If you’re wondering what to make with ground beef, you’re in the right place. These ground beef dinner ideas are family dinner savers that work for busy weeknights and include quick skillet meals, ground beef casseroles, cheap meals with ground beef, make-ahead freezer favorites, and more.
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From meal prep ideas to budget-friendly dinner ideas with ground beef that stretch a single pound into more servings, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for what to make with ground beef.
➡️ Be sure to also check out my post about what to make with rotisserie chicken!
Best Fat Ratio, Price, and Cut for Ground Beef
93% lean? Bulk pack? Ground sirloin or ground chuck? Choosing ground beef shouldn't be so confusing! Here's how I think about it at the store.
Fat ratio and price
If your goal is to get the best price on the usable/lean portion of ground beef that you will brown and drain, look at the per unit price for just the lean portion. This is my easy go-to method when I know I will just be browning the ground beef: divide the price per pound by the percent lean.
In this recent example from my local store, you might not immediately know which is less expensive per pound—a regular price bulk package of 73% lean ground beef at $4.43/lb. or a one pound package of 85% lean ground beef on sale for $4.98/lb. Don't worry, there's an easy way to figure this out! (I know, math at the grocery store sounds like torture, but stay with me. It's quick and easy, and it will save you money!)
Using my price per pound divided by % lean formula, it's easy to see that the leaner option with the higher price per pound is less expensive:
Bulk package for $4.43/lb at 73% lean = 4.43 ÷ .73 = $6.07/lb. of lean meat
Single pound for $4.98/lb at 85% lean = 4.98 ÷ .85 = $5.85/lb. of lean meat
✨ Pro Tip: My Ground Beef Math Hack ✨
Use this formula to determine the per unit cost of the lean (usable) portion of ground beef:
Price per pound ÷ percent lean = Price per pound of lean meat
Cut
Browned ground beef. Any cut of beef with should be fine for ground beef that is going to be browned and drained, but ground chuck is usually my go-to cut if all other things are equal. If a package does not say what cut the beef is from, it is from a mix of cuts. These mixes will have the labeled ratio of lean to fat regardless of cut.
Burgers and meatloaf. When using ground beef to make burgers, Salisbury steaks, or meatloaf, an 80/20 blend is preferable. The 20% fat content gives burgers the juicy, drippy bite you actually want. Ground chuck is readily available at this lean to fat ratio.
Casseroles and skillet meals. Any recipe that doesn't call for draining the ground beef after cooking will benefit from a lower lean to fat ratio. 85/15 or 90/10 are typically found with ground sirloin or ground round.
Sum it up. Here's how I keep it simple: my go-to is buying the least expensive ground beef for browning meat for the freezer, the least expensive 80/20 ground chuck for burgers and meatloaf, and the least expensive 90/10 of any cut for casseroles and skillet meals. Want to learn more? Chef Shelley at The Chopping Blog has an informative post about all things ground beef.
Ground Beef Meal Prep & Batch Cooking
Batch cooking often brings visions of all day commitments and messy kitchens. Spoiler: I don't have time for that, and I bet you don't either.
There is a much easier way to save time with batch cooking. Any time you can do something in bulk once rather than individually multiple times, you save time and clean-up.
In my constant effort to save time, I started keeping my oft-used cooked ingredients in the freezer to quick start meals. I prepare and freeze cooked ground beef in bulk every time I shop. Starting dinner with ground beef already cooked and an onion already sautéed is a game changer for busy cooks.
For an easy intro to batch cooking with ground beef, try:
- cooking several pounds of plain ground beef in bulk and freezing in one pound portions
- doubling or tripling a freezer-friendly recipe like Penne Pasta Bake to stock the freezer
- prepping an easy recipe like Easy Shepherd's Pie and package as individual servings for lunches or the freezer
If you use a lot of seasoned ground beef (like taco-seasoned or Italian-style with tomato paste and Italian seasonings), save yourself time by freezing both plain cooked ground beef and seasoned ground beef.
✨ Pro Tip: Meal Prep Game Changer ✨
Starting with the ingredient requiring prep that you use for most meals, prep it in bulk for the freezer. It takes less time to cook 5 pounds of ground beef once than to cook 1 pound five times, and you only have to clean up once. It even takes up less space in the freezer!
