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Mediterranean Ground Beef Skillet combines ground beef with a variety of fresh vegetables, flavored with warm spices, fresh herbs and feta cheese. This skillet recipe not only tastes great, but is a healthy, low carb, high protein dinner the whole family will enjoy.

If you have been around A Cedar Spoon for a while now you probably know I love Mediterranean inspired recipes.
I adore the warm spices that are often in Mediterranean recipes like cinnamon, allspice, clove and cumin.
Today I am partnering with the Ohio Beef Council to share this Mediterranean Ground Beef Skillet. It is a quick and easy weeknight meal that you can have on your table in under 20 minutes.
This delicious healthy ground beef recipe mixes together ground beef with warm spices of cinnamon, oregano, allspice, clove and cumin mixed with fresh vegetables, fresh herbs and creamy feta cheese. I love serving this dish with jasmine or basmati rice.
You will love the lean ground beef that is packed with protein but still affordable to buy.
If you have ever had my Mediterranean Zucchini Boats this recipe actually reminds me of that recipe. It also reminds me of a dish I grew up eating, Lebanese Stuffed Kousa Squash but in a deconstructed way.
If you like ground beef recipes you also need to try my Mediterranean Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet, Mexican Beef Zucchini, Arayes, Beef Kafta Kabob Recipe, Lebanese Meat Pie Recipe or this Ground Beef Layered Hummus.
If you like healthy dinner recipes add this on to the rotation!

Why You’ll Love this Mediterranean Ground Beef Skillet Recipe
What I love most about this one skillet recipe is that it is adaptable. I like to serve this recipe with jasmine rice or basmati rice. For a low-carb option you can serve it with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
Crumbling some feta cheese over the ground beef skillet just before serving not only adds creamy texture and flavor, but just a touch of saltiness which balances out the spices. With just a few ingredients you can produce the perfect quick and healthy mid week dinner.
Here are more reasons it’s a must-try dish:
- Quick and Easy: This easy recipe requires very little hands on preparation, and then everything is cooked together quickly in one pan. It is perfect for a busy weeknight.
- Versatile Recipe: You can adapt this recipe to suit your own tastes, adding in lots of heart healthy vegetables to bulk out the meal.
- Healthy, Low Carb, Protein Packed Meal: If you want a healthy, easy meal for your family beef is a great option. Beef is a nutrient rich food that supports heart healthy diets and lifestyles. In fact, numerous research studies have shown that incorporating lean beef in a heart-healthy diet can maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels. A 3-oz serving of lean beef has about 170 calories on average and is a naturally rich source of 10 essential nutrients like protein, B-vitamins, iron and zinc.
Skillet meals are a great way to feed your family in an affordable way that is easy. Some of my favorite skillet meals are this Mediterranean Chickpea Skillet, Mediterranean Skillet Chicken, Bruschetta Chicken Orecchiette Pasta or this One Pot Chickpea Kale Pasta Recipe.
You should also take a look at my 14 Must Make Mediterranean Ground Beef Recipes post which is full of recipe ideas packed with the flavors of the Mediterranean.

Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
- Garlic: I always use freshly minced garlic in this recipe as it has the best flavor. If you don’t have fresh you can sub in garlic powder.
- Onion: I add a red onion to flavor the stir-fry as it has a mild flavor. I also use sliced green onions for a burst of fresh onion flavor to garnish the dish before serving.
- Bell Peppers: I use both red bell peppers and yellow bell peppers, but you can use any color of pepper in this recipe.
- Zucchini: I used a small zucchini and diced it. You could also do zucchini noodles but they will cook longer so you won’t need to add them until the end of the recipe and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Tomatoes: I add cherry tomatoes and fire roasted diced tomatoes to the skillet meal as they have a great sweet flavor You can use any small tomato like grape tomatoes or you can use diced tomatoes.
- Beans: I added chickpeas to this one skillet meal. You can skip these if you want but I really like adding them to help bulk up the dish or try white beans in place of the chickpeas.
- Ground Beef: I use a pound of ground beef to feed 4 people. I suggest using 80/20 ground beef because it has a bit more fat in it which helps give it flavor and create a richer dish.
- Seasoning: I season the ground beef and flavor the dish with allspice, clove, oregano, cayenne red pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin and cinnamon. These spices together are my favorite and are used in many Lebanese dishes like this Beef Kafta Kabob Recipe.
- Garnish: I garnish the dish with crumbled feta cheese, freshly chopped parsley and some sliced green onions.
For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.

Recipe Variations
- Beef: When I use ground beef I like to use 80/20 to get that extra flavor from the fat in the meat into the stir-fry, but if you want a leaner beef you can use 90/10.
- Vegetables: Add extra vegetables like green pepper, brussels sprouts, green beans, artichokes, green peas, mushrooms, celery, baby corn, eggplant, or zucchini. You also can use a frozen veggie mix for a short cut!
- Spice: If there is a spice you don’t like you can leave it out or swap it for something else. I like to add za’atar if I have it on hand or sweet paprika.
- Cheese: I like to crumble over some feta cheese before serving. You can swap the feta for other cheese, try some grated Parmesan or crumbly goats cheese.
- Potatoes: Adding diced russet potatoes, sweet potatoes would be a nice addition to this skillet.
- Fresh Herbs: Everything is better with fresh herbs! I love adding fresh parsley to the finished dish but you could also use mint, oregano or basil.
- Other Ingredients: Some other ingredients that would be nice to add are olives, capers or sun-dried tomatoes.

