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Spice up your meal prep with this bold and flavorful meal prep firecracker beef! Juicy ground beef is coated in a sweet and spicy sauce that packs just the right amount of heat, then served with fluffy rice and crisp veggies for a balanced and satisfying meal. Whether you like it mild or extra fiery, you can easily adjust the spice level to your taste. Plus, it’s perfect for batch cooking—prep once and enjoy a delicious, protein-packed lunch or dinner all week long. If you’re craving a quick and easy dish with big, bold flavors, this firecracker beef is sure to hit the spot!
Make weeknight dinners or lunch a breeze with this meal prep firecracker beef. It’s quick and easy to make, and so tasty with juicy beef, veggies and a sweet-spicy sauce.
If you enjoy this, you might also like crispy ginger beef, Szechuan beef, kung pao beef, beef with broccoli, and spicy gochujang chicken.
Why You’ll Love It
Perfect for meal prep: You don’t have to cook dinner from scratch every single night when there are so many wonderful meal prep recipes (including this one!) to whip up.
Delicious flavors: The sauce ingredients combine spicy with sweet and savory flavors for plenty of great taste, and the juicy tender beef, rice, garlic, and broccoli add their own flavors to the dish.
A meal-in-one: You don’t need to worry about side dishes because this meal prep firecracker beef has everything – a carb, a protein, vegetables, and lots and lots of flavor!
Firecracker Beef Meal Prep Bowl Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Ground beef: I like to use ground chuck or ground sirloin. You can use any kind of ground beef you like.
Aromatics: Onion and garlic cloves add tasty flavors.
Broccoli: Fresh broccoli adds color and nutrients.
Rice: Start with cooked rice or use instant rice as a time-saver.
Sriracha: Spices up the sauce.
Sesame oil: For a nutty flavor.
Soy sauce: Adds a savory taste to the sauce.
Rice vinegar: For a delicious tang.
Honey: Gives the sauce a touch of sweetness.
How to Make Meal Prep Firecracker Beef
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Cook the beef: Season the ground beef and cook it in a large skillet. Drain off any excess grease and add the onion and minced garlic. Cook some more.
Add the sauce: Whisk together the sauce ingredients and add the firecracker sauce to the beef. Cook until the sauce reduces. Take the pan off the heat.
Cook the broccoli: Season the broccoli and sauté it in another skillet until crisp-tender or done to your liking.
Assemble the beef bowls: Divide the cooked rice, firecracker beef and broccoli equally into 5 meal prep containers (I used these!) and top with green onions if liked. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated.
Substitutions and Variations
Ground beef: Swap ground beef with ground turkey, ground pork or ground chicken.
Vegetarian: Use firm tofu instead of ground meat.
Cooked rice: Brown rice, cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles would work instead of white rice. Or you could use udon or rice noodles.
Vegetables: Add some bell peppers, snap peas or shredded carrots for added flavor and nutrients.
Honey: You can use brown sugar in the spicy firecracker beef sauce instead.
Olive oil: Peanut oil also works, or you can use your preferred cooking oil.
Sriracha: Swap with Cholula or your preferred type of hot sauce. Adjust the amount to your preferred spice level. Throw in some chili flakes too if you like.
Add some crunch: Top with crushed peanuts for extra crunch and texture.
Make 4 servings: If you only want to make 4 meal prep containers, use 1 pound of ground beef and 4 cups of cooked rice.
Optional add-ins: Feel free to include any other ingredients you want, such as baby sweetcorn, green beans, red pepper flakes, sliced water chestnuts, peanuts or cashews, or cilantro. Toasted sesame seeds are good too.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Begin your meal with miso mushroom soup or some turkey potstickers.
Side dishes: Kimchi, Asian chicken salad or pickled veggies would be good. You could serve hibachi fried rice or hibachi noodles instead of the cooked rice in the meal prep containers.
Dessert: Finish with dragon fruit ice cream (another make-ahead treat!)
How to Store Firecracker Beef Bowls
Store: Keep your firecracker beef bowls in a covered container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Freeze: Once the bowls have cooled completely, you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost overnight.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add a splash of soy sauce if needed to loosen the sauce.
Top Tips
Broccoli doneness: I prefer my broccoli quite crisp but if you like softer broccoli, cover the pan with a lid while cooking for extra steam.
Break up the beef: Break up any chunks with a wooden spoon so it cooks evenly. The beef needs to be completely browned.
Drain off the excess grease: Unless you’re using extra-lean ground beef, you’ll want to drain off the excess oil after browning the meat.
Cool before storing: Let the firecracker beef bowls cool completely before covering and storing, otherwise the condensation inside the containers will make them watery.
Meal Prep Firecracker Beef FAQs
You’ll need cooked rice for this recipe. Leftover rice is ideal but if you don’t have any, you can always boil some while you’re cooking the beef. Another option is using a package or 2 of microwaveable rice to save time.
Use 1 ½ cups of uncooked rice to make your 5 cups of cooked rice.
Firecracker Beef Meal Prep Bowls Recipe
Meal Prep Firecracker Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 4 Tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce, or similar
- 1 Teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons honey
For the Firecracker Beef Bowls:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ Pounds ground beef
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 yellow onion, small, finely diced
- 4 Cloves garlic, minced
- 4 Cups broccoli, fresh, cut into florets
- 5 Cups rice, cooked
Optional Garnish:
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the Sauce:
- Add sriracha, sesame seed oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and honey to a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk until combined.
Cook the Beef:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat.
- Add beef, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks.
- Drain the excess grease.
- Add onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
Add the Sauce:
- Pour in the firecracker sauce and stir to combine.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce reduces.
- Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Cook the Broccoli:
- In a separate small skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the broccoli, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
Assemble the Firecracker Beef Bowls:
- Evenly divide the cooked rice, firecracker beef and broccoli into 5 meal prep containers.
- Garnish with green onions, if desired.
- Serve immediately or store the covered meal prep containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Break up the beef: Break up any chunks with a wooden spoon so it cooks evenly. The beef needs to be completely browned.
Drain off the excess grease: Unless you’re using extra-lean ground beef, you’ll want to drain off the excess oil after browning the meat.
Cool before storing: Let the firecracker beef bowls cool completely before covering and storing, otherwise the condensation inside the containers will make them watery.
Nutrition
This absolutely delicious spicy beef, rice and broccoli dish is a great meal prep idea and the firecracker sauce blends spicy with sweet and tangy for the kind of flavor your taste buds are going to love. You can customize the dishes by using any kind of meat, different vegetables or using another type of sauce. Meal prep is so handy because you can make several days worth of healthy food and simply warm it back up when you’re ready to eat – just perfect for those busy weeknights!
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
The firecracker beef had the perfect kick. spicy but not overwhelming!