Our 50 All-Time-Best Ground Beef Recipes

From classics like burgers and meatloaf to family-friendly favorites like pasta Bolognese and shepherd’s pie, these are the recipes you’ll find yourself making again and again.

Updated on September 20, 2023

By: Food Network Kitchen

Related To:

Photo By: Armando Rafael

Photo By: RYAN DAUSCH

Photo By: Armando Rafael

Photo By: Tara Donne ©Food Network

Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Photo By: Tara Donne

Photo By: Armando Rafael

Photo By: Renee Comet

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Armando Rafael

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

Photo By: Tara Donne

Photo By: Armando Rafael

Photo By: Tara Donne

©Prop stylist: Marina Malchin Food stylist: Jamie Kimm

Photo By: Joseph de Leo

Photo By: Armando Rafael

Photo By: Antonis Achilleos

Photo By: Anna Williams

Our Best Ideas for Ground Beef

Ground beef is one of those ingredients that we almost always have on hand. It adds a great meaty flavor to whatever you’re cooking, for a fraction of the price of steak. And, because the meat is ground up, you can easily stretch it (try adding beans, grains or chopped mushrooms) and feed more people. Best of all, ground beef is a key ingredient in so many of our favorite comfort foods and family-friendly dinners—so it’s one ingredient that we’ve always got a use for. Meatballs, stuffed peppers, sloppy Joes and more: a delicious meal is always within reach when you’ve got ground beef on hand. Take this simple, hearty meat sauce, for example. The beef is seasoned with dried herbs and simmered with canned tomatoes until the flavor meld to perfection. Served over cooked spaghetti it’s the perfect no-fuss meal from the pantry—that everyone will love.

Get the Recipe: Hearty Meat Sauce

Beef Stroganoff Burgers

These shroom burgers are both double-deckers and double mushroom — they have a whole roasted portabello mushroom (in addition to a burger patty) and a creamy mushroom stroganoff sauce.

Get the Recipe: Beef Stroganoff Burgers

Moroccan Meatball Soup

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this hearty and delicious meatball soup, but the harissa and cumin are a must. They work together to give the soup its incredible flavor and aroma.

Get the Recipe: Moroccan Meatball Soup

Beef Picadillo Enchiladas

These enchiladas — loaded with ground beef, tomatoes, Cheddar, olives and raisins — get a kick from Chinese five-spice powder.

Get the Recipe: Beef Picadillo Enchiladas

Quick Spicy Chili

Add a little beef and a little beer and a little chipotle, and you've got chili in no time.

Get the Recipe: Quick Spicy Chili

Good Eats Meatloaf

There's no mystery meat here! Alton Brown smashes together ground chuck and sirloin with spices and croutons, baking it with a spicy-sweet glaze.

Get the Recipe: Good Eats Meatloaf

Alton's Mini Man Burgers

Alton seasons ground chuck with garlic and onion powder, ending up with miniature-sized burgers with great big flavor.

Get the Recipe: Mini Man Burgers

Rachael Ray's Super Nachos

Get ready for three intense layers of flavor over two varieties of tortilla chips. Ground sirloin pairs with beans and Southwestern spices for extra kick.

Get the Recipe: Super Nachos

Mini Meatballs

Trisha's easy meatball appetizer is great for entertaining a crowd. Each small bite is packed with beef, garlic, onion and fresh parsley, so a little goes a long way.

Get the Recipe: Mini Meatballs

Super Sloppy Joes

Rachael adds a sweet red bell pepper to her savory sloppy joes for a little something extra, along with lots of seasonings and tomatoes.

Get the Recipe: Super Sloppy Joes

Beef and Black Bean Tacodiles

Taco night is even better when you dress your meal up as these adorable crocodiles.

Get the Recipe: Beef and Black Bean Tacodiles

Classic Beef Sliders

Beef sliders get a sweet upgrade on soft Hawaiian rolls, which are both kid- and adult-friendly. Add thin slices of grilled pineapple to complement the bread, if you like.

