43 Ground Beef Recipes for Hearty Family Meals
You want ground beef recipes? We’ve got ground beef recipes. In fact, we’ve got ground beef recipes for classics like meatloaf and Sloppy Joes as well as for more contemporary takes on easy dinners, like these Beefy Cheesy Sweet Potatoes With Kimchi (hello, sheet-pan supper) and these Spiced Beef Taco Bowls. Whichever direction you want to go in, we’ll help you get there.
Before you start, though, can we all just take a moment to thank this ingredient for being so nourishing, versatile, and ubiquitous? Seriously, you can find it at any grocery store, big or small, and turn it into so many different dishes.
Okay, we’ll stop so you can scroll on. Now presenting: Our all-time best ground beef recipes, just for you:
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Leslie Garetto, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon1/43Tater Tot Hotdish
Don’t let the brown-on-brown-on-brown of this Midwest staple fool you: This comforting casserole is one of our most flavorful ground beef recipes. Why do you think we put it first?
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Christina Allen2/43Grilled Arayes With Creamy Cucumber Salad
These Middle Eastern meat-stuffed pitas get their flavor from baharat, a finely ground spice mixture, often made with paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and cardamom. (Baharat literally means “spice” in Arabic.)
Photograph by Matthew Keough, food styling by Drew Aichele, prop styling by Emma Ringness3/43Mushroom and Shallot Salisbury Steak
Photo by Yasara Gunawardena5/43Kofteh Tabrizi
These meatballs made of beef, rice, and split peas are stuffed with dried fruit and braised in a flavorful tomato sauce—and the recipe comes from one of our Best New Restaurants of 2024.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness6/43Puffy Tacos With Picadillo
Photograph by Emma Fishman. Food styling by Pearl Jones.7/43Mamá Rosa’s Lasagna de Carne
This Dominican-style lasagna has an herby sofrito to thank for marrying its components so deliciously. If your taste leans more Italian, try BA’s Best Lasagna. And if you’re willing to try something new, go for our Cottage Cheese Lasagna. (She’s a wild card.)
Photograph by Victoria Jane, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon, Food Styling by Mallory Lance9/43Halftime Chili
You don’t need a slow cooker or an Instant Pot for this; a heavy, large Dutch oven is your best friend when it comes to making chili. And oh, do we have opinions about Dutch ovens.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley10/43Creamy Coconut Curry Meatballs
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Nicole Louie11/43Spiced Beef Taco Bowls
We’ve been known to make our own spice blends—there's a major difference when you make them from scratch—but for this weeknight dinner, nothing compares to store-bought taco seasoning mix.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kendra Vaculin, prop styling by Emma Ringness12/43Mini Meatball and Pastina Soup
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen13/43Tamale Pie
Neither a tamale nor a pie, this Tex-Mex casserole is a mash-up of beefy chili and homemade cornbread. The addition of a $2 can of beans allows you to use 50% less ground beef, keeping the dish economical without compromising flavor.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Prop styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi14/43Spaghetti and Verrry Tender Meatballs
When we say tender, we mean spoon-tender. For a pasta-free version of fork-and-knife-required meatballs, make these Tuesday Night Meatballs and serve them with some bread and a mixed greens salad on the side.
