This sticky beef rice bowl is a quick, Asian-inspired stir fry made with ground beef, rice, and a sweet-salty honey soy sauce. It's fast enough for a weeknight and is perfect for meal prepping as it tastes better the next day and holds up well in the freezer. Unlike other honey beef recipes, mine includes some hidden veg soaked into the sauce.
Asian-style recipes are my go-to for meal prep because the flavours don't fade - they deepen. You know how takeaway somehow tastes better the next day? That's exactly what happens here. When I sent Zak to work with this sticky beef rice bowl, he messaged me mid-shift saying it was one of the best things he'd eaten all year.
TL;DR
- Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes
- Meal prep: Perfect for meal prep because the sticky sauce deepens the flavour and means you don't notice the hidden veg.
- Fridge storage: 4 days (store beef and rice opposite sides of container)
- Freezer storage: 3-6 months (store beef and rice separately)
- Reheating: Splash of water and microwave for 2-3 minutes.
- Customise: Adjust the spice, swap veggies and even change up the ground beef with chicken, pork, turkey or TVP.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Affordable. Ground beef and rice are budget staples that can be bought in bulk, making this a low-cost meal prep option for busy weeks - if you don't want to freeze leftovers, rotate it with my Korean beef rice bowl.
Asian flavours. The combination of kecap manis, soy, honey, garlic and ginger gives this dish strong Asian-inspired flavour. If you enjoy these profiles, try my ham and egg fried rice or bok choy and tofu stir fry.
Ground beef friendly. Mince recipes are forgiving, beginner-friendly, and hard to mess up - perfect if you're new to meal prepping or batch cooking.
Ingredients
Beef mince. I use a lean beef mince which is slightly more expensive, but it doesn't have as much water that comes out during the cooking process - plus, it's a little more gut-friendly for a few days in a row if you're meal prepping this.
Honey. This creates the "sticky".
Kecap manis and soy. Kecap manis is a thick, sweet soy sauce that provides an extra oomph of flavour than just having the soy on its own.
Garlic and ginger. I recommend fresh for the best flavour, but you could use a pre-minced version in a jar for ease.
Crushed chilli. Provides adjustable heat without overpowering the sauce.
Lime. Brightens the dish and prevents the sauce from tasting flat.
Vegetables. I use carrot and bok choy in this dish as they're hidden well by the beef mince and you can't actually taste them (perfect if you're trying to hide some veggies).
Other stir-fry friendly veggies that would work well include onions, green beans, capsicum / bell pepper, zucchini or other Asian-greens.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Spicy. I find the crushed chilli I recommend gives a spice flavour without the overpowering spice (which you might not want if you're eating this a couple days in a row).
If you are a spicy fan, you can add more, or use some hot honey for a super sticky and hot dish.
Protein swap. Ground chicken, pork, turkey or even TVP (for a veggie version) all work well, but they will be less rich. If using alternatives, have a good taste and adjust the sauce to increase more flavour if needed.
How to make
Step 1: Mix together sauce ingredients.
Step 2: Heat a large pan over medium-high heat with a little oil and cook the ground beef until mostly browned.
Step 3: Add veggies and mix until combined (they won't wilt yet so the mixture could still be very thick).
Step 4: Add sauce and allow it to come to the boil. Once bubbling, reduce heat to low and allow it to thicken for approx. 5 minutes. If it doesn't thicken, mix together 1 teaspoon cornflour with 2 tablespoon water to make a cornflour slurry and add to the sauce.
Step 5: Serve over rice and top with spring onion (optional)
Lauren's Top Tips
Let the sauce reduce. Give it time to thicken properly so it stays sticky after reheating.
Don't overcook the beef. Browning is good. You'll see there's still pink in it when I add the veggies. This helps prevent it from drying out before the sauce is added.
Meal prep and leftovers
This sticky beef rice bowl is an easy meal prep option because it's balanced with protein from beef mince, carbs from rice, and vegetables from bok choy and carrots. The sauce keeps everything moist, and like most Asian-inspired dishes, it tastes even better the next day.
Storing
Store in airtight containers in the fridge for up to four days.
I recommend storing the rice and beef on separate sides of the container to stop the rice from getting mushy (it'll also help if you slightly undercook the rice so it's still firm to bite down on.
The sauce may harden slightly when storing in the fridge. This is fine and will still reheat well. The excess sauce can help protect the beef from drying out.
Reheating
Reheat in the microwave with a splash of water and cover loosely to steam. Stir halfway for even heating. It should take about 2-3 minutes depending on your serving size.
Freezing
I suggest freezing the beef and rice separately, or at least the rice on top of the beef (as pictured above). This makes sure the rice doesn't go mushy.
If you're reheating rice, I recommend undercooking the rice so that when it's stored and reheated it'll still have its texture.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Absolutely. Reduce or omit crushed chilli and keep the rest unchanged.
It can - but that's usually because there isn't enough sauce or fat to protect the meat. In this sticky beef rice bowl, the honey, kecap manis and soy create a thick, glossy sauce that coats the beef and locks in moisture, which is why it reheats so well.
Unlike takeaway versions that are often heavy, oily, and best eaten immediately, this sticky honey beef with rice is designed specifically for meal prep. The sauce is balanced rather than super sweet, the beef stays tender after reheating, and the vegetables hold their texture instead of going limp.
Other ground meat recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my mince meal prep recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Sticky Ground Beef Rice Bowl (Meal Prep)
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) lean beef mince
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, or other high heat oil e.g. avocado, canola
- 200 g (1 cup) rice, yields approx. 3 cups cooked
- 3 carrots, large
- 3 bunch bok choy
- spring onion, to serve - optional
Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon ginger, fresh recommended
- ¼ cup kecap manis, subs note 1
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 lime, fresh recommended
- 4 garlic cloves, fresh recommended
- 2 tablespoon crushed chilli, subs note 1
Instructions
Preparing
- Cook 200 g (1 cup) rice the way you like it or follow my tips and tricks.
- Mince or grate ginger and garlic and combine with the rest of the sauce ingredients: ¼ cup honey, 1 tsp ginger, ¼ cup kecap manis, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 lime, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp crushed chilli
- Thinly slice or julienne 3 carrots
- Chop 3 bunch bok choy into bite-sized pieces
Cooking
- Add 1 tbsp sesame oil to a pan on medium-high heat and cook 500 g (1 lb) lean beef mince for approx. 5 minutes until mostly browned.
- It should still have some pink bits.
- Add veggies and mix until combined
- They won't wilt yet so the mixture could still be very thick and tall.
- Add sauce and allow it to come to the boil. Once bubbling, reduce heat to low and allow it to thicken for approx. 5 minutes.
- If it doesn't thicken, mix together 1 teaspoon cornflour with 2 tablespoon water to make a cornflour slurry and add to the sauce.
- Serve over rice and top with spring onion (optional)
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