Ground beef + white rice. The meal that broke TikTok. Here's the definitive version with exact measurements, macros for every beef ratio, and meal prep instructions.
Based on 170g cooked 85/15 ground beef + 200g cooked white rice. Makes 2 servings per batch.
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a pot. Add 2 cups rice and ½ tsp salt. Cover, reduce to low, simmer 18 minutes. Don't lift the lid. Or just use a rice cooker — one button, walk away.
Pro tip: Rice cooker is the gym bro move. $29 and you'll never think about rice again.
Heat a skillet or cast iron over medium-high. Dump in 1 lb ground beef. Break it up with a spatula. Cook 8-10 minutes until fully browned and no pink remains. Stir occasionally.
Pro tip: Cast iron > non-stick for better browning and crispier bits.
If you're cutting: tilt the pan, push beef to one side, spoon out the grease. This removes ~45% of the fat from 80/20 beef. If you're bulking: keep the fat, it's free calories.
Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir to combine evenly. For extra flavor, add soy sauce now — it'll sizzle and caramelize on the hot beef.
Pro tip: Garlic powder is non-negotiable. It's the difference between 'meh' and 'actually good.'
Scoop rice into a bowl. Pile beef on top. That's it. You just made the meal that 10 million TikTok viewers watched. Congratulations.
Per serving (170g cooked beef + 200g cooked white rice).
| Ratio | Protein | Fat | Calories | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73/27 | 48g | 40g | 785 | $1.85 | Bulking |
| 80/20 | 50g | 31g | 722 | $2.06 | Default |
| 85/15★ | 51g | 25g | 673 | $2.30 | Sweet spot |
| 90/10 | 52g | 20g | 629 | $2.75 | Cutting |
| 93/7 | 54g | 15g | 593 | $3.05 | Max lean |
★ 85/15 is the recommended ratio — best balance of protein, flavor, and cost.
Scale up: 2.5 lbs ground beef + 5 cups dry rice. This makes 5 servings.
Cook simultaneously: Rice in the cooker, beef in the skillet. Both done in 20 min.
Portion: Divide into 5 containers. Each gets ~1 cup rice + ~5 oz beef.
Store: Fridge for up to 5 days. Microwave 2 min to reheat. Add hot sauce fresh.
Using 80/20 beef ($5.49/lb) drops it to $2.30/serving. Buying family packs at Costco drops it further.
Cast iron gets hotter and creates crispier beef bits. Those crispy bits are flavor. Non-stick pans are faster to clean but sacrifice texture.
Let it sit and form a crust on the bottom. Then break it up. You want some chunks, not a fine powder.
Garlic powder burns at high heat. Brown the beef first, then reduce heat and add seasoning.
Throw frozen broccoli into the rice cooker or microwave it. Adds fiber, vitamin C, and makes this a complete meal.
Adding sauce fresh (not during prep) keeps each meal tasting different. Sriracha Monday, Cholula Tuesday, etc.