My Cookbook: Souk to Table 
Quick Ground Beef Bowls (Middle Eastern)
If you need a fast but flavour-packed dinner, this middle eastern ground beef bowl fits the bill! The ground beef is cooked *properly*, which means its juicy but caramelized, with lots of crispy bits. It’s seasoned with warm middle eastern spices like cumin, cinnamon and coriander for that deep, cozy flavour. Serve it over fluffy rice, with a crispy side salad and my creamy tahini sauce and you’ll have a go-to meal.
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How To Take Ground Beef from Boring to Flavourful
Listen – I know. Saying you’re going to make “ground beef” for dinner sounds quite boring. And it would be if you were cooking it all wrong. But once you learn how to cook ground beef the right way, you’ll be making these ground beef bowls on repeat (middle eastern style, of course!).
Here are the main pitfalls of ground beef and how to avoid them:
- Steamed, soggy beef instead of browned and caramelized: this problem occurs when you overcrowd the pan, stir too often, and don’t use high enough heat. You end up trapping the moisture instead of allowing the beef to sear.
The solution: use a large skillet! I have a 14 inch skillet that works perfectly for this recipe amount. Start on medium high heat, and throughout the cooking process, let the meat sit undisturbed for a few minutes so it can brown. Those crispy brown bits are the best part (thanks to the Maillard reaction!).
- Bland, one-note flavour: not seasoning the ground beef enough or adding the spices in too late in the cooking process will result in a bland final result.
The solution: Use the spices in this recipe (cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, curry powder, onion powder and garlic powder) and add them early on, once some fat has rendered, so they bloom and deepen in flavour.
- Served plain over rice: forgetting acidity, freshness and creaminess to balance the richness of the meat and add textural contrast.
The solution: serve it with a bright, acidic and crisp salad like my Arabic salad, as well as a sauce like my creamy yogurt shawarma sauce or this garlicky tahini sauce.
Easy Steps For the Perfect Bowl
It all comes to down to the ground beef cooking process, which only takes about 15 minutes. My preferred type of beef to use is lean ground beef as a middle ground. Medium beef will be too greasy and extra lean won’t have enough flavour.
Start by heating a large skillet (14 inch) on medium high and add the oil. Add the beef and break it up using a wooden spoon.
The first 5-7 minutes of cook time will be to break up the beef as well as allow the moisture to dry up. Once it does, add the spices. The next 5-7 minutes of cooking, you’ll notice the fat start to render and separate from the beef, and the spices will be fragrant as they toast in the fat.
The last few minutes will be to caramelize the beef by spreading it out into a layer and caramelizing it to get crispy brown bits. The final touch is a bit of pomegranate molasses to balance the richness of the beef and add a note of tartness (game changer!!). If you don’t have it, use a tablespoon of tomato paste.
Serve immediately over rice and salad and drown it in tahini sauce. And then tell me what you think of this very easy (and humble) meal!
If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!
If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!
Quick Ground Beef Bowls (Middle Eastern)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs lean or medium ground beef, 680 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, or substitute 1 tablespoon tomato paste
To Serve:
- Rice
- Salad
- Tahini Sauce
Instructions
- Start by heating a large skillet (14 inch skillet preferred!) on medium-high heat and add the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Make sure you wait a few minutes until the pan is hot before you add the ground beef so that it does not simply steam in the pan.
- Add the 1 ½ lbs lean or medium ground beef to the hot pan and break it up with a wooden spoon to prevent large clumps. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. You will notice that the moisture will start to be released at this point.
- Add in the 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon curry powder. Stir to combine and cook for a further 6 minutes. At this point you will notice the juices drying up and the oil/fat left in the skillet separating from the beef.
- Spread out the beef and leave it undisturbed to continue browning for another minute or two. Begin to stir once you see browning happening on the bottom layer, which will add texture and flavour. Add the 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (or sub tomato paste if you really don't have it), stir and cook for a further 2 minutes. Avoid drying out the meat so don't cook too long!
- Serve the ground beef over rice, a side salad and tahini sauce OR this shawarma sauce for a full meal. The sides can all be prepared while the beef is cooking.
Notes
- Cooking the ground beef properly will make or break this meal! Make sure you use a large skillet, and cook it following the recipe directions to ensure you get properly caramelized beef with crispy bits and lots of flavour.
- While the beef is cooking, it’s the perfect time to be preparing your sides. I love serving it with fluffy white rice, a crisp fresh salad like my arabic salad, and tahini sauce. But feel free to play around with it, crispy potatoes make a great side as well as a garlic sauce like toum.
So addicting and so quick! I’m in a stage of life where I need fast meals, and I’m so grateful to have come across a healthy recipe that’s both easy and full of flavor🙏
I’m so glad you found it easy and delicious! Thanks so much for leaving us a review Sedra!