Ground beef is a versatile and budget-friendly staple that can be used to make endless quick and easy dinner recipes. With just a pound or two of ground beef, you can whip up hearty, satisfying meals for the whole family. From classic comfort foods to international-inspired dishes, read on for 15 delicious dinner ideas featuring everyone’s favorite affordable protein.
Classic Favorites
Some dinners are popular for good reason. When you’re looking for familiar flavors and comfort food favorites you can’t go wrong with these classic ground beef dinners.
Cheeseburger Casserole
This family-pleasing casserole brings together two all-American favorites – cheeseburgers and macaroni and cheese. Cooked ground beef is mixed with macaroni noodles and cheddar cheese sauce, then topped with more cheese and baked. Kids and adults alike will devour this cheesy, beefy bake. Serve it alongside a fresh salad or steamed veggies for a complete meal.
Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is the ultimate comfort food, with a fluffy mashed potato topping over a savory ground beef and veggie filling. Cook chopped carrots, corn, peas, and onions with the ground beef. Top with creamy mashed potatoes and melted cheese and bake until bubbly and golden. Hearty and nourishing, this skillet pie is a cold weather favorite.
Chili
Is there anything better than a piping hot bowl of chili on a chilly night? This easy homemade chili starts with onion garlic and ground beef cooked together. Add tomatoes, beans, chili powder, and cumin for an ultra-flavorsome result. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips for a supreme chili experience.
Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a dinner time staple that always satisfies Mix together ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, and seasonings, shape into a loaf, and bake until perfectly browned. For extra flavor, make a ketchup glaze topping Serve thick slices with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies for a quintessential homestyle meal.
International Flavors
Take your ground beef dinners on a world tour with these recipes inspired by global cuisines.
Beef Tacos
Spice up Taco Tuesday with homemade beef tacos. Cook onions, garlic, and ground beef with taco seasoning until nicely browned. Serve the taco meat in warmed tortillas or taco shells, and set out toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. Easy, customizable, and packed with Mexican flavors, tacos are a definite crowd-pleaser.
Beef Stroganoff
This Russian comfort food classic is made by cooking onions and mushrooms with ground beef in a creamy sauce. Add a splash of wine for extra flavor. Toss with cooked egg noodles and top with a dollop of sour cream. Savory, tender, and irresistible, beef stroganoff is a cozy meal on chilly nights.
Italian Meatballs
Make these easy homemade meatballs with just ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Shape into balls and bake until perfectly browned. Pile the meatballs onto a bowl of spaghetti, make meatball subs, or serve them as an appetizer. However you enjoy them, these flavorful meatballs are an Italian dinner staple.
Greek Moussaka
This hearty Greek casserole is made by layering sautéed eggplant, ground beef, and a creamy bechamel sauce, then baking. The combination of flavors and textures is incredible. Moussaka takes a bit of time to prepare, but the results are well worth it for a special occasion meal. Serve with a Greek salad for a delicious Mediterranean feast.
Quick and Easy Skillet Meals
For fast weeknight dinners, you can’t beat skillet meals made right on the stovetop. These recipes come together in 30 minutes or less.
Ground Beef and Potatoes
This easy skillet dinner combines ground beef and potatoes – two ingredients you likely have on hand. Simply brown the ground beef, then add potato slices and onion. Season with garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper as the potatoes get perfectly crispy. Fast, filling, and delicious.
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Make this Chinese restaurant classic at home in minutes. Cook ground beef with garlic and ginger, then add broccoli florets and stir fry sauce. Serve over rice for a fast and healthy meal the whole family will love. Switch up the protein or veggies to customize your stir fry.
Beef and Bean Quesadillas
Quesadillas are such an easy dinner option. Sauté ground beef with taco seasoning and black beans until heated through. Place on a tortilla with shredded cheese, fold in half, and cook in a skillet until the cheese melts. Cut into wedges and serve with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream for a fast Tex-Mex feast.
Beef and Cabbage Skillet
This simple skillet supper combines ground beef and shredded cabbage for a quick, healthy, and delicious meal. As the cabbage cooks down, it gets wonderfully tender and absorbs all the beefy flavors. Season with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and caraway seeds. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes to soak up the juices.
Kid-Approved Meals
Getting picky eaters to clean their plates can be a challenge. When you need a surefire crowd-pleaser for the kids, try these family-friendly ground beef dinners.
Beefy Mac and Cheese
Amp up the average mac and cheese by mixing in some ground beef. First brown the beef with onions and garlic, then stir in cooked macaroni and cheese sauce. Top with breadcrumbs and more cheese and bake until bubbly. Kids will gobble up this beefed-up version of their favorite comfort food.
