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Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir Fry

Mediterranean ground beef stir fry with fragrant spiced beef, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, and olives simmered in a herb-forward sauce. Browned beef and lightly crisped chickpeas create a hearty texture, served over couscous or pita with feta and parsley.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir Fry
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Juice of 1 lemon
  • 0.25 cup Crumbled feta
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley
  • 1 cup couscous or pita for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown and build the spice base
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking apart as you cook, then drain off excess fat.
  2. Add the diced small onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the minced cloves garlic and cook for 1 minute with the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper until fragrant.
Stir fry with chickpeas and tomatoes
  1. Add the drained chickpeas and cook for 2 minutes. Keep them moving so they develop slightly crispy edges.
  2. Stir in the halved cherry tomatoes and sliced Kalamata olives. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the tomatoes soften and the mixture looks glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Squeeze the Juice of 1 lemon over the top and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed for balance.
  2. Serve the spiced beef mixture over couscous and top with crumbled feta and fresh parsley. Add extra parsley for a bright green finish.

Notes

For best browning, spread the ground beef in an even layer before disturbing, then drain excess fat so the sauce doesn’t feel greasy. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the cherry tomatoes and chickpeas can soften too much. If you want a lighter option, use lean ground beef (or substitute ground turkey) to reduce overall fat while keeping the same Mediterranean spice blend.