19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (2024)

We know that on weeknights, time can be tight and it can be a challenge to come up with dinner ideas that are both delicious and easy to make. That's why we lean on our best ground beef recipes that have complex, deep flavors and can be on the table quickly. 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 deeply satisfying dinner.

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Picadillo

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (1)

Our version of this Cuban classic mixes ground beef with a highly seasoned tomato sauce, fried potatoes, raisins, and green olives — and an untraditional dash of hot sauce. The deeply satisfying dish can be served over rice, with corn tortillas, or stuffed into roasted peppers.

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Beef and Cheese Red Chile Enchiladas

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (2)

Dipping warm corn tortillas in freshly made red chile sauce infuses each rolled enchilada with the smoky-sweet flavor of New Mexico chiles. The hearty cumin-tinged ground beef and cheese filling stands up well to the bold sauce.

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Classic Beef Chili

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (3)

This is a great classic chili to keep in your back pocket for game day meals or anytime you want a hearty bowl to warm you up.Toasting the ground cumin and ancho chile powder in oil as they cook with the ground beef brings out their earthy flavors, adding savory undertones to the mix when combined with the fresh poblano, thyme, and oregano.

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Mini Potato, Steak, and Chorizo Pies

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (4)

These smallish "pies" are filled with a smart combination of fresh chorizo and lean grass-fed ground beef. Seasoned with onion and Worcestershire, they come together in a snap and can easily be made ahead.

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Patty Melts with Charred Scallion-Chipotle Mayo

Classic versions of the patty melt often include caramelized onions, but those take time, so here cookbook author Molly Stevens leans on quick-charred scallions instead. Chipotle-spiked mayonnaise adds an extra dose of lushness and a punch of smoky heat.

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Crispy Comté Frico Cheeseburgers

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (6)

Salty, buttery, and slightly sharp, Comté cheese crisps similarly to Parmesan, adding an irresistibly crunchy frico layer to these ground chuck cheeseburgers.

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Ground Beef Lasagna

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (7)

This lasagna includes ground beef in the sauce and layers of ricotta and mozzarella to make each bite extra hearty.

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Lamb and Beef Burek

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (8)

Coils of flaky phyllo pastry are wrapped around a lightly seasoned filling of ground beef and lamb in these Bosnian pastries.

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Beef-and-Fonio Meatballs with Sweet Potato Stew

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (9)

Cooked until fluffy and dry like couscous, fonio, a West African staple grain, keeps the ground beef meatballs tender while imparting a mildly nutty, earthy flavor.

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Soboro Donburi (Gingery Ground Beef with Peas over Rice)

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (10)

This hearty Japanese dish features soboro (finely ground meat simmered in soy sauce, dashi, and sake) served over rice for a satisfying meal. To simplify the recipe, Japanese cooking teacher Elizabeth Andoh suggests using water instead of dashi.

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Beef and Vegetable Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuits

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (11)

This luscious pot pie — with its buttery cheddar crust and ground beef filling mixed with parsnips, carrots, and peas — is a perfect addition to your weeknight recipe repertoire. It comes together in just 45 minutes of active time before hitting the oven.

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Beef Keema

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (12)

Although this ground meat curry is often made with lamb, we've found that the distinctive combination of spices tastes just as good with ground beef. Serve the thick keema with warm naan or pita.

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Grilled Meatballs with Mint and Za'atar

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (13)

Pass crisp lettuce leaves and tangy yogurt with these cumin-spiced meat patties and assemble them at the table.Made in under half an hour, this is the perfect weeknight dish.

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Meat-Stuffed Poblanos with Cilantro-Lime Sauce

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (14)

Stuffing poblano peppers with ground beef turns them into a satiating meal. These peppers make for a perfectly spicy, bright dinner that comes together in only 30 minutes.

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Barbecue Sloppy Joes

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (15)

Barbecue sauce, ketchup, and cider vinegar spice up the ground beef in these retro Sloppy Joes. Chef Christopher Tunnell uses a mixture of ground sirloin and chuck for this sandwich and melts cheddar cheese on the bun to make it extra gooey.

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Thai-Style Beef Salad Over Angel Hair Pasta

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (16)

Laab — ground beef seasoned with chiles, lime juice, fish sauce, and mint — is a traditional Thai meat salad eaten warm or at room temperature. We've added thin noodles to turn it into a pasta salad, and you can always eat the meat mixture by itself.

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Macaroni and Beef Casserole

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (17)

This casserole from F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple is a homemade version of the boxed pasta meals he enjoyed (and still enjoys) when he was a kid. Fresh vegetables, ground beef, crushed tomatoes, pasta, melted cheese, and more come together for a satisfying, hearty dish that's ready in under an hour.

