, so while it may look like a lot, trust me, it’s not too much.
- Garlic and Green Onion: Essential alliums give the recipe a punch of fresh flavor.
- Ground Beef: You’ll need one pound for this recipe. But if you’re not a fan of beef, you can also use ground chicken or turkey.
- Oregano: Can’t do a savory Mediterranean dish without 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.
Let’s Make The Best Stir Fry Recipe!
What I love about stir fries is that they’re SO easy to make, yet just as flavorful as a recipe that takes hours. So grab a large pan and let’s get cooking.
- Saute the tomatoes and bell pepper. Heat the oil in a large pan, then saute the bell pepper and cherry tomatoes for 4 to 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered. Then add the garlic and stir for another minute.
- Cook the spinach and green onion. Add the spinach and white parts of the green onion. Then stir for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Remove these veggies to a plate.
- Cook the ground beef. Add the beef, oregano, salt, and pepper to the pan, and use a spatula to break up the meat. When it’s browned, drain off any excess liquid.
- Combine everything together! Transfer the veggies back to the pan, add the green parts of the green onion, and stir everything together. Then garnish with crumbled feta before serving it up.
Ways To Serve This Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir Fry
Honestly, I can just eat this as is with a sprinkle of feta because it’s that good. But if you want to make it a well rounded meal, here’s a few other fun ways to serve it.
- Serve over a bed of rice or lentils for an extra filling meal.
- Use this as a filling for a butter leaf lettuce wrap (great for a low-carb option!).
- For all my egg lovers, top a plate of this with a fried egg or poached egg.
How To Store Leftovers
This dish makes for great leftovers and meal prep for the week!
- To store: This will keep for up to 4 to 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Just make sure to let it cool before closing the lid.
- To freeze: Alternatively, you can freeze this for up to 3 months.
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes
From stuffed peppers to a big pot of chili, here’s a few comfort food favorites.
If you make this ground beef stir fry, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir Fry
Description
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
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cherry tomatoes and saute for 4-5 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered, and saucy. Add the garlic and stir another minute.
- 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 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Remove these veggies to a plate.
- Add the ground beef, oregano, salt, and 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
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Love this dish! I made it for my family with home made hummus, pita bread and cucumber tomato salad. I added red pepper flakes for some spice and altered the seasoning to taste.
What a delicious pairing! Sounds like a great Mediterranean meal, Cris.
This was delicious! My 15 year old son loved it. This recipe is a great low carb dinner. We will make this again!
Happy to hear your son loved this beef stir fry, Keri!
Super simple and delicious
Glad you loved this Mediterranean ground beef!
I have never commented on a recipe before. Ever. But came to say that I just made this for the second time and it is my FAVORITE recipe. Amazing for meal prep. I added sun dried tomatoes and served with tzatziki like the recipe suggested. May add some Kalamata olives for a salty zip next time like others have said. I’m going to be eating this for lunch for the rest of the week and I’m excited!!
Thrilled to hear you’re loving this beef stir fry for meal prep! It really is such a great meal to customize to your liking.
I’m excited to make this! What should I serve it with? Rice?
I have a few serving suggestions in the post, but I typically like to eat this with rice!
I LOVED this recipe ! I used Italian seasoning and kale and oh my gosh def getting added to the recipe rotation!
Happy to hear you’re loving this recipe, Natalie!
Wow, made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious.
Quick and easy as I finish work late, big hit with all the family x
Thrilled to hear the whole family enjoyed this recipe, Helen.
Edit: I DID add Kalamata olives at the end of cooking as well, extra garlic + mix of garlic salt and pepper seasoning to taste.
Delicious! I had ground beef in the fridge that I needed to cook TODAY! I found your recipe and it was easy and very satisfying over a bit of rice. Thank you!
Perfect timing! I’m glad you enjoyed this beef stir fry.
Delicious!!! I threw in some Kalamata olives at the end just to use them up and it so very good!
I will definitely make again!
Thanks, Michelle!
Wonderful Mediterranean stir fry, didn’t have spinach on hand, so added zucchini and frozen corn. So good!
Thanks, Lilia! I’m happy you enjoyed it. :)
Made this tonight, it was ok…needs more flavor. I added red onion and topped with balsamic glaze. Someone said they added olives and I wish I had done that too.
I made this for a food serving program in WA state, but with a large increase in ingredients. Added green olives, and the dish was a hit. I fed 50 people that night and all were so happy with it, they just loved it. Accused me of serving international food. LOL.
Great recipe!
What a great idea for a food serving program, Doug! Glad everyone enjoyed it, especially with olives.
Loved this recipe. I added roasted corn for color! Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Did you use 93/7 ground beef for this.
Tried this for the first time and was so impressed I will definitely be making this one as a regular in my future
Thanks so much, Karla! I’m happy you loved it.
A friend made this for a quiet dinner party. I love Mediterranean food. This seemed a bit bland and I am not sure what would make it “pop” with more flavor….. It tasted okay, just seemed something was missing.
Hi there! I went a little lighter on the seasoning, but feel free to add more!
So good! Thank you.
Is a serving size, 1 cup?
I followed the recipe. But, I added calamata olives just to give it that extra Mediterranean boost! It worked! Also had Woodbridge Cabernet to go along.
Hi Bob – I love the idea of adding olives to this!
I made this tonight for dinner! I used roasted red peppers since I didn’t have Bell and added Sun dried tomatoes. I served it over organic brown rice and it was delicious!!! Quick, easy and delicious!!! Thanks Lisa!!!
Hi Laureen – Happy to hear this worked out great with roasted red peppers instead!
Yum! I added zucchini and red onion, half a cup of orzo, some beef broth and used canned, diced tomatoes instead of fresh (since that’s all I had). Wonderful! Excited for leftovers over the next several days.
Hi Hannah – Love the way you amped this one up! Sounds delicious.
Followed the recipe exactly. Very easy to make. For such basic ingredients this turned out amazing! Will definitely make it again.
Hi Marion – Nothing beats a simple yet delicious recipe!
For a beef recipe this is very light and filling at the same time. We loved it! Tastes even better reheated for lunch. Thank you for all you do!
So glad you enjoyed it, Jen! Thanks for making my recipes. :)
DELICIOUS! Quick and easy! I have tried 5 of your dinner recipes already and they have all been a hit!! (Your lentil and chickpea soup is definitely my favorite so far) I made this Mediterranean beef recipe twice already and I can’t get enough of how flavorful it is!! I thoroughly enjoy your recipes and thank you for being thorough and having photos because it truly helps during the cooking process.
Thanks so much, Angela! I’m happy you’re enjoying so many different recipes. I appreciate you continuing to come back and make more! :)