These 20 Ground Beef Recipes Will Meat Your Every Desire
Simple, meaty, delicious.
What does America run on? We’d put our money on ground beef, the staple protein that has fueled innumerable weeknight dinners, backyard barbecues, chili fests, and more. It’s iconic, nearly patriotic—perhaps it should even claim a spot in the ruling triumvirate of baseball, apple pie, and Mom. (Sorry, Mom!) Well, whether you need it in a sauce, in a ball, or on a bun, we’ve got the ground beef recipe for you.
Burger Recipes
Meatball Recipes
1 of 3Iain Bagwell
Puttanesca Meatball Sliders
Easy to make and perfect for get-togethers, this meatball slider recipe will have you grabbing for more.
2 of 3Dan Goldberg
Stuffed Chipotle Meatballs
“This recipe was handed down to me by my mother and grandmother,” says Laura Granados of these lusciously saucy meatballs, each with a hidden surprise in the center. “It was one of my favorite dishes growing up.”
3 of 3Aubrie Pick
Mini Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
The swim team is coming for dinner! The day before, have your child invite a team friend over to make this easy, tasty, kid-tested recipe. When the crowd comes, set out the meatballs and sauce self-serve style, with sandwich rolls or pasta.
Pasta Recipes
1 of 4Annabelle Breakey
Korean Spaghetti and Meatballs
Korean kimchi invigorates a standby weeknight dinner. Bring the pasta water to a boil while you make the meatballs.
2 of 4James Carrier
Lazy Lasagna Bolognese
This recipe for lasagna, always a favorite Italian dish, can be made ahead. Assemble the lasagna (through step 4) up to 1 day in advance, cover, and chill. To save time, prepare the béchamel sauce while the meat simmers.
3 of 4James Carrier
Porcini Meat Sauce
Hearty and delicious, this pasta with meat sauce recipe is perfect after a long day.
4 of 4James Carrier
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Homemade meatballs add rich flavor to a simple pasta night. Serve meatballs and spaghetti with a crisp green salad.
Soups, Chili, and Other Delicious Ground Beef Recipes
1 of 6Annabelle Breakey
Red Cabbage and Beef Soup with Rice
We love the meaty soups of Eastern Europe, but they take a while to cook. Here’s a quick, fresh version that works well for a weeknight. Many grocery stores now stock ground bison, which is great in this dish if you can find it. Serve with crusty rye bread, butter, and green onions.
2 of 6Greg DuPree
Devilish Chorizo Chili with Hominy
Not only is this chili easy to make ahead, it actually improves with time.
3 of 6Aya Brackett
Beef Empanadas with Chimichurri
A Pinot Noir-based blanc de noirs is more than a match for beef, and the wine’s mix of sweetness, brininess, and spiciness works on all levels with the raisins, olives, cumin, and chile.
4 of 6James Carrier
Mexican Beef and Hominy Soup
You can prepare soup through step up to 1 day ahead; cool, cover, and chill. To finish, lift off and discard solid fat. Reheat to serve.
5 of 6Monica Buck
Pastel de Choclo (Beef and Corn Shepherd’s Pie)
Like a Chilean shepherd’s pie, pastel de choclo tops spiced ground beef with a puréed corn crust. You can prepare the pies through step 5 up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. It may take up to 10 minutes longer to bake the cold pies, and broiling may not be needed to brown tops.
6 of 6Peden & Munk
Smoky Beef-and-Bacon Chili
Bacon, fire-roasted tomatoes, and spicy smoked paprika give this easy-to-make chili recipe a deep, complex flavor. While it’s great right after you make it, it’s even better the next day. Serve with warm cornbread for a complete meal.