Mini Cheeseburgers
Making slider-sized cheeseburgers is a fun way to get kids involved in cooking dinner. Set out bowls of toppings and let each person assemble their own mini cheeseburgers on petite buns. Adults can enjoy the small bites too! Serve with oven fries for an all-American kids meal.
Beef Ravioli Bake
Kids who balk at chunks of meat in sauces will happily devour this ravioli bake. Mix cooked ground beef with marinara sauce and spoon the mixture over a layer of cheese ravioli in a baking dish. Top with mozzarella and bake until melted and bubbly. The creamy, cheesy pasta blankets the beefy flavor.
Beefy Bean Burritos
Kids love foods they can pick up and customize themselves. Set out warmed tortillas and bowls of ground beef cooked with taco seasoning and refried beans. Let each person fill their tortilla with beef mixture, cheese, lettuce, and other toppings. Wrap up the burritos and serve with rice for a fun, hands-on meal.
Satisfying One-Pot Meals
When you’re looking to keep dinner easy and fuss-free, cooking everything in one pot is the way to go. These hearty one-pot ground beef meals make prep and cleanup a breeze.
Beef and Vegetable Soup
This chunky soup is chock-full of ground beef, potatoes, carrots, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. Simply brown the ground beef and sauté the veggies, then add broth and seasonings and simmer until the veggies are tender. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors develop. Top with cheese and crackers for a comforting one-pot meal.
Skillet Lasagna
All the flavors of lasagna come together in one skillet with no boiling noodles required. Cook ground beef with tomatoes and spinach, then layer with ricotta cheese and mozzarella right in the skillet. A quick 15 minutes in the oven melts the cheese to ooey, gooey perfection. Dig into this satisfying lasagna straight from the pan.
Beef and Barley Stew
This hearty stew starts by cooking ground beef and onions. Then add carrots, potatoes, barley, beef broth, and seasonings. Let it simmer until the barley is tender and the stew is thickened. The earthy barley soaks up all the rich flavors. Topped with parsley, this beefy stew makes a deeply satisfying one-pot dinner.
Chili Mac
For a quick and easy skillet dinner, cook ground beef, onions, tomatoes, and macaroni noodles all together. Add chili powder, cumin, kidney beans, and tomato sauce for an easy chili mac loaded with flavor. Top with shredded cheddar for the perfect quick-fix family meal. Both kids and adults will love this fun twist on mac and cheese.
With just a package or two of ground beef, you can make endless fast, budget-friendly dinners for your family. From comforting casseroles to flavorful international dishes, the possibilities are endless. Which of these tasty ground beef meals will you be making for dinner tonight?
How to Make Ground Beef and Broccoli
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
Im not exaggerating when I say this quick ground beef recipe takes about 15 minutes to make from start to finish! Here are the easy steps:
- Brown your ground beef in a large skillet, Dutch oven, or sauté pan.
- Mix together the sauce while the ground beef is browning.
- Stir garlic and ginger into the cooked ground beef and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir your sauce and broccoli florets into the ground beef.
- Mix cornstarch into cool water.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry into your Ground Beef and Broccoli. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for a few final minutes to thicken the sauce.
Voilà! All the flavor of Chinese take-out…except healthier!
And dare I say tastier *and* faster than delivery?
A funny side note about this sauce is that I actually based it on a recipe I originally developed for my cookbook. The Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli I was attempting way back when tasted great, but I couldnt get the texture of the beef to my liking using the crock pot.
So I ended up scrapping the recipe. But — hoarder that I am — I fortunately still had the sauce ingredients and proportions hanging out in the deep, dark recesses of my computer files. So I transformed it into this Ground Beef and Broccoli recipe that we all know and love today!
My family loves this healthy ground beef recipe so much — and I make it so often — that I always keep the ingredients on hand.
However, if you want to make it and find that youre lacking an ingredient or two, you can easily make substitutions!
- Swap out the veggies: This dinner is nicely balanced with protein and vegetables. However, you may substitute other vegetables for some/all of the broccoli, or even bump up the total amount of veggies. Snow peas, shredded or thinly-sliced carrots, baby corn, or diced bell peppers would all be delicious. Some commenters over the years have reported adding mushrooms, zucchini, green onions, cherry tomatoes, and even pineapple chunks…let your imagination run wild and free! Keep in mind that firmer veggies may require a few extra minutes of simmering to become tender. You can always add a little extra broth if too much sauce is evaporating due to additional cooking time.
