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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Hoisin Beef Bowl

    Aug 29, 2022 · Mar 2, 2023 This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    This Hoisin Beef Bowl has to be my family’s favourite chinese style beef. It’s flavourful and comforting and the fresh, crunchy salad makes a welcome change to cooked vegetables. It’s SO easy to chow down this meal in minutes. And even with the three separate parts to this bowl, you can still get it on the table within 40 minutes.

    Hoisin Beef Bowl - Family Meals 2

    This beef bowl is super adaptable for different family members. You can make it more grown up with spring onions which really finish the bowl off perfectly, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds too if you like. For younger children and fussy eaters, you can serve it without the toppings. Using mince beef is also great for little ones, particularly those who struggle with chunks of beef. I’ll tell you how to tweak & serve to younger children and babies below.

    How to Cook My Hoisin Beef Bowl

    Watch me make this Hoisin Beef Bowl step-by-step here, before or as you cook.

    Hoisin Beef Bowl Ingredients 

    Beef Mince

    Go for 5% extra lean mince / ground beef as the healthiest option. We are also going to drain the excess fat off once the beef is browned.

    Hoisin Sauce

    The key flavour ingredient here is Hoisin Sauce. I usually use Blue Dragon Hoisin Dipping Sauce, but you can use supermarket own brand or even a hoisin stir fry sauce, which you can get for a really reasonable price. 

    Hoisin Beef Bowl Family Recipe

    Chinese 5 Spice

    For the Chinese 5 Spice, I like to use the Schwartz brand but again, supermarket own brand will be fine, and cheaper. 

    The Salad

    You can skip the salad completely and go for cooked vegetables instead. Steamed broccoli or carrots are a quick alternative.

    The Rice

    I haven’t included instructions for cooking the rice in this recipe, most people have their own way of doing it already. If you do need a rice recipe - I’ve got you! Take a look at mine here >

    Pro Prep Tips

    We’re going to make light work of that salad by using our mandolins. You have a few options for serving this cucumber and carrot salad. You could use the thinest, 3mm slicing attachment for very thin slices, your julienne attachment for matchsticks like I have done here, your ribbon cut attachment for ribbons, or spiralizer attachment for spirals. Or you may have a spiralizer you can use instead. 

    Beef Bowl - Family Meals

    Prep Ahead

    You can prep the carrots and cucumber, leave them in the mandolin and cover the top with clingflim (saran wrap) and refrigerate until ready to use. You can also prep the garlic, Chinese 5 Spice and ground ginger into a mini bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate. Same with the sauce, you can measure out the hoisin and the soy sauce into a small bowl, cover and chill until ready to use.

    Kids Cook Too

    Younger children can get involved by helping measure everything out. They’ll enjoy watching the mandolin at work. If you like, they can also have a go at using it, provided the veg is secured to the handle and they are supervised closely by you.

    Feed a Crowd

    This is easily doubled, just use a saucepan or shallow cooking pot instead of a frying pan to cook the beef.

    Storing My Hoisin Beef Bowl

    You can store leftovers of the beef in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days (2 days + cook). The rice should only be kept for 24 hours in the fridge, and should be cooled down quickly and not left sitting out. The dressed salad will be ok for the next day. Prepared and undressed it will last 2 days.

    You can freeze the beef and rice leftovers on the same day, just defrost for 24 hours in the fridge and reheat until steaming hot all the way through.

    For more on safe food storage and reheating read here >

    Diet Details

    My Hoisin Beef Bowl is egg and diary-free. Hoisin Sauce may contain soybeans, wheat flour, sesame seeds, nuts and peanuts - check the label before you buy.

    Hoisin Beef Bowl - Family Meals

    Adapting My Hoisin Beef Bowl For Your Family

    Here, I recommend how to tweak this recipe if you are eating with a baby or toddler and I’ll also give tips for serving it to younger children and fussy eaters. 

    Keeping Younger Children & Picky Eaters Happy

    Keep theirs simple. Don’t add spring onions or sesame seeds to their serving. You can always ask if they’d like to try them but don’t push if they say no. 

    If your child doesn’t like salad with dressing on then set aside some of the prepared cucumber and carrot for them before you dress it for everyone else.

    See more from me on fussy eaters here >

    Young Children - Fussy Eater - Picky Eater - family Meals

    Add On’s for Adults

    All I can say is - don’t skip the spring onions! They really round off this dish. The sesame seeds are totally optional.

    Making My Hoisin Beef Bowl Baby & Toddler Friendly 

    I already don’t add salt into this dish because I just don’t think it needs it. Switch the beef stock to low-salt beef stock if eating with a baby, and also you can use reduced salt soy sauce.

    Baby led weaning - baby friendly family meals - hoisin beef bowl

    How to Serve My Hoisin Beef Bowl to Babies & Toddlers 

    BABY-LED WEANING

    Serve the beef on top of the rice, or mixed in. For the carrot and cucumber, serve prepared age appropriately:

    6 - 8 months

    While you are cooking, steam either a whole carrot or half a carrot (sliced lengthways) for little one. For the cucumber, they can have it with skin on, cut into finger size strips. 