- Brown 5 pounds ground beef → freeze flat in 5 equal portions
- Chop and sauté a bag of yellow onions → freeze flat in 1 cup increments
- Chop or shred cooked chicken → freeze flat in 1 cup increments
Use these prepped ingredients to get dinner on the table quicker and replenish the supply as needed. Thaw overnight in the fridge, on defrost mode in the microwave, or submerged in cold water (if in a water-tight bag).
How To Cook Ground Beef
When ground beef is the star of the show, you'll want to make sure you brown it rather than let it steam or boil. A common mistake is adding too much meat at once, resulting in beef that steams or boils in its juices instead of browns.
To actually brown ground beef, give it room in the skillet and resist the urge to stir constantly (I know, it feels wrong not to stir it!). Instead, let it sit long enough to develop that golden crustiness, which is where the flavor lives.
When I cook ground beef in bulk for the freezer, I don’t stress about crowding the pan since I mostly use it later as an add-in, not the main star.
Another common mistake when cooking ground beef is seasoning at the wrong time. Salt pulls out moisture, so if you add it too early, you risk dry, tough beef. Instead, wait until the meat is mostly browned before seasoning. Drain off excess grease once the beef is cooked; too much grease can make sauces oily and heavy.
Don’t forget about food safety. Ground beef should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F to make sure harmful bacteria are gone. Use a meat thermometer instead of guessing—it saves you from serving undercooked beef and keeps your family safe. Small tweaks in technique (browning properly, seasoning smartly, managing grease, and hitting the right temperature) make the difference between “meh” ground beef and the kind of flavor-packed results you’ll actually crave.
How To Store Cooked Ground Beef
Separate cooked ground beef into one pound portions. I freeze mine flat in individual bags—they stack neatly and it's easier to find room for them when I am playing freezer Tetris. Freezing flat also results in the fastest thaw time.
Another method is freezing in silicone muffin tins or "souper cubes" (amazon has inexpensive knockoffs).
When cooking soups and stews, the frozen meat can usually be added directly to the pot. For casseroles and skillet meals, thaw first. I usually thaw overnight in the fridge, but if I need it quicker I sometimes thaw on defrost mode in the microwave or submerged in cold water (if in a water-tight bag).
Give these recipes a try for meal prep with ground beef. They will last for up to 4 days in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer. Many are a meal in themselves, but for recipes like Salisbury steak and meatloaf, add a simple salad or super easy seasoned green beans as a side for a quick and easy meal.
Freezer-Friendly Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
Meal Prep Ground Beef Recipes
Quick Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
Whether you have a stash of ready ingredients or not, these easy ground beef recipes go from pantry to table in a flash.
Cheap Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
With the price of beef higher than ever, stretching a pound of ground beef to feed more people is a budget win.
✨ Pro Tip: Stretch Ground Beef ✨
With beef prices on the rise, I make every pound work harder. The trick is loading up on add-ins and choosing seasonings that carry the flavor so you still get that beefy satisfaction without busting the budget.
I like to increase the pasta and legumes to stretch expensive meat, but you can also mix your ground beef with cheaper fillers. What actually works? After cooking, mix ground beef with cooked lentils, less expensive ground meats, or TVP (a soy-based meat alternative that costs less per serving than beef) to keep meals hearty without feeling like filler.
Combine these meal ideas with the tips for stretching ground beef to save money and use what you have. These cheap meals with ground beef do more with less, stretching ground beef to give at least eight servings per pound of meat.
Stretch Ground Beef With These Recipes
Stretch a pound of ground beef by adding a portion to these recipes. You'll bump up the flavor and protein without the expense of a using a recipe with beef as the main ingredient.
More Cheap Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
Try these easy "no recipe" meal ideas help you figure out what to make with ground beef using what you have on hand.
- Ground beef and cheese quesadillas. Mix cooked ground beef, shredded cheese, and cilantro. Spread on half a tortilla, fold the tortilla, and grill until heated through. Serve with sour cream and salsa.
- Mac and cheese with ground beef. Add cooked ground beef to homemade or boxed mac and cheese. A kid favorite!
- Beef and rice. Add cooked ground beef to any boxed rice mix and cook as directed.
- Ground beef and vegetable soup. Combine frozen mixed vegetables, canned tomatoes, cooked ground beef, beef broth, and a sautéed onion. Heat and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Serve with cooked small pasta of your choice—kids love ABC pasta!
- Four bean chili with ground beef. Combine a can of chili beans and a can each of rinsed and drained kidney beans, black beans, and red beans with a can of tomatoes, chili seasoning, and cooked ground beef. Serve with macaroni and shredded cheese.
- Baked beans with ground beef. Heat canned baked beans with cooked ground beef, and add some barbecue sauce for punched up flavor.
- Taco salad. Pile shredded lettuce and your favorite salad ingredients into taco shell bowls. Top with taco-seasoned ground beef and shredded cheese and serve with your choice of salad dressing.
- Fried rice with ground beef. Sauté leftover cooked rice, cooked ground beef, and mixed vegetables in hot oil. Push to the side and scramble an egg, then mix in. Season with salt and pepper and Yum Yum Sauce.
- Stuffed bell peppers. Combine cooked rice, cooked ground beef, thawed mixed veggies, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stuff into hollowed out bell peppers and top with cheese if desired. Bake until heated through (these can also be cooked in a slow cooker).
- Ground beef goulash. Sauté an onion and add to browned ground beef. Add a can of condensed tomato soup, ¾ cup of water, and 1 cup macaroni. Simmer covered for 15 minutes or until macaroni is cooked.
- Hamburger gravy. Just like Chipped Beef Gravy, but use cooked hamburger and serve over mashed potatoes or rice. This is an easy option when the fridge is looking sad.
- Hamburger hash. Combine cooked ground beef with a sautéed onion, a pound of diced potatoes (I always keep frozen diced potatoes/hash browns in my freezer stash for recipes like this!), and beef broth or water and beef bouillon. Cover and cook until potatoes are done and everything is heated through. Use less water if using frozen diced potatoes since they are already cooked.
- Ground beef skillet ramen. Combine cooked ground beef with a can diced tomatoes with juices, a can of corn with juices, and a cup for frozen peas in a skillet, and heat to a simmer. Break up noodles from a package of any flavor ramen and add to skillet with flavor packet. Add water if needed to cover noodles and cook until noodles are fully cooked.
- Taco pizza. Use prepared dough or your preferred dough recipe. Blend salsa, cilantro, and drained fire-roasted tomatoes to make the sauce, or use prepared taco sauce. Top dough and sauce with taco-seasoned ground beef, cheese, Mexican-style toppings such as beans, olives, jalapeños, and onions. Bake as directed in dough recipe. After it's cooked, dress it up with shredded lettuce, salsa, taco sauce, tomatoes, cilantro, and anything else you like on tacos.
- Ground beef and cabbage. Chop a head of cabbage and slice an onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook in butter or oil over medium heat until cabbage starts to soften. Add cooked ground beef and cook until cabbage is tender, adding water if needed. Try it with a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and some Italian seasoning (add when you add the ground beef) for an extra pop of flavor.
More Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
Sides for Ground Beef Meals
In addition to my go-to simple sides like rice, mashed potatoes, and green salad, these are the sides I lean on when the main dish is already doing the heavy lifting.
FAQ
Can I freeze cooked ground beef?
Yes! Freezing cooked ground beef is a big part of my strategy for putting dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. See the meal prep section above for tips.
Do I need to drain cooked ground beef?
Ground beef with a high fat content always needs to be drained, but a lean ground beef like 90/10 or 95/5 may not need draining.
What is the fastest way to thaw ground beef?
Raw ground beef is best thawed overnight in the refrigerator in a leak-proof container. If thawing in a microwave, use a low power defrost mode and check often. You may need to break off exterior portions to to prevent cooking the exterior before the center is thawed.
What temperature should ground beef reach for food safety?
Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160ºF.
What fat percentage should I buy?
The ideal fat percent depends on how you are using the ground beef. See Best Price, Mix, and Cut for Ground Beef above for details.
How long does raw ground beef last?
In the refrigerator, raw ground beef lasts until the "Use By" date on the package as long as it has been at a safe temperature the entire time. In the freezer, ground beef will retain its texture and quality for about 3-4 months. A note about color: fresh ground beef is typically bright red in color, and as the meat ages, it browns due to the reaction of myoglobin in the meat with oxygen. Although it is tempting to to judge ground beef by its color, according to the Kansas State Cooperative Extension, as long as it is not past the "use by" date and it passes the sniff test, the meat should be safe to eat.
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