Brown the ground beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Cook, breaking it into crumbles with a spoon, until no pink remains, about 6 minutes. Drain excess fat if there's a lot.

Set beef aside: Transfer the cooked beef to a plate and set it aside. Leave a thin layer of fat or a little butter in the pan for the next step.

Cook the onion and garlic: Add the butter, onion and garlic to the same skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.

Toast the rice: Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the grains smell toasty and look slightly glossy. This step helps the rice hold its shape later.

Return the beef to the pan: Add the browned beef back into the skillet with the rice and onions. Stir everything together so the flavors combine evenly.

Add broth and seasonings: Pour in the beef broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cumin and paprika. Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

Simmer covered: Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 18 minutes without lifting the lid. The rice should absorb most of the liquid.

Add peas and carrots: Remove the lid and stir in the frozen peas and carrots. Cover again and let it sit off the heat for 5 minutes so the vegetables warm through.

Fluff and season: Fluff the rice gently with a fork to separate the grains. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed before serving warm.