How to Make Ground Beef Stir Fry
Step 1: Sauté the Onion & Garlic
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and red onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Add the Vegetables
Add the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, zucchini and cherry tomatoes and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetable begin to become tender. Add the spinach in and sauté until wilted.
Remove the vegetables into a large bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Sauté the Ground Beef & Spices
Add another 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Add the ground meat, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, clove, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and sauté for 7-9 minutes or until the beef is fully cooked. Drain the fat from the ground beef.
Return the ground beef to the skillet along with the vegetables. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer for 2-3 minutes


Step 4: Finish & Garnish the Dish
Remove from heat and garnish with green onion, parsley and feta cheese. Serve this one-skillet ground beef recipe over basmati or jasmine rice.
Expert Tips for Perfect Mediterranean Beef Skillet
- Use the best quality ground beef as it will have the best flavor in the finished dish.
- I always like to properly brown the beef as it will add extra flavor.
- Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break the Ground Beef into crumbles as you’re cooking. Stir lightly to ensure even cooking.
- Most recipes call for the Ground Beef to be drained after browning. If you are using extra-lean Ground Beef, there may not be much to drain at all. Do not pour the fat down the drain but instead put it in a tin can and let it harden then throw out. It can cause drains to clog.
Serving Tips
There is so much in this dish, that I like to keep the sides simple:
- Grains: I like to serve this with some steamed white rice, brown rice, couscous, or quinoa if you’re looking for a higher protein option. You could also serve it with my Coconut Rice Salad.
- Vegetable: This is a vegetable laden meal, so if I was adding extras I’d keep it to a few vegetable sides like my Simple Garlic Parmesan Green Beans, or Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower.
- Low-Carb: For a low-carb option, serve the beef over a bed of zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.
- Bread: Serve this skillet with pita bread, pita chips or homemade naan bread.
- Dips: This skillet is great alongside tahini yogurt dressing, hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, tahini sauce.
It pairs well with pita bread, couscous, rice, tzatziki sauce, hummus, or a Greek salad.

Storage Tips
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. Warm up leftovers in a hot skillet.
To freeze, place the cooled beef and vegetables in an airtight container or ziplock bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating to piping hot.
Leftover Ideas
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, they can be turned into another delicious meal:
- Salad & Rice Bowls: Add leftover beef and vegetables to your favorite rice bowl.
- Wraps: Warm up the beef and vegetables and it makes a great addition to burritos, tacos or carnitas, just add your favorite salsas and salads.
- Quesadillas: Leftovers make a great addition to a quesadilla, along with a layer of shredded cheese. Just add some extras like your favorite salsa, or black beans.

Recipe FAQs
I personally like 80/20 to add extra flavor and a bit of fat into the dish. If you are looking for a more lean option you can use opt for 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef to minimize grease while keeping the dish juicy. If using fattier beef, drain excess fat after browning.
You need to make sure not to overcook the ground beef but make sure it is cooked through. Ground beef cooks quickly, and over-browning can make it dry. You can add a splash of broth or diced tomatoes to help add some moisture.
This is a great make-ahead meal! I actually think the leftovers are even better because the flavors and spices all soak into the beef and vegetables. You can store this in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes:
If you like ground beef recipes try one of these easy, delicious ground beef recipes:
- Ground Beef Layered Hummus
- Mediterranean Ground Beef Zucchini Skillet
- Mediterranean Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
- Lebanese Meat Pie
- Beef Enchiladas
- Kibbeh
- Spiced Beef Hummus Pita Pizza
- Greek Meatballs
- Beef Kafta Meatballs
If you try it, please leave me a star rating and comment below, and follow me on Instagram @acedarspoon for more delicious recipes!

Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon clove
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne red pepper, optional
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 – 15 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 – 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 14 green onions green and white parts chopped, garnish
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled, garnish
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped, garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and red onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper and cherry tomatoes and a dash of salt and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetable begin to become tender.
- Remove the vegetables into a large bowl and set aside.
- Add another 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet.
- Add the ground beef, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, clove, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and sauté for 7-9 minutes or until the beef is fully cooked. Drain the fat from the ground beef.
- Return the ground beef to the skillet along with the vegetables. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and garnish with green onions, parsley and feta cheese.
- Serve warm over basmati or jasmine rice.
Notes
Storage Tips
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. Warm up leftovers in a hot skillet. To freeze, place the cooled beef and vegetables in an airtight container or ziplock bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating to piping hot.Today’s recipe is sponsored by the Ohio Beef Council. As always, opinions are 100% my own.
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