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Classic Meatloaf

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (18)

"This is a culmination of all the meatloaf I've ever eaten," says chef Andrew Curren. "My mom always made a good meatloaf — it never had the tomato goo on top of it. Then I tasted a meatloaf that had cheese in it; that was a good idea. In Italy, I was introduced to sofrito and realized the importance of cooking with carrots, onion, and celery."

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Hungarian Beef and Potato Soup

19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (19)

Traditionally, this soup would be made with cubes of beef, but when you want a quick weeknight dinner, who can wait for meat to braise? We use ground beef instead.

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19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to moist ground beef? ›

Baking soda acts as a tenderizer for ground beef, keeps it moist during cooking, and encourages deep browning by raising the acidity level of the surface of the meat. Simply add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 pound of ground beef for more tender meat with better browning.

How do you get the most flavor out of ground beef? ›

When seasoning ground beef, start with salt and black pepper. Then, depending on the dish you're making, experiment with savory spices like garlic powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano. Other seasoning options include minced garlic and diced onion.

What can I add to ground beef to make it taste better? ›

Use a marinade: Marinate the ground beef in a flavorful liquid such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or red wine before cooking. Add a flavorful liquid: Add a small amount of beef broth, tomato sauce, or red wine to the ground beef while it cooks to add extra flavor.

Should I get 80 20 ground beef? ›

A lot of the answers to these questions are based on preference. However, one truth always remains the same: To make the perfect burger, you always want to start with high-quality 80/20 beef, the juiciest and easiest to cook.

What does adding milk to ground beef do? ›

The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins. Whole milk (not reduced fat), buttermilk, and yogurt all get the job done – with a special nod to buttermilk and yogurt for their optimal tenderizing acidity levels.

What does adding vinegar to ground beef do? ›

First and foremost, vinegar is used as a tenderizer for meat and poultry. It may be added as an injected marinade in very tough proteins or applied via a soak or rub. It's never directly added as only vinegar. With marinades, vinegar is mostly included with stock, seasoned water or fruit/vegetable puree.

How do Mexican restaurants get their ground beef so fine? ›

Put the ground chuck in a large pot or Dutch oven and add seasonings. Add just enough water to cover the meat, bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about an hour. Every 15 minutes or so break up the meat with a large spoon or a potato masher so that it isn't lumpy.

Does baking soda make ground beef taste better? ›

However, by gently tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking, beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better.

Why does baking soda make ground beef taste better? ›

Baking soda helps prevent ground beef from drying out, allowing those burger patties to keep their moisture and brown quicker for the most flavorful cookout. Not to mention, baking soda is the ideal ingredient for getting the most out of your Thanksgiving bird.

When to add onions to ground beef? ›

Add onions or other chopped seasoning vegetables about 2 to 3 minutes before the beef is ready, or cook them separately. When the pan is hot, add about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break the ground beef up into smaller pieces as it cooks.

What brings out the Flavour of beef? ›

Because of beef's hearty, robust nature, flavor-forward spices like garlic and onion or herbs like rosemary and oregano are the best choices for an unforgettable beef dinner. An important thing to consider when selecting seasonings for your meal is that you should be seasoning beef based on the cut.

What seasonings taste good on beef? ›

Spices like onion and garlic, with their inherent pungency, are some of the first that come to mind when it's time to season beef. They are savory and strong, and also easy to come by! Black Pepper goes wonderfully with beef, with its slightly hot bite and the piney aroma. Cayenne is a terrific spice to use with beef.

What kind of ground beef do restaurants use for burgers? ›

Besides the fat, what cut of beef goes into a hamburger can vary from restaurant to restaurant. For example, some establishments use meat blends that can include short rib, strip steak, brisket, clod, and hanger, per New York Times.

What's the best ground beef for smash burgers? ›

The magic of the smash burger (that crisp, caramelized crust) comes from the combination of high heat and the high fat content of the burger. Because of this, smash burgers don't work as well with a leaner ground beef, so aim for an 80-85% meat to fat ratio. Ground chuck would also work wonderfully here.

How to cook ground beef without drying it out? ›

Salt draws out moisture, drying the meat and creating steam while it cooks, preventing it from browning properly. Season the meat towards the end. Don't overcook the meat. For tender and moist ground hamburger, cook until no pink remains, and promptly remove from heat once it's done.

How do I make sure ground beef doesn't dry out? ›

Keep a small amount of fat in with the beef; this will help the meat stay moist and flavorful. Use your browned meat right away in one of these diabetic-friendly ground beef recipes, or, if saving it for later, allow it to cool.

What can I add to hamburger meat to keep it moist? ›

Tip #3: Baste with Butter. Of course, adding more fat to the hamburger patties will also help make them more juicy. If you're making burgers on the stovetop (hopefully, in a cast-iron skillet), start by dolloping a few tablespoons of butter into the skillet, then basting the patties with the melty goodness as they cook ...

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