Meal Prep Ginger Ground Beef Bowls

These freezer friendly Meal Prep Ginger Ground Beef Bowls are a quick and easy addition to your lunch rotation. Packed with fresh ginger, carrots, bell peppers, ground beef, and a simple homemade sauce you’ll look forward to!

Ingredients in the Ginger Ground Beef Bowls:

This recipe is made with simple ingredients like ground beef and veggies, plus some options too! Plus, this recipe is adaptable to various diets such as paleo, dairy-free, and gluten free. Here’s what we’ve got:

• ground beef – I swear people are always looking for new ground beef meal prep recipes… this is it! Because this recipe uses two pounds of ground beef, the portions are adjustable to your needs. Looking for more protein? Have a larger serving!
• veggies – Carrots and bell pepper are finely diced and cooked along with the ground beef to soften and add flavor.
• ginger and garlic – These aromatics give the dish most of it’s flavor, so don’t skimp! A large chunk of fresh ginger helps flavor the savory beef and other veggies. Plus, garlic of course!
• sauce – All the goods including sesame oil, crushed red pepper flakes, coconut aminos (best sub for soy sauce!), fish sauce for that UMAMI (I use Red Boat). 
• Cauliflower rice option – Depending on your preferences, you can serve this recipe with cauliflower rice, or white rice. The cauli rice blends right in and taste great here, but this also makes a delicious, more substantial meal with white rice. Or, you could swap one pound of ground beef for cauli rice to save $$!

Related: Looking for lunch? Check out all of our meal prep lunches here!

Equipment needed to make these Ginger Ground Beef Bowls:

Here are my recommendations on equipment you’ll need to make this recipe:

• For my knife, I use a Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!). This knife is super high quality while being affordable. I’ve had mine for years (and there’s a lifetime guarantee!).
• For a cutting board, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!). The XL size is perfect but not too huge. I use it for everything except cutting raw meat.
• The cooking pan that’s pictured is this GreenPan 5qt Ceramic Skillet (affiliate link!). But a Dutch oven would also be a really good choice.

How to make Ginger Ground Beef Bowls:

As soon as you realize how easy this recipe actually is, it’ll quickly find a permanent place in your rotation. It’s just one pan plus your chosen side – rice or cauli rice. Rice is as easy as putting it into the Instant Pot and hitting go, while cauli rice can go directly into your meal prep container for reheating later. Your choice!

If you’re serving with white rice, get that started so it’s done when you finish cooking the meat and veggies. Follow the package instructions and then set it aside to cool. I usually cook rice in my Instant Pot for a hands-off method while I work on other parts of the meal.

In a bowl or jar with a lid, combine all the sauce ingredients and then shake or stir until combined, then set aside. I always use a mason jar for this because shaking it so much easier and less messy than stirring it up in a bowl.

After the sauce is prepped, start on the main dish. Heat up a large deep non-stick skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. I’ve been using my GreenPan 5qt Ceramic Skillet (affiliate link!) for this (pictured!).

When the pan is hot, add ground beef and salt. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Cook the meat for about 6 minutes or until it’s cooked through, while you stir it occasionally. Drain excess grease if there’s a lot in the pan.

Once the meat is just cooked through, it’s time start adding veggies. Reduce the heat to medium-low and make a small well in the center of the pan. Add the garlic and ginger, then saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. One of my favorite smells!

Finally, add the red bell pepper, carrots, and prepared sauce to the cooking pan. Continue to cook and stir this mixture for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables have softened. You can keep breaking up the meat during this time, or leave it in slightly larger chunks.

Feel free to give it a taste and see if it needs any salt or pepper in your opinion. When I serve this meal, I love to add some green onions and sesame seeds for a final touch of color and flavor.

Ways to customize this recipe:

Here are a few suggestions for customizing this recipe:

• riced cauliflower options – Riced cauliflower blends into this recipe perfectly by taking on the flavors of the meat and sauce. You can choose to swap cauli rice for half of the meat, swap it for the rice, or just add it in.
• veggies – Swap the carrots and bell pepper for other veggies you have on hand such as mushrooms, snap peas, baby corns, etc
• sauce options – for a kick, add some sriracha or double the red pepper flakes. You can also add some soy sauce, hoisin, or other favorites.
• coconut aminos swap – Readers have reported success with swapping soy sauce for the coconut aminos. Or you can use a combo of both!

How to meal prep this recipe:

This recipe is a perfect fit for meal prep. Simply make the recipe as directed and you’ll end up with at least 4 large portions of ginger ground beef bowls. Adjust the portioning based on your needs. The meat mixture can go pretty far if needed.

I’ve found that with cauliflower rice, I want more calories so I’ll make 4 portions total. If serving with white rice, the bowls are more filling and the meat can easily go to 5-6 portions.

How to store Ginger Ground Beef Bowls:

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you’re trying to make these bowls last 5 days, freezing your last portions and pulling it out of the fridge on the evening of the 4th day might be a good idea.

How to freeze Ginger Ground Beef Bowls:

Freeze portions in airtight containers or in 2-Cup Souper Cubes Trays and use within 6 months for best quality. This is one of the recipes I froze before my surgery in 2023.

How to reheat Ginger Ground Beef Bowls:

Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of water over the rice to help create steam. Loosely cover the meal with the lid and microwave on High for 90 seconds, stirring and then continuing to heat in 30 second increments until it’s hot and steamy all the way through.

This meal reheats really well in a HotLogic Mini Portable Oven – see my full review here! Be sure to drizzle 1-2 tablespoons water over the rice to create steam.