Ready in under 30 minutes, this firecracker beef is a flavorful recipe that is perfect for a busy weeknight or as a meal prep! It’s sweet, spicy, and made with only a handful of pantry staples! Serve over rice or noodles for an easy meal.

This firecracker ground beef will be a staple in your meal rotation. I love firecracker sauce and while I shouldn’t pick favorites, this ground beef with firecracker sauce is definitely one of my favorite recipes to make with my homemade sauce. Don’t believe me? Try it for dinner this week!

Overhead view of a bowl of rice with firecracker beef, edamame, and carrots.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s quick and easy! You can whip this up in no time. I usually start my rice in my rice cooker on the quick setting so it is ready when the firecracker beef is ready!
It’s freezer-friendly! When I went away for a week, I made a large batch of this firecracker ground beef so H could quickly heat it up while I was gone, and I was able to enjoy some when I got home and didn’t feel like cooking!
It’s so flavorful! I love the sweet and spicy notes. You can easily customize it so it’s sweeter or spicier.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make firecracker beef.

sriracha — sriracha is a chili sauce made out of chili peppers, sugar, garlic, distilled vinegar, and salt.
brown sugar — I like using dark brown sugar as it has a deeper caramel note but you can also use regular or light brown sugar.
soy sauce — I recommend using low sodium soy sauce.
red pepper flakes — just a pinch for a little extra heat.
salt — a pinch of kosher salt.
oil — I use olive oil, but you can use any neutral oil.
onion — I used half of a yellow onion. You can use a full onion if you’d like some extra onions in your beef. You can also use a sweet onion or even shallots!
garlic — the more garlic, the better!
ground beef — I use lean ground beef. If you use a fattier ground beef, you might have to drain it a bit before adding the sauce to the skillet.

How to Make Firecracker Beef

Set of two photos showing firecracker sauce mixed in a bowl and onions cooked in a skillet.

In a small bowl, combine the sriracha, brown sugar, soy sauce, red chili flakes, salt, and a tablespoon of water. Mix until well combined and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the diced onions. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and salt and saute for another minute.

Set of two photos showing ground beef added to the skillet and browned.

Push the onions and garlic to the edge of the skillet and add the ground beef. Cook for 3 minutes, making sure to break up the pieces, until almost fully cooked through.

Set of two photos showing sauce added to the ground beef and coated.

Add the sauce to the ground beef and mix until well combined and the sauce has cooked down to your liking. Add additional brown sugar or sriracha as desired.

A skillet of firecracker beef topped with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Recipe Tips and Notes

I like serving my sweet and spicy firecracker beef with some jasmine rice, edamame, and carrots. However, you can serve it with any easy veg! I also like this with peas, broccoli, corn, cauliflower, spinach, red peppers, and cucumbers.
I garnish the firecracker beef with toasted sesame seeds and green onions but it’s optional.
A poached egg or a sunny side up egg makes for the perfect addition to firecracker beef.

A meal prep container with firecracker beef, rice, carrots, and edamame.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked firecracker beef in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezer: allow the beef to cool before transferring it into an airtight container before storing it in the freezer for up to three months.

Firecracker Ground Beef Recipe

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: servings

Ingredients

For the Sauce

5 tablespoons sriracha
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1½ tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablesooon water

For the Beef

1 tablespoon oil
½ yellow onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef, lean

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the sriracha, brown sugar, soy sauce, red chili flakes, salt, and a tablespoon of water. Mix until well combined and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the diced onions. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and salt and saute for another minute.
Push the onions and garlic to the edge of the skillet and add the ground beef. Cook for 3 minutes, making sure to break up the pieces, until almost fully cooked through.
Add the sauce to the ground beef and mix until well combined and the sauce has cooked down to your liking. Add additional brown sugar or sriracha as desired.

Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

Nutrition Per Serving

Author: Carmy

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Nutrition Disclaimer

More Firecracker Recipes to Try

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