24 Easy Meals That All Start With A Pack Of Ground Beef
All of these also work with ground turkey, chicken, or pork.
If you've got a pack of ground beef in the fridge or freezer, you're half-way to an easy dinner. 🍽
From beef empanadas to savory Korean-style bowls to beef stroganoff, below you'll find a ton of recipes that'll let you transform ground beef into a full meal — complete with options for the Instant Pot, Crock Pot, and Keto diet.
1. Keto Beef & Mushroom Casserole
When in doubt? Add mushrooms. Savory, rich, and dense, they'll perfectly complement any meat dish and add even more flavor — like they do in this low-carb casserole.
Get the recipe: Keto Beef & Mushroom Casserole
Relive your favorite childhood cafeteria lunch with this easy recipe that comes together with Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar — and basically makes itself in an Instant Pot. Serve with potato chips and pickles for maximum nostalgia.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
3. Ground Beef Stroganoff
The best beef stroganoffs are creamy and rich — and leave you with leftovers for the whole week. This recipe does all of that.
Get the recipe: Ground Beef Stroganoff
4. Shortcut Ground Beef Empanadas
This recipe cuts a ton of fuss out by using refrigerated pie crusts you can just roll and fold. It's an excellent time-saving measure for a dish you'll definitely finish in three bites or less.
Get the recipe: Shortcut Ground Beef Empanadas
A ragù is a pretty flexible recipe, but there's one thing that elevates the best from the rest: perfect tagliatelle pasta that's ready to scoop up all that savory sauce.
Get the recipe: Italian Beef Ragù
6. Ground Beef Cabbage Stirfry
An easy low-carb option! (And as with all of the recipes on this list, feel free to sub ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, pork, or even crumbled soyrizo.)
Get the recipe: Ground Beef Cabbage Stirfry
7. Loaded Ground Beef and Potatoes Skillet
Beef, pasta, and plenty of cheese. Need I say more?
Get the recipe: Loaded Ground Beef and Potatoes Skillet
8. Korean Ground Beef Bowl
Make your bowl even tastier by topping it with traditional Korean ingredients like carrot matchsticks, spicy gochujang sauce, or kimchi. These one is also a great option for a meal-prepped lunch.
Get the recipe: Korean Ground Beef Bowl
9. One-Pot Ground Beef and Rice
Busy weeknights are the worst time to prepare elaborate meals. That's why this one comes together with canned corn, chicken broth, and taco seasoning. It's not cheating when making dinner is the 23rd thing you've done today!
Get the recipe: One-Pot Ground Beef and Rice
10. Low-Carb Cauliflower and Ground Beef Hash
This low-carb hash comes together in less than half an hour. Use that extra time to put together a quick green salad to serve with it.
Get the recipe: Cauliflower and Ground Beef Hash
11. Crock Pot Cuban Picadillo
Picadillo is a dish popular all over — from Latin American countries to the Philippines — and it usually consists of ground meat, tomatoes, raisins, and olives. Eat it on its own, in tacos, over rice, or in empanadas.
Get the recipe: Crock Pot Cuban Picadillo
12. Crock Pot Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole
Want something ultra comforting? Make a casserole. Specifically, this casserole, which gets its creamy texture from four kinds of cheese.
Get the recipe: Crock Pot Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole
13. Keto Ground Beef With Worcestershire Sauce
Pair with zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for a complete meal. Not keto? Then mix it up with fried rice or a baked sweet potato.
Get the recipe: Keto Ground Beef With Worcestershire Sauce
14. Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet
Ground beef here serves as the perfect savory binder for crunchy, less absorbent vegetables like radishes and carrots. If you're anything like me, you'll probably also want to drizzle this whole dish in Sriracha 😇.
Get the recipe: Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet
15. Ground Beef Quesadillas
Perfectly golden tortillas, melted cheese, and sides of cream cheese, salsa, and guacamole make this the perfect movie night meal. Make extra ground beef and save it for another taco night that week.
Get the recipe: Ground Beef Quesadillas
16. Stuffed Pepper Casserole
If you're going away for the weekend and want to leave the family with a delicious meal they can easily pop in the microwave, this one is it.
Get the recipe: Stuffed Pepper Casserole
17. Gluten-Free Taco Casserole
For an extra crunch, and to keep it gluten-free, serve with a handful of corn tortilla chips, and maybe some sour cream and salsa.
Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Taco Casserole
18. Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Is there a more perfect combination than sweet potatoes and ground beef? It's the perfect union of sweet and savory.
Get the recipe: Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
19. Ground Beef and Broccoli
Serve over rice and drizzle with oyster sauce for a dish that'll satisfy all your Chinese take-out cravings.
Get the recipe: Ground Beef and Broccoli
20. Keto Ground Beef Tacos
Pre-make low-carb taco shells using shredded cheese. The best thing about 'em is that they'll hold up generous portions of ground beef stuffing without snapping!
Get the recipe: Keto Ground Beef Tacos
21. Filipino Picadillo
Who knew that fried plantains and a fried egg had the ability to instantly elevate a dish from yum to "Is there more left??"
Get the recipe: Filipino Picadillo
22. Crock Pot Cheeseburger French Fries
It's impossible to look at this recipe and not feel an irresistible urge to run to the grocery store and pick up all the ingredients needed to make it immediately.
Get the recipe: Crock Pot Cheeseburger French Fries
23. French Onion Beef Casserole
Just five ingredients are needed to make this glorious casserole. It also makes for great leftovers!
Get the recipe: French Onion Beef Casserole
Beef and beans — amped up with tomato paste, Worcestershire, a bit of brown sugar, and plenty of spices — can be served over rice or stuffed into rolls, and breaks down to less than $2 per serving.
Get the recipe: Easy BBQ Beef and Beans