Tomato Beef Rice
Tomato beef rice—sometimes I jokingly call it the Chinese bolognese (don’t come after me!)—is one of the ultimate comfort foods I grew up with. It’s a rice and savory meat sauce that just happens to pair perfectly with a simple bowl of rice. In fact, you HAVE to eat it with rice! Honestly, it’s the kind of dish you can eat bowl after bowl without even realizing it. Now as an adult, I still find myself coming back to it on busy nights when I want something easy, satisfying, and full of nostalgia.
Ingredients
1/2 lb Ground beef
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1/2 stalk Green onion, chopped
1/4 Onion, diced
2 medium Tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Ketchup
1/2 cup Water
1 tbsp Cornstarch (mixed with 4 tbsp Water for slurry)
1 Egg
Step by step instructions
1. Prepare the aromatics
Mince the garlic, dice the onion, chop the green onion, and dice the tomatoes.
2. Cook the beef
Heat a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and sauté until browned and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the aromatics.
Stir in the garlic, diced onion, and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for about 2 minutes until the onions soften and the mixture becomes fragrant.
4. Cook down the tomatoes.
Add the diced tomatoes and let them cook down, stirring occasionally, until they start to break apart and release their juices. This creates the sweet and tangy backbone of the sauce.
5. Season the sauce.
Pour in the soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, and water. Stir everything together and let it simmer for a few minutes so the flavors can meld.
6. Thicken the sauce.
Slowly drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while stirring to avoid clumps. Allow the mixture to simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness, glossy and rich.
7. Serve and enjoy.
For extra comfort, crack an egg directly into the sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat until just set. Spoon the tomato beef mixture over a hot bowl of rice. Enjoy!
Tomato Beef Rice
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Ground beef
- 1 tbsp Garlic, minced
- 1/2 stalk Green onion, chopped
- 1/4 Onion, diced
- 2 medium Tomatoes, diced
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Ketchup
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 4 tbsp Water
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Prepare the aromatics: Mince the garlic, dice the onion, chop the green onion, and dice the tomatoes.
- Cook the beef: Heat a bit of oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and sauté until browned and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the aromatics: Stir in the garlic, diced onion, and the white parts of the green onion. Sauté for about 2 minutes until the onions soften and the mixture becomes fragrant.
- Cook down the tomatoes: Add the diced tomatoes and let them cook down, stirring occasionally, until they start to break apart and release their juices. This creates the sweet and tangy backbone of the sauce.
- Season the sauce: Pour in the soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, and water. Stir everything together and let it simmer for a few minutes so the flavors can meld.
- Thicken the sauce: Slowly drizzle in the cornstarch slurry while stirring to avoid clumps. Allow the mixture to simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness, glossy and rich.
- Serve and enjoy: For extra comfort, crack an egg directly into the sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat until just set. Spoon the tomato beef mixture over a hot bowl of rice. Enjoy!