30-Minute Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet

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!

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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.