24 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Recipes

How to Cook with Ground Beef

My favorite way to cook ground beef is to brown it and season it before freezing.

I just love my ground beef meal prep packets for the freezer.

I cooked up 6 pounds of ground beef one Sunday afternoon and mixed in a bunch of hearty veggies.

I portioned the huge batch out into 1 - 2 cup servings for the freezer. 

This allowed me to use those prepared beef packets to make easy and quick dinners for the kids with a lot less mess and hassle. 

24 Easy Ground Beef Recipes

If you don't have time to prep the beef for the freezer, many of these easy ground beef recipes include instructions for cooking it up fresh during your dinner prep.

Here are all of our favorites:

Ground Beef Lasagna Roll-Ups

Use a ground beef meal prep packet to make this easy lasagna go even faster.

Easy Lasagna Roll-Ups

This easy lasagna roll-up recipe is filled with a delicious spinach and cheese filling and rich meaty tomato sauce. It's the perfect make-ahead meal for busy families since you can assemble and freeze it for an easy dinner later.

5 from 49 votes

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Ground Beef Enchiladas

My chicken enchiladas recipe could easily be tweaked to use a ground beef meal prep packet instead of the rotisserie chicken.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken enchiladas are always a hit with kids who love Mexican food but they usually take a lot of time to prepare. This fast and easy recipe comes together quickly with several busy-parent shortcuts.

4.99 from 50 votes

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Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole

Whether you call it a casserole or a hotdish, families love this easy Minnesota tater tot hotdish recipe.

Minnesota Tater Tot Hotdish

This old fashioned hamburger tater tot casserole has been a family favorite in Minnesota for generations because it is so easy to prep and is a hearty dinner for a cold night. You can make it ahead and freeze it to get prepared for a busy night.

5 from 1 vote

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Ground Beef Stir Fry

My easy ground beef stir fry uses ramen noodles for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

Easy Beef Stir Fry with Noodles

Easy weeknight dinner recipe for busy families. This 6-ingredient beef stir fry with noodles is always a hit with kids. Swap the veggies for a custom dish they'll love.

5 from 1 vote

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Ground Beef Bolognese Sauce

Make a big batch of this beef bolognese for the freezer and you can use it for delicious pasta or gnocchi dinners in a pinch.

Bologonese Sauce

This stovetop classic bolognese sauce features ground beef with fresh vegetables cooked slowly to enhance the flavor. A hearty meat sauce for serving over pasta, this recipe can be split and frozen for future meal prep.

4.50 from 4 votes

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Easy Ground Beef Taco Skillet

A fun new way to serve tacos on Tuesday nights. Cook the ground beef in the skillet and let everyone dunk tortilla chips into this filling.

Easy Taco Skillet

This easy taco skillet will be your new favorite way to enjoy tacos with the kids. Serve the delicious filling in the skillet nad let everyone go dunking with tortilla chips.

5 from 1 vote

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Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Ground Beef

Brown the ground beef and add to a slowcooker for this tomato-based Crockpot tortellini soup.

Crockpot Tortellini Soup

This hearty slowcooker tortellini soup is the perfect vegetable soup to keep simmering on a busy day. Rich tomato broth, savory ground beef, and fluffy cheese tortellini make a satisfying dinner with fresh bread or a side salad.

5 from 1 vote

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Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Use ground beef for these easy freezer-friendly meatballs. I love to serve them in tomato sauce over spaghetti or in my favorite baked meatball subs recipe.

Italian Meatballs

Make a batch of these easy Italian meatballs and you'll have enough to serve over pasta with tomato sauce one night and make a batch of Italian wedding soup on another night. The meatballs can be prepped and stored in the fridge for 3 days or frozen for later.

5 from 1 vote

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Easy Ground Beef Taco Bites

Make a batch of ground beef taco filling and turn it into this fun bite-sized appetizer for a party or family game night.

Easy Taco Bites

This is the easiest taco bites recipe ever because it uses prepared phyllo cups and an easy beef taco filling. Prep it ahead of time and bake just before serving for a mess-free appetizer.

5 from 1 vote

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Crockpot Sloppy Joes

This classic sloppy joe mixture keeps warm for hours in a slowcooker. This makes a perfect busy night dinner when your family may not be eating all at the same time.

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

Prepare this Crock Pot Sloppy Joes recipe for a make ahead dinner on a busy night or freezer meal for dinner down the road. Serve it on hamburger buns, over a baked potato, or with tater tots for a family-friendly dinner.

4.41 from 5 votes

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Instant Pot Ground Beef Soup

My favorite Italian style ground turkey soup could very easily be made with ground beef instead. Just substitute the same amount of beef for the turkey it calls for.

Instant Pot Ground Turkey Soup

This rich and hearty ground turkey soup is filled with tender vegetables and tastes like it has been slowcooked all day but takes less than an hour with your Instant Pot. Serve with fresh bread.

