30-Minute 8-Ingredient Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet. This nutritious recipe contains a variety of fresh vegetables and grass-fed ground beef. Make it on any busy weeknight for a nourishing meal!
This quick and easy Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet is one of those easy recipes I make over and over without getting tired of it.
Remarkably versatile, you can incorporate any vegetables you love as well as almost all protein sources.
All you need is a large skillet and 30 minutes of time and you’re looking at a stellar healthy dinner recipe that can be whipped up any night of the week.
You can easily double or triple the recipe to make it as a meal prep recipe to eat throughout the week. In fact, we do this in my own household on a nearly weekly basis to cover lunches and dinners.
It is an all-around clean meal that fits many dietary restrictions, such as paleo, keto, low-carb, low-FODMAP and AIP.
Easy and nutritious, this feel-good meal will leave you feeling energized.
If you’re following a lower calorie diet, this is an ideal recipe to ensure you’re getting plenty of protein, fiber, and fat to maximize your nutrition.
Let’s discuss the healthy ingredients to make this quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients for Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet:
Avocado Oil: Used to cook the vegetables and beef, we need a high temperature cooking oil. I like using avocado oil because it has a high smoke point (ideal for sauteing), and a neutral flavor. You can also use olive oil if you prefer.
Vegetables: Carrots, broccoli, fresh zucchini, yellow squash, and radishes. I love that this combination of vegetables makes for a belly-friendly nutritious meal. If you aren’t sensitive to onions and garlic, add 1 cup of chopped onion and 4 to 5 cloves of garlic.
Ground Beef: The star of this recipe is one pound of ground beef. I use 80/20 grass-fed ground beef, because much of the flavor in this meal comes from the fat content of the beef. You can easily use lean beef if you prefer. If you do so, I recommend adding additional seasonings (see recommendations below).
There are infinite ways you can change up this recipe to make it your own!
Recipe Adaptations:
- You can use any ground meat, such as ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground bison. Elk and deer are great options too! Pick your favorite animal protein.
- Use any of your favorite seasonal vegetables. Cauliflower, sweet potatoes, green beans, butternut squash, onions, garlic, Swiss chard, spinach, turmeric, bok choy, kale, brussels sprouts, bell pepper etc. would be lovely.
- Add any of your favorite dried herbs and spices such as Italian seasoning, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, or lemon pepper.
- If you use lean ground beef, increase the amount of seasoning you use. Add ground ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, fresh onion or fresh garlic, hot sauce, various sauces like pesto sauce or tomato sauce, soy sauce, etc.
Special Diets:
This recipe covers so many dietary bases. It is paleo friendly, low carb, keto, low-FODMAP, AIP, and whole30.
This ground beef skillet is perfect for those who follow a ketogenic diet, as it contains a high amount of protein and a hearty portion of healthy fat while maintaining a lower carbohydrate count.
In addition, this skillet is AIP-friendly (Autoimmune Protocol) for those with autoimmune disease looking to control or lower their inflammation.
For those of you who have difficulty with GI issues and digestion, this meal is Low-FODMAP (contains only a small amount of fermentable carbohydrates) so it’s an easier one to digest and won’t cause gut flare ups.
Ground beef skillet recipes are one of those easy one-pot meals that covers all the nutrient bases that can easily become a family favorite.
How to Make Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet:
Heat avocado oil in a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet to medium heat. Add the carrots, broccoli florets, and radishes and stir well. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Scoot the vegetables to one side of the cast iron skillet and add the ground beef. Flatten the beef against the skillet, creating a beef layer. Sprinkle with sea salt and ground ginger.
Allow beef to brown 2 minutes, then flip to the other side and continue browning another 2 minutes. Break the beef up into chunks with a spatula and stir into the vegetables so that everything is combined.
Add the zucchini squash and yellow squash and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked through and vegetables have reached desired done-ness, about 5 minutes. Taste the vegetable and ground beef skillet for flavor and season to taste with sea salt.
Remove the lid and continue cooking and stirring occasionally until much of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve in bowls and enjoy!
I often eat this recipe with steamed brown rice. You can serve it with any additional side dishes you enjoy, such as cauliflower rice. Sprinkle on some grated cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice) if you’d like!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Tips and Tricks:
- Make this in a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet or wok so that all ingredients fit in a single pan.
- This is an awesome meal prep recipe – make the whole thing up to 4 days ahead of time and eat on it throughout the week.
- To keep the preparation time low, start by chopping the carrots, broccoli, and radishes and get them sauteing. While the hearty vegetables are cooking, chop the zucchini and yellow squash. This makes for a great cooking flow.
Nutritional Information:
If you turn this skillet into 4 servings, each serving contains 284 calories, 16 grams of fat, 9 grams of total carbohydrates and 25 grams of protein. I typically eat 1/3 to half of the batch in one meal.
This low-carb recipe is an amazing source of fresh veggies, comes together quickly, and the whole family will surely love it.
If you’re looking for more quick, easy, healthy dinner recipes, also try out these reader favorites!
More Healthy Dinner Recipes:
- Immunity Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup
- Basil Chicken Spaghetti Squash with Broccoli
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Ground Beef and Cabbage Soup
- Mediterranean Salmon in Parchment Paper
- 30-Minute Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Put this healthy ground beef recipe on repeat!
Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 large crown broccoli chopped*
- 6 radishes chopped
- 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
- 2 tsp ground ginger optional
- 1 medium zucchini squash chopped
- 1 large yellow squash chopped
Instructions
- Heat avocado oil in a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, broccoli, and radishes and stir well. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Scoot the vegetables to one side of the cast iron skillet and add the ground beef. Flatten the beef against the skillet, creating a beef layer. Sprinkle with sea salt and ground ginger.
- Allow beef to brown 2 minutes, then flip to the other side and continue browning another 2 minutes. Break the beef up into chunks with a spatula and stir into the vegetables so that everything is combined.
- Add the zucchini squash and yellow squash and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked through and vegetables have reached desired done-ness, about 5 minutes. Taste the vegetable and ground beef skillet for flavor and season to taste with sea salt.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking and stirring occasionally until much of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve in bowls and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
I originally shared this recipe on August 13, 2018. I updated the photographs and added some additional information, but the recipe itself remains the same.
This is a regular for our family! I use carrots and sweet potatoes interchangably depending on what I have on hand. Recently, I have been using carrots as called for in the recipe and baking a sweet potato for my picky eaters as a side dish.
Love that! So happy you and your family enjoy it, Jess! Thanks so much for the sweet words and the feedback! xoxo
Made the ground beef & veggie dish. It was so yummy!
So happy you enjoyed it, Heidi! Thank you for reporting back!
I made something just like this a few days ago and hadn’t even seen your recipe yet! It was easy, nutritous and yummy, as you and others here describe. I wondered why I always thought I needed rice, noodles and/or tomato sauce or cream of mushroom soup to enjoy ground beef and veggies as I do with this meal in a bowl! Spices are good to add. I have a freezer full of ground beef so will be making more of these. Your recipe gives me additional ideas, so I’m glad I found this. The one I made the other day has provided my main meals for three days straight! I recommend that others try it; you’ll like it.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the concept, Margaret! I love recipes like this too…just so satisfying 🙂
Recipes look delicious!
Thanks so much, Janet!
I was searching one night for something to make for dinner, didn’t think I had ingredients to make much. Your comments about using whatever you have on hand really encouraged me to try this. I had one onion, one orange pepper, and some frozen mixed vegetables. I did have lean ground beef. I only had EVOO, but used the salt and ginger. I am woefully ignorant about using spices, so the ginger made me nervous. I have to tell you my husband and I love this. We have eaten it once a week since I tried it. I really need to get brave enough to try some other combinations! Really, thank you for your encouraging words.
I’m so happy you and your husband enjoy it, Beth! It truly is a versatile recipe…this is how I cook the majority of my meals! So happy you like it and I hope you and your family are doing well! xoxo
Does it get soggy? Just browning ground beef alone will release a lot of liquid.
Hi Mona,
It doesn’t in my experience. If you’re concerned about the moisture level, you can definitely brown the meat first and drain the liquid. Enjoy! xo
This doesn’t seem to be a Low Fodmaps recipe to me at all. Broccoli? Onions?
Hi there. There are no onions in the recipe. Broccoli only becomes high-FODMAP when you eat a great deal of it. Under a certain amount, you’re fine. If you’re worried about the FODMAP content, skip the broccoli 😉 xo
@Sdzik, broccoli florets are lower FODMAP, just omit the stalks
Onions and garlic are fine if infused in oil, or use green parts of scallions or chives.
I’ve been making the Greek yogurt, and it is the tastiest, creamiest, best yogurt I’ve ever had, and no added sugar, preservatives, etc. I made my second batch from my first batch and it wasn’t sour at all, just cool creamy, goodness. Thanks for introducing me to this heavenly delight!
I can’t believe how good this was! Thank you so much for a simple and delicious aip meal, I’ve found so few I like- this really made my day ❤️
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Alissa! I make this recipe almost weekly because it’s just so easy! Thank you for the sweet note! 😀
Delicious..I cook for a elderly couple they really enjoyed it 2 weeks ago.. making it for them again today I add sweet potatoes so it gives it a nice touch of sweetness not much..
Did you cook the sweet potatoes separately? Or with the meat? How long did it take for the potatoes to be done?
This was truly fantastic – thanks so much!! I used butternut squash, a white onion, yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, garlic and ginger (the ginger adds so much, you were right!), and a lb of ground beef, and it was really great. I have enough left over for three more meals. Great recipe!!
Thanks for this recipe! I made a variation of it last night, and it was great. Thank you so much.
I made this tonight and OMG it was so delicious. Only thing I did different was to serve it over sliced romaine lettuce. We couldn’t get enough of it. Will definitely make again.
That sounds like such an amazing serving option! I will be doing the same next time I make this! xo
Hello Julia,
I made this last night and I have to admit, I was wondering how all those different veggies would work, and the ground ginger, but it was fabulous. I loved it. You seem wise beyond your years. Thanks for caring about good health. I am trying to lose about 20 lbs and I needed to change my habits too. So I have been on your site before and remembered all the good recipes, so I am back, and I want to say thank you for all the discoveries you have made.
Suzanne
Love how colorful and how many veggies this has! 🙂
This looks simple and yummy and a lot like the dinner I am going to make tonight!
I hope you enjoy it! xo