    9 months +

    The carrot and cucumber can be served as prepared using the mandolin as thin (3mm) ribbons. 

    Baby weaning - baby friendly family meals

    SPOON FEEDING

    6 Months

    Put their beef into your stick blender pot or food chopper if it purées. Add a little rice and undressed carrot and cucumber (set some aside once you have prepared it). Add a little warm boiled water to loosen as needed and whizz into a purée. 

    7-9 Months

    Put some beef in the mini food chopper along with a little rice and some of the undressed, prepared carrot and cucumber. Slowly pulse until everything is finely chopped. Add some warm water or low salt stock to loosen as needed.

    10-12 Months

    Pulse their beef, some prepared carrot and cucumber in your mini food chopper briefly. Transfer to their bowl and mix through some rice. 

    1 Year +

    Serve their beef as is, either top their rice with it or mix it in. Serve their salad undressed alongside.

    I’ve also added these notes to the bottom of the recipe so you have them to hand when you come to cook.

    For more info on how I keep my family meals baby & toddler friendly, read here >

    Shop at kidly for baby and toddler tablewear

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    Hoisin Beef Bowl Family Recipe

    HOISIN BEEF BOWL

    This chinese-style hoisin beef bowl is flavourful and comforting. The carrot and cucumber salad, is crisp and fresh, offsetting the slight sweetness of the beef perfectly.
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • Chopping board
    • Knife
    • Mandolin - 3mm slicing / julienne / spiralizer attachment
    • Prep bowls
    • Scales or measuring cups
    • Measuring spoons
    • Garlic press , optional
    • Small measuring jug
    • Small wire hand whisk
    • Large frying pan
    • Cooking spoon

    Ingredients
     
     

    FOR THE SALAD

    • ½ large cucumber
    • 2 carrots peeled
    • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    • ½ tablespoon vegetable / sunflower oil
    • ¼ teaspoon white sugar ideally caster / superfine sugar

    FOR THE BEEF

    • 1 tablespoon groundnut / vegetable / sunflower oil
    • 500 g extra lean beef mince 5% fat
    • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped / crushed
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
    • 100 g hoisin sauce
    • 100 ml beef stock
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • Bunch spring onions thinly sliced, to garnish
    • Sesame seeds to garnish, optional

    FOR THE RICE

    • Get the recipe here

    Instructions
     

    FOR THE SALAD

    • Top and tail the carrots and chop off the end of the cucumber. Then cut the cucumber and carrots in half horizontally. You’ll need a mandolin to slice them, you can either choose the thinnest slicing insert (3mm) to slice the carrots and cucumber into very thin slices, use the julienne attachment to slice into matchsticks, ribbon cut attachment for ribbons or spiral attachment for spirals. You could also use a spiralizer. One at a time, attach the pieces of carrot and cucumber to the handle spokes and work them back and forth on the mandolin (see video for help).
    • Then tip the carrot and cucumber into a medium bowl. Add the vinegar, oil and sugar and toss well.

    FOR THE BEEF

    • Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the beef and fry, stirring often for 5 minutes, or until browned. Use your spoon to break up chunks. Drain off the excess fat if any, then put the pan back on the hob.
    • Add in the garlic and spices and fry for a further minute.
    • Add in the stock, hoisin and soy sauce stirring well and allow to bubble. Then turn down the heat to low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • To serve, garnish adult and older child portions with the spring onions and sesame seeds if you like.

    Notes

    I haven’t included any salt and pepper in this recipe as we just don’t think it needs it, but you can add a little if you prefer.
    Of course you can skip the salad and serve with a different side like broccoli or stir fried vegetables.

    YOUNGER CHILDREN & FUSSY EATERS

    Leave spring onions and sesame seeds off their serving. Encourage them to help themselves to them instead.

    BABY & TODDLER

    For the beef, switch up the stock and soy sauce to a low-salt versions.

    BABY-LED WEANING

    Serve the beef on top of the rice, or mixed in. For the carrot and cucumber, serve prepared age appropriately:

    6 - 8 MONTHS while you are cooking, steam either a whole carrot or half a carrot (sliced lengthways) for little one. For the cucumber, they can have it with skin on, cut into finger size strips.

    9 MONTHS + the carrot and cucumber can be served as prepared using the mandolin as thin (3mm) ribbons.

    SPOON FEEDING

    6 MONTHS put their beef into your stick blender or food chopper if it purées. Add a little rice and undressed carrot and cucumber (set some aside once prepared). Add a little warm boiled water to loosen as needed and whizz into a purée.

    7-9 MONTHS put some beef in the mini food chopper along with a little rice and some of the undressed, prepared carrot and cucumber. Carefully pulse until the beef mince is fine. Add some warm water or low salt stock to loosen as needed. Then add to their bowl and stir through a little rice.

    10-12 MONTHS pulse their beef, some prepared carrot and cucumber in your mini food chopper breifly. Transfer to their bowl and mix through some rice.

    1 YEAR + serve their beef as is, either top their rice with it or mix it in. Serve their salad undressed alongside.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 341kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 33gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 7244mgPotassium: 659mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 57IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 4mg
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    Emma, Creator of Together to Eat
    Hi, I’m Emma

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