15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (2024)

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They all take around 30 minutes (or less).

By

Meghan Splawn

15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (1)

Meghan Splawn

Meghan Splawn is a food editor and on-air host who wants to make cooking for your family a little more fun. She'll probably introduce you to your favorite sprinkles.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 02/7/23

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15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (2)

Scenario: you pulled some ground beef from the freezer to thaw for dinner tonight because you already know that a pound of it can cook in about 8 minutes and be turned into tons of different dinners. The only problem is that you also need a dinner recipe that is super fast, easy, and that the whole family will love—after all you’ve got a busy night ahead.

The solution? One of these 15 dinner recipes that use ground beef and takes around 30 minutes from start to finish. Most of them can be made with kitchen staples like canned beans, dried pasta, or burger buns and are almost guaranteed to be crowd pleasers.

  • 01 of 15

    Best Ground Beef Tacos

    Whether it is actually a Tuesday (you know, for taco Tuesday) or you just need a handheld meal that can be eaten while everyone gets ready for baseball practice, these tacos are simple adaptation of a weeknight classic. Save even more time and swap all the individual toppings for a bagged slaw or salad.

  • 02 of 15

    Easy Stovetop Ground Beef Stroganoff

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (4)

    Classic Beef Stroganoff takes at least 40 minutes for tender beef, but if you swap the sirloin or chuck for ground beef you can make a creamy and comforting weeknight version in under 30 minutes. You can serve the saucy beef over noodles or rice, which are also quick cooking.

  • 03 of 15

    30-Minute Chili With Ground Beef and Beans

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (5)

    Every kitchen needs two kinds of chili—the long, slow cooking kind made on Sundays and the lightening fast version that can be made from a few pantry staples on a weeknight. This recipe is the latter and ideal for serving over baked potatoes (shortcut those in the microwave).

  • 04 of 15

    Indoor-Grilled Burger

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (6)

    If you think burgers are a weekend only recipe, think again. Burgers are actually very quick cooking and can be the on-the-fly dinner you need tonight. Bored of basic burgers? Try out Cajun Burgers or mix up Middle Eastern Spiced Burgers.

    Continue to 5 of 15 below.

  • 05 of 15

    Big Mac Salad

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (7)

    This recipe will make you so happy you skipped the drive-thru! Seriously, this salad starts with seasoned ground beef and ends with special sauce all over crispy lettuce, creamy cheddar, and sweet tomatoes. You’ll be making this even when you aren’t super busy.

  • 06 of 15

    Instant Pot Sloppy Joes

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (8)

    From-scratch sloppy joes (that is not made from a canned base) take a little longer than you think—about 50 minutes with chopping and cooking all the vegetables! So you need these quick Instant Pot Sloppy Joes for those rush dinners, plus most of the cooking time is hands off.

  • Texas-Style Chili With Ground Beef and Pork

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (9)

    For those unfamiliar, Texas chili has tons of meat, deep flavor, and no beans. It cooks quickly and can be used for topping tortillas chips or hot dogs for a quick but filling dinner for a crowd.

  • 08 of 15

    The Best Beefy Taco Salad Recipe

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (10)

    This taco salad has it all: tender peppers and onions, crunchy lettuce, and