- Oyster sauce: Many people ask if this recipe can be made without oyster sauce. The answer is yes, although the final dish may be missing some of its depth of flavor. Some commenters have said the recipe turns out fine leaving out the oyster sauce altogether. Otherwise, possible substitutes for the oyster sauce are as follows. You will want to taste and adjust these ingredients if something still seems to be missing.
- Increase the total soy sauce in the recipe to 3 ½ tablespoons and increase the total honey to 1 ½ tablespoons. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, if you like.
- Increase the total soy sauce in the recipe to 3 ½ tablespoons and add 1 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce, if you have it.
At the end of the day, you can make this Ground Beef and Broccoli your own!
Some commenters over the years have mentioned adding fish sauce to this recipe or boosting the amounts of garlic, ginger, vinegar, and/or oyster sauce, to taste.
You can sprinkle your finished dish with sesame seeds if you like.
And if you want even more veggies, you can always serve a simple green salad drizzled with flavor-packed Asian dressing on the side!
So are you a fellow beef and broccoli aficionado? Or a fan of simple ground beef recipes?
A lover of speedy skillet suppers?
A hater of washing dishes?
All of the above?
If so, this Ground Beef and Broccoli recipe definitely deserves a spot on your must-make list.
After all, it relies on ingredients that you probably already have in your fridge/freezer/pantry, and its a nice change of pace from spaghetti or meatloaf or Sloppy Joes when youve got ground beef to use up. I truly believe that this is one of the best ground beef recipes out there!
One family-pleasing dinner, coming right up…
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes
Easy & Healthy Ground Beef Rice Bowls
FAQ
What can I do with ground beef for dinner?
- Salisbury Ground Beef. …
- Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry. …
- Ground Beef Hummus Bowls. …
- One-Pan Beef and Chickpeas. …
- One-Pot Taco Pasta. …
- Easy Beef Krapow. …
- Baked Ground Beef Tacos. …
- Easy Taco Casserole.
What can I make with a pound of ground beef?
- Hamburger and Macaroni.
- Easy Hamburger Soup.
- Stovetop Taco Soup.
- Dad’s Stuffed Bell Peppers.
- Easy Shepherd’s Pie.
- Chili Mac and Cheese.
- Salisbury Ground Beef.
- Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry.
What is a cowboy dinner?
Cowboy dinner is a hearty casserole of flavorful beef, corn and beans topped with soft, fluffy cornbread and a layer of cheese. So delicious! This easy, comfort food casserole has been a family favorite for over 20 years! After that long, you know the recipe has to be a keeper!
What is a popular beef dish?
Explore classic beef dishes like meatloaf, chili, lasagna, meatballs, burgers and steaks. Whether it’s for a quick and easy family dinner or a special occasion, our collections have a variety of choices for everyone!
What are some easy ground beef dinner recipes?
T hese easy ground beef recipes are perfect for dinner: Baked Cabbage Burgers, Ground Beef Chili, and many more, all made with simple ingredients. Try our ground beef dinner recipes for a meal you’ll want to add to your weekly meal plan. Enjoy! 1. Beef Pasta in Tomato Sauce {Beef Ragu Pasta}
What can you make with ground beef?
Turn ground beef into the best chili you’ll ever have, our rendition of Cuban picadillo, smoky-sweet enchiladas, comforting pot pie, and much more. Here are plenty of recipes to transform that package of ground beef into a supremely satisfying dinner. “This is a culmination of all the meatloaf I’ve ever eaten,” says chef Andrew Curren.
What are some healthy ground beef dinner ideas?
If you’re looking for healthy ground beef dinner ideas, zucchini boats are the way to go! Simply hollow them out and stuff them with this cheesy beef mixture, top with more cheese, and then bake until the cheese is melted and the zucchini is tender. 7. Chili Mac This classic recipe is so simple to make but packed full of flavor.
Can you eat ground beef on a budget?
It also happens to be the star in so many budget-friendly dinner ideas: sliders, skillet meals, and soups. Here, you’ll find plenty of healthy ground beef dinners, baked pastas, and one-pot meals to freshen up your dinner routine. These ground beef recipes prove there’s no shortage of ways to put it to good use.
Should you add ground beef to burgers?
You’ll also discover burgers done every which way. If you’re feeding a crowd, the cheeseburger sliders are a big time hit. Instead of flipping tons of patties, seasoned ground beef is spread on slider buns with all the fixings for an easy meal. Of course, anytime your cooking pasta recipes, adding some ground beef is a no-brainer.
Can you make a cheeseburger with ground beef?
When the craving hits for a cheeseburger, you can make your own by combining ground beef with ground sirloin and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Don’t forget your favorite toppings! Get the Classic Cheeseburger recipe. Bring something fresh and flavorful to the dinner table with this stuffed cabbage.