Spicy Beef and Snap Pea Stir Fry

This Spicy Beef and Snap Pea Stir Fry is a flavorful, well-balanced meal that comes together in under 30 minutes. Ground beef is browned and simmered in a savory, slightly spicy sauce, then paired with crisp sugar snap peas and fresh green onions for added texture and brightness. Serve it over jasmine rice for a complete meal, or enjoy it on its own for a lighter option. It’s simple, satisfying, and perfect for busy weeknights. This recipe is part of my April 2025 Budget Grocery Series where I turn a grocery haul into your dinners for the week. Watch the full recipe video here.

Spicy Beef and Snap Pea Stir Fry Ingredients

Sugar Snap Peas: Sugar snap peas are crisp, juicy, and naturally sweet—perfect for adding texture and brightness to stir-fries. They hold their shape well when cooked briefly, making them ideal for quick, high-heat dishes. In this stir fry, they bring a fresh crunch that contrasts the rich, savory beef.

Ground Beef: Ground beef is hearty, flavorful, and quick to cook—making it a go-to protein for weeknight stir-fries. It browns beautifully in a hot pan, soaking up all the aromatics and sauces you throw at it. In this recipe, it serves as the savory base, pairing perfectly with the snap peas’ crisp sweetness. It’s satisfying, budget-friendly, and easily swap-able based on your preference!

Toasted Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil is rich, nutty, and deeply aromatic—a little goes a long way. It’s often used as a finishing oil in Asian-inspired dishes to add depth and complexity. In the stir fry it ties everything together with a toasty warmth that lingers after each bite. Think of it as the secret ingredient that makes the dish taste restaurant-level good.

Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is light, slightly sweet, and just tangy enough to brighten up savory dishes. It adds acidity without being overpowering, making it perfect for balancing bold stir-fry sauces. Here, it cuts through the richness of the beef and sesame oil, adding a subtle zing to the overall flavor. It also helps lift the natural sweetness of the snap peas. Just a splash brings the whole stir fry to life.

Spicy Beef and Snap Pea Stir Fry

Recipe by Jenn Lueke

4.4 from 74 votes

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

This Spicy Beef and Snap Pea Stir Fry is a flavorful, well-balanced meal that comes together in under 30 minutes. Ground beef is browned and simmered in a savory, slightly spicy sauce, then paired with crisp sugar snap peas and fresh green onions for added texture and brightness. Serve it over jasmine rice for a complete meal, or enjoy it on its own for a lighter option. It’s simple, satisfying, and perfect for busy weeknights. This recipe is part of my April 2025 Budget Grocery Series where I turn a grocery haul into your dinners for the week.

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

• 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed (optional)

• 2/3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos (or reduced-sodium tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce)

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons sriracha (increase or decrease depending on preference)

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour or arrowroot starch or cornstarch

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 pound 85% lean ground beef

• 12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced

• 4 green onions, thinly sliced (some greens reserved for garnish)

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, additional to taste

• 3 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 lime, quartered

Directions

• Cook the rice (if using): bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the rinsed rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed and rice is fluffy, 11 to 13 minutes. Set aside.
• In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the vegetable broth, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, sriracha, sesame oil, and tapioca flour and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add the ground beef. Cook the beef, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir in the snap peas, green onion, salt, and garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the sauce and bring to a simmer, then let cook until slightly reduced, 4 to 5 additional minutes. Salt to taste.
• Divide the beef mixture over evenly servings of rice (if using) and garnish with reserved sliced green onion and lime wedge squeeze.

Notes

• Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. 
• Reheating: From refrigerator, microwave until warm, about 2 minutes or heat in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, about 10 minutes. From frozen, thaw in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight, then heat as instructed. 
• Salt: I use Kosher salt and coconut aminos which are less salty than their counterparts (regular table or Morton salt, and reduced-sodium soy sauce). If you’re using soy sauce, you may not need to add the salt in step 4. If you’re unsure, add everything else to the skillet, stir to combine, then taste and add salt as needed, starting with ½ teaspoon.
• Jasmine Rice: Swap for brown rice, cauliflower rice, or do a combo of jasmine and cauliflower rice for a veggie boost.
• Ground Beef: Swap for ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey.

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