Ground beef is a staple ingredient in American households, and it can be used in a multitude of ways to cook something delicious, hearty, and flavorful. Looking for ways to turn this simple ingredient into a special meal?
From hamburgers and meatballs to meaty lasagnas, soups, and pies, these 30 ground beef recipes will serve as the perfect inspiration for you to work your magic in the kitchen. They’re perfect for making mealtimes on busy weeknights easy, healthy, and delicious!
#1. Cheesy Baked Ziti with Beef
A classic Italian-American recipe, baked ziti is an incredibly versatile dish. In this recipe, we use lean ground beef, ziti pasta, bell peppers, tomato, and onion and a generous helping of shredded mozzarella cheese to create a gooey, cheesy, stunningly delicious meal. Add more tomato sauce or heavy cream if you want a saucier casserole!
#2. Cottage Beef Pot Pie
Ground beef, carrots, peas, potatoes, and parsnips simmered in flavorful beef stock and stout beer; this ultimate comfort food is made complete with a buttery pie crust. You can tweak the ingredient list to sneak in as many vegetables as you like. It’s a delicious meal that’s ready to be devoured!
#3. Beef Potstickers (Dumplings)
Tender and juicy dumplings with a crisp crunch on the outside, these Chinese beef potstickers are packed with tasty beef and veggie filling cooked in a flavorful chicken broth to keep it moist and juicy. Serve this top-tier weekday appetizer with a dumpling dipping sauce to amp up its appeal.
#4. Beef ‘n’ Rice Enchiladas
Loaded with beef, cheese, and a rice mix, this flavorful beef ‘n’ rice enchiladas recipe comes together without a fuss. Spoon a serving of the mixture down the center of each tortilla, top it with cheese, and bake. To add a tangy, tartness to the dish, serve with sour cream.
#5. Beef Taco Salad
Made with all your favorite taco fillings and veggies, this simple and filling meal is drizzled with a creamy lime dressing made of salsa and sour cream. Add some tortilla chips for an added crunch and an extra dollop of sour cream(optional) to bring out some tanginess.
#6. Beef Taco Soup
Topped with all the taco fixings like avocado, cheddar cheese, cilantro, lime, and sour cream, this perfectly seasoned beef taco soup is a hearty, wholesome, filling, and delicious take on standard tacos. Top it off with some crumbled tortilla chips for added crunch and texture.
#7. Cheeseburger Cups
This simple, fun, tasty, and easy-to-make meal is made by infusing ground beef with a sweet and savory sauce along with several other ingredients easily available in the pantry. Once the biscuit cups are filled with the beef mix, sprinkle some gooey cheese to add a nice punch of flavor.
#8. Cheeseburger Pizza
Combine the best of both worlds — cheeseburgers and pizza — by adding layers of sauces over the base of the dough, topping it with ground beef, adding diced tomatoes, mustard, onion, and pickles, and sprinkling some special seasonings on top. This is a dish that’s destined to be loved by all!
#9. Classic Beef Sliders
Create appropriately sized juicy beef slider patties, top them with cheese, and grill until the cheese has melted. Layer some sweet Hawaiian roll bottoms with some mayo, ketchup, and mustard followed by the burger patties. You can also add lettuce and pickles to the sliders before serving (optional).
#10. Easy Meat Lasagna
Made with layers of tender beef and tomato sauce and seasoned with salt, pepper, and mozzarella or cheddar cheese, this ultimate Italian comfort food is easy to make and an absolute feast for the senses. Feel free to top with some more parmesan cheese to create ultra-gooey bites.
#11. Flatbread Mexican Pizza
A pizza that’s custom-made to everyone’s unique preferences — simply toss on all the toppings on the individual flatbreads as desired and sprinkle shredded cheese on the top. Drizzle a mixture of salsa and sour cream over each pizza and garnish it with cilantro to boost the color, taste, and texture.
#12. Gingery Ground Beef (Soboro Donburi)
Ground beef simmered in soy sauce, dashi, and sake and featuring peas and fresh ginger, the delicious Soboro Donburi, a Japanese recipe, is served over rice for a hearty meal. You can customize the spice quotient with red peppers and add texture by adding chopped water chestnuts to the mix.
#13. Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
Delicious and healthy, these ground beef stuffed peppers are packed with rice and colorful veggies to offer a filling meal. This dish is versatile so use whatever veggies and rice you have in your pantry and experiment with different types of cheese to achieve your desired consistency, flavor, and texture.
#14. Ground Beef Tacos
Perfectly seasoned meat wrapped in soft taco shells or lettuce wraps, this dish makes for an easy and healthy meal. Consider adding some veggies to give the recipe a nutritional boost. You can also add some homemade Pico de Gallo or toss in avocado slices for some more flavor.
#15. Hamburger Helper
Made with pasta, beef broth, ground beef, creamy tomato, cheese sauce, and loads of freshly grated cheese, this family-favorite dish is served with a side salad or roasted green beans for a delicious dinner. Add seasonings and garnish as desired to customize it to your liking.
#16. Honey Garlic Meatballs
Tender and juicy meatballs coated in a sweet, savory, and sticky sauce made with garlic, honey, ketchup, and low-sodium soy sauce, this delicious and flavorful dish makes for a fantastic appetizer. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce for a flavorsome meal.
#17. Instant Pot Taco Pasta
This comfort-food recipe combines the best elements of tacos and pasta to create a dish that is mildly spicy, cheesy, creamy, and flavorful enough to tempt everyone to ask for seconds. You can also make this meal ahead of time! Just store it in the freezer for a busy weekday dinner.
#18. Italian Meatballs
Simmered in a rich and savory tomato sauce, these Italian meatballs are beautifully juicy and moist. Seasoned with herbs, garlic, and parmesan cheese (optional), the meatballs are pan-seared in olive oil — this dish is equal parts juicy, flavorful, and super filling. Serve them over pasta or enjoy them as-is.
#19. Kafta Kabob
Seasoned with warm Arabic spices, onions, parsley, and garlic, these juicy kafta kabobs come together in under 30 minutes. While grilling maximizes the flavors, you can also bake them if desired. This versatile dish can be served with rice or salad, in a wrap, or enjoyed as is.
#20. Lasagna Roll-Ups
A twist on the traditional lasagna, these roll-ups are made with lasagna noodles filled with veggies and ground beef and bound together with a sauce made by combining ricotta, parmesan, and shredded mozzarella. With the flavor it packs in a small roll, this ultra-cheesy dish will wow the pickiest eaters.
#21. Meatballs with Cheesy Polenta
Hearty, creamy, and incredibly delicious, this recipe ditches the spaghetti for a healthier alternative — polenta, an Italian staple made from stone-ground corn. Infused with fennel seeds, oregano, and parsley for a boost of flavor, these tender and juicy meatballs can be eaten plain or dressed in your favorite tomato sauce.
#22. Meatloaf
With a generous helping of veggies providing a nutritional punch and the spices and onion soup mix giving the dish the most amazing flavor and glaze, this meatloaf is a hearty and filling meal. It’s a deliciously sneaky way to add healthy veggies to a picky eater’s plate without them realizing it.
#23. Mongolian Ground Beef
With a combination of sauces and some cornstarch to thicken the consistency and a bit of toasted sesame oil and green onions for an added boost of flavor, this exotic twist on the Mongolian ground beef recipe is served with a side of rice/noodles for a filling, flavorful meal.
#24. Patty Melts
Craving some melt-in-your-mouth meaty, oniony dinner sandwiches? This patty melt recipe made with ground beef, swiss cheese, and onions offers a luscious salty-sweet flavor to the meat. Add butter (as required) to the bread to achieve the crisp, golden-brown perfection to make this inviting dish all the more appealing.
#25. Shepherd’s Pie
Layered with a slow-simmered mixture of meat and vegetables and topped with mashed potatoes, this versatile recipe delivers a tasty pie baked to perfection. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your preference to create the perfect comfort food that offers a taste of heaven in every bite.
#26. Sloppy Joe Frito Pie
A simple beef and bean chili mix served in buns with shredded cheese and corn chips to add layers of texture and flavors, this sloppy joe frito pie recipe is made all the more appealing (and filling!) when served with a side of potato salad.
#27. Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
Seared beef cooked with a delectable mix of onion, tomato, tomato puree, beef stock, and an assortment of spices, this slow-cooker goulash simply melts in your mouth. Serve with a side of salad for a mouthwatering meal. Requiring minimal effort, this is an easy, convenient meal that makes no compromise on taste.
#28. Spicy Arayes | Middle Eastern Stuffed Pita
A classic Middle Eastern street food, spicy arayes are made with pita bread stuffed with spiced ground beef and then grilled or baked to perfection. Bring out the depth of flavor brought on by the pomegranate molasses by serving the dish with yogurt tahini sauce or ketchup.
#29. Swedish Meatballs
Seared meatballs smothered in a melt-in-your-mouth creamy sauce, these Swedish meatballs are packed with delicious flavor. Serve this classic dish over egg noodles or rice (optional) with a side of a Caesar salad, boiled potatoes, or lingonberry jam for a toothsome, savory, and comforting meal.
#30. Thai Basil Beef
A quick, savory stir-fry recipe, this Thai basil beef sports a bold and brilliant flavor. Customize the veggies, chili paste, rice, and spice levels according to your preferences. Serve it over some jasmine rice and enjoy an aromatic, delicious meal.