4.96 from 42 votes

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Ground Beef Taquitos

I used ground turkey in my taquitos to keep them lighter, but you could absolutely use ground beef in these crispy tortilla roll-ups instead.

Baked Turkey Taquitos

These baked turkey taquitos are a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Light ground turkey seasoned with taco spices is rolled up with diced tomatoes, peppers, and shredded cheese. Baked to a crisp in minutes, they are perfect for dunking in sour cream and salsa.

5 from 2 votes

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Creamy Taco Pasta Skillet

This homemade hamburger helper suggests ground turkey but ground beef is the easiest substitute ever.

Creamy Taco Pasta Skillet

This lightened up one pot recipe is the perfect family-friendly comfort food. Made with lightened up ground turkey, diced tomatoes, and your family's favorite taco seasoning, this easy skillet dinner is always a huge hit.

4.50 from 6 votes

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Baked Ground Beef Tortellini Skillet

Savory ground beef would taste amazing in this skillet tortellini recipe.

Baked Cheese Tortellini

This easy skillet pasta recipe combines refrigerated cheese tortellini with light ground turkey and a seasoned tomato sauce. Top it with crispy panko bread crumbs and bake it in the oven for a quick take on lasagna.

5 from 1 vote

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Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles with Ground Beef

My husband's favorite dish calls for ground pork but I've definitely used ground beef when I had it on hand.

Spicy Peanut Butter Noodles with Pork

This super easy 20-min meal is perfect for a busy weeknight. The creamy  Chinese pork with spicy peanut butter noodles is delicious with rice noodles or regular pasta. Whatever you have on hand!

4.41 from 20 votes

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Ground Beef Taco Chili Potato Toppers

My Crockpot chicken taco chili is made with ground chicken but it would taste amazing with ground beef instead.

Pair it with a baked potato, fresh corn, and a dollop of sour cream on top.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

This quick and easy crockpot chicken chili is perfect for stuffing a baked potato or assembling a homemade burrito bowl with leftover rice.

5 from 1 vote

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Bacon and Basil Cheese Burgers

Take your hamburger to the next level with candied bacon, fresh basil, and slices of cheddar cheese.

Candied Bacon and Basil Cheeseburgers

Take your burger game to the next level with this easy set of amazing cheeseburger toppings. Candied bacon, fresh basil, and summer-ripe tomato slices make a mouthwatering cheeseburger you'll love.

5 from 1 vote

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Irish Beef Hand Pies

These delicious Irish beef hand pies are a single serving version of my even easier Irish beef pot pie.

Irish Beef Hand Pies

These Irish Beef handpies are perfect for making ahead of time and freezing for St. Patrick's Day dinner. Filled with a rich and savory beef, potato, and cabbage filling and wrapped in easy pie crust, your family will love baking these for the holiday.

5 from 2 votes

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Ground Beef Chili Bowls

This thick ground beef chili tastes great with easy toppings in a bowl or you could even use it to make chili dogs.

Ground Beef Chili Bowls

This super-thick ground beef chili bowl recipe is delicious served with Frito chips for dunking but also makes an excellent chili dog topping or baked potato filling.

5 from 50 votes

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Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Savory ground beef, onions, and bell peppers make a unique spin on the classic sloppy joes mix.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

The perfect busy night family dinner: these delicious philly cheesesteak sloppy joes come together in a pinch and have lots of chopped veggies in the mix.

4.41 from 5 votes

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Sweet and Sour Meatballs

You could use frozen meatballs to make this easy recipe or you could start with a homemade ground beef meatball.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs in the Crockpot

Classic cocktail meatballs keep warm on your buffet table for hours in the slowcooker. This wildly popular sweet and sour sauce is made from ketchup and grape jam but is elevated by a dash of hot sauce to keep it from being too sweet.

5 from 46 votes

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Easy Ground Beef Recipes for Kids

Ground beef is usually really popular with kids because the small bits of meat are so much easier for them to chew and there is no cutting involved.

Our pediatrician once recommended it as an excellent protein source for picky eaters because the texture is more palatable for small children.

I think the most common use for ground beef is to brown it up for tacos. My kids could eat that every night of the week with no complaints.

My cookbook, The Totally Awesome Ultimate Kids' Cookbook, contains several ground beef recipes that kids will love to make and eat with their families.

I have an entire section that teaches kids the right way to brown ground beef with instructions written just for them.

You'll find our very favorite recipes for:

• Cozy Country Potato Pie
• Ooey Gooey Cheesy Beef Lasagna Soup
• Not Just for Tuesday Tacos
• Old World Beef Tomato Stew
• Mini Meatball Skillet
• Hearty Italian Ragu Meat Sauce
• Teeny-Weeny Cheeseburger Sliders
• Swedish Meatballs