Get the Recipe: Classic Beef Sliders

Mashed Potato-Stuffed Meatloaf

Forget mashed potatoes as a side dish and reinvent meatloaf with this spud-stuffed version. The potatoes are ready in no time, thanks to your microwave, and could easily become a weeknight go-to recipe all on their own.

Get the Recipe: Mashed Potato-Stuffed Meatloaf

Hamburger Stroganoff Skillet

Give ground beef the stroganoff treatment by combining it with sauteed mushrooms and rich cream. Cook pasta right in the sauce for an easy one-pan dinner.

Get the Recipe: Hamburger Stroganoff Skillet

Bacon Cheeseburger Crescent Ring

Have your golden, flaky crescent rolls and eat your cheeseburger too: This crowd-pleasing ring is filled with beef and all your favorite burger toppings — bacon, cheese, pickles and a special sauce.

Get the Recipe: Bacon Cheeseburger Crescent Ring

Ina's Stuffed Cabbage

Ian Garten stuffs cabbage leaves with a mixture of ground chuck, rice and tomato sauce for a hearty, all-in-one meal.

Get the Recipe: Stuffed Cabbage

Ellie's Beef Taco Salad

There's nothing dainty about this salad. With mounds of chili-spiced beef and sharp cheddar cheese over a bed of crisp greens — all doused with a chunky tomato lime dressing and topped with a shards of corn chips — it has high-impact flavor and heartiness to satisfy even the biggest appetites.

Get the Recipe: Beef Taco Salad with Chunky Tomato Dressing

Nebraska Handheld Meat Pies

If you've ever been to Nebraska, you've probably had a handheld meat pie. These buttery palm-sized dough pockets encase a peppery browned beef, cabbage and onion filling. Great made ahead and heated for lunch, they'll fly off the table.

Get the Recipe: Nebraska Handheld Meat Pies

Mushroom and Provolone Meatloaf

Finely chopped mushrooms and shredded provolone add moisture and flavor to this glazed meatloaf. The recipe calls for a mix of ground meat but feel free to use all beef if that's what you have on hand.

Get the Recipe: Mushroom and Provolone Meatloaf

Big-Batch Healthy Beef, Mushroom and Spinach Calzones

Set aside some extra time one weekend to make a dozen of these calzones. Then pack your freezer full of them and know you've got healthy lunches or dinners for those hectic days covered.

Get the Recipe: Big-Batch Healthy Beef, Mushroom and Spinach Calzones

Giada's Classic Italian Lasagna

Giada's thick and meaty tomato sauce is layered with three cheeses, creamy bechamel sauce and spinach in this take on classic lasagna.

Get the Recipe: Classic Italian Lasagna

Ellie's Lettuce Cups With Tofu and Beef

Ellie Krieger infuses lean ground beef with Asian flavors plus water chestnuts and peanuts, creating a texture-rich accompaniment to crunchy lettuce.

Get the Recipe: Lettuce Cups with Tofu and Beef

Patty Melts

A patty melt is the perfect marriage of a grilled cheese sandwich and a hamburger. This recipe uses both ground beef and ground turkey for a comforting favorite that's on the leaner side.

Get the Recipe: Patty Melts

Thai Basil Beef with Coconut Rice

It’s easy to get stuck in a burgers-and-meatloaf rut when it comes to ground beef recipes. That’s why we love this quick and easy dinner. Jasmine rice and a few flavorful ingredients are all you need to turn ground beef into a Thai-inspired meal.

Get the Recipe: Thai Basil Beef with Coconut Rice

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

A flavorful blend of spinach, bulgur and lean ground beef fills these sweet red peppers, which are sprinkled with feta cheese and baked until tender.

Get the Recipe: Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Meatballs a la Pizzaiola

Giada De Laurentiis' deep-fried meatballs are stuffed with hunks of smoked mozzarella. Like meaty mozzarella sticks, they're perfect for dipping into marinara sauce.

Get the Recipe: Meatballs a la Pizzaiola

Beefy Stuffed Sweet Potato

Here's a clever trick to pack veggies into these beefy, Latin-inspired stuffed potatoes: Chop the carrots, onion and tomato into small pieces that go almost unnoticed when cooked with the ground beef. This dish is perfect for that picky vegetable eater who's trying to eat healthier.

Get the Recipe: Beefy Stuffed Sweet Potato

Melissa's Shepherd's Pie

Melissa D'Arabian gives us her version of the ultimate meat and potatoes dish. She cooks ground beef in bacon fat to ensure all the meaty flavors come through a layer of cheesy, garlic-y mashed potatoes.

Get the Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Meat and Collards Pizza

Make a hearty pizza with this ground beef and collard green topping. Eating your greens never tasted so good!

Get the Recipe: Meat and Collards Pizza

Julia Child's Pan-Fried Thin Burgers

What they lack in size, these patties make up for in flavor. Sauteed shallots are mixed right into the beef before frying, creating a delicious built-in condiment.

Get the Recipe: Julia Child's Pan-Fried Thin Burger

Rachael's Spaghetti and Meatballs

Made with garlic, herbs and equal parts ground beef and pork, Rachael's meatballs and sauce become perfect make-ahead spaghetti toppers.

Get the Recipe: On Top of Ole Smoky, All Covered with Cheese: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatball Sandwiches

Alton makes homemade Parmesan-parsley biscuits to craft a comforting meatball sandwich topped with spaghetti sauce and provolone cheese.

Get the Recipe: Meatball Sandwiches

Quesadilla Bar

This self-serve meal lets kids load up open-faced quesadillas with their choice of toppings. For little kids: Let them assemble the quesadillas before baking. For big kids: Let them add the seasonings to the beef and help cut up the vegetables for the toppings.

Get the Recipe: A Quesadilla Bar

Shepherd's Pie

The classic meat and potato dish gets a healthy makeover with the use of lean ground beef and the addition of cauliflower in the creamy mash.

Get the Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce

Try Rachael's easy meatloaf muffins and enjoy all the flavors of a classic meatloaf in a cute individual-portion size.

Get the Recipe: Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce

Shortcut Shepherd's Pie

How many times have you made mashed potatoes just so you'll have leftovers for shepherd's pie? Using potato tots instead not only saves you time but makes for a crispy topping that's a nice contrast to the beef filling.

Get the Recipe: Shortcut Shepherd's Pie

Pepperoni Pizza Burger Bomba

This could be the family's new favorite treat. When kids see these beefy, cheesy bombas, they'll want to ditch their knives and forks and dig right in with their hands. Preparation is simple: They're stuffed and folded just like dumplings, using Scamorza cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce and a burger patty.

Get the Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Burger Bomba

Beef Tostadas

Spice up a weeknight meal with this easy variation on taco night. They're so easy to build, kids can get in on the fun of meal prep.

Get the Recipe: Beef Tostadas

Reuben Meatball Sliders

Jeff Mauro reimagines the classic Reuben sandwich in slider form using tender ground chuck, shredded Swiss, breadcrumbs and parsley. For another nod to the classic deli sandwich, top the sliders with a generous helping of Thousand Island dressing and serve on toasted mini buns.

Get the Recipe: Reuben Meatball Sliders

Beef Moussaka

This beefy, traditional Greek casserole is surprisingly low in fat. It relies on spices, tomato paste, wine and vinegar for flavor instead of the ton of cheese (and fat) found in regular moussaka recipes.

Get the Recipe: Beef Moussaka

Gnocchi Nicoise

Save time with store-bought gnocchi and focus on this killer sauce made with vegetables, bacon and coarsely ground beef.

Get the Recipe: Gnocchi Nicoise

Mega Meatball Pizza

Rachael repurposes her basic meatball recipe to create a rich, homemade pizza topping. When preparing the dough, treat it like focaccia by adding a generous helping of olive oil and rosemary — these flavors marry well with the browned meat and fresh mozzarella.

Get the Recipe: Mega Meatball Pizza

Baked Spaghetti

This mash-up of lasagna and spaghetti with meat sauce makes for a warming one-pan dinner. (And if you start with leftover cooked noodles and meat sauce, you're set for a super-fast weeknight meal.) Assemble the casserole ahead of time and bake when you're ready to serve.

Get the Recipe: Baked Spaghetti

Lasagna Bolognese

Make any gathering cause for celebration with this lasagna stuffed with a complex ragu of mushrooms, prosciutto, beef and pork.

Get the Recipe: Lasagna Bolognese

Mom's Meatloaf

This simple-yet-classic meatloaf recipe comes together with just 15 minutes' prep time.

Get the Recipe: Mom's Meatloaf

Meat Sauce

This is the one dish Ree Drummond makes ahead for a group more than any other. It's versatile and delicious, and it's the perfect on-hand option when you've suddenly got a house full of people.

Get the Recipe: Meat Sauce

Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

Food Network Kitchen nicknamed this the "broken enchilada" casserole because the soft layer of cooked tortilla chips on the bottom is reminiscent of enchiladas. But this dish is much easier to make!

Get the Recipe: Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

Bursting with meaty, robust flavor, Giada's traditional manicotti is the quintessential comfort food. Once the manicotti are cooked to al dente perfection, enlist the kids' help in stuffing, rolling, then stacking them in your baking dish.

Get the Recipe: Beef and Cheese Manicotti

Baked Bean Casserole

Trisha Yearwood mixes ground beef, bacon, beans and barbecue sauce in this easy casserole that serves 12. Worcestershire and soy sauce add a tangy kick to the dish.

Get the Recipe: Baked Bean Casserole

Simple Bolognese

Giada serves her chunky Bolognese over rigatoni for a classic, hearty Italian main dish. A sprinkle of grated Pecorino-Romano adds a sharp, creamy bite.

Get the Recipe: Simple Bolognese

On Tonight

Our 50 All-Time-Best Ground Beef Recipes

Related To:

Our Best Ideas for Ground Beef

Beef Stroganoff Burgers

Moroccan Meatball Soup

Beef Picadillo Enchiladas

Quick Spicy Chili

Good Eats Meatloaf

Alton's Mini Man Burgers

Rachael Ray's Super Nachos

Mini Meatballs

Super Sloppy Joes

Beef and Black Bean Tacodiles

Classic Beef Sliders

Mashed Potato-Stuffed Meatloaf

Hamburger Stroganoff Skillet

Bacon Cheeseburger Crescent Ring

Ina's Stuffed Cabbage

Ellie's Beef Taco Salad

Nebraska Handheld Meat Pies

Mushroom and Provolone Meatloaf

Big-Batch Healthy Beef, Mushroom and Spinach Calzones

Giada's Classic Italian Lasagna

Ellie's Lettuce Cups With Tofu and Beef

Patty Melts

Thai Basil Beef with Coconut Rice

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

Meatballs a la Pizzaiola

Beefy Stuffed Sweet Potato

Melissa's Shepherd's Pie

Meat and Collards Pizza

Julia Child's Pan-Fried Thin Burgers

Rachael's Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatball Sandwiches

Quesadilla Bar

Shepherd's Pie

Meatloaf Muffins with Barbecue Sauce

Shortcut Shepherd's Pie

Pepperoni Pizza Burger Bomba

Beef Tostadas

Reuben Meatball Sliders

Beef Moussaka

Gnocchi Nicoise

Mega Meatball Pizza

Baked Spaghetti

Lasagna Bolognese

Mom's Meatloaf

Meat Sauce

Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

Baked Bean Casserole

Simple Bolognese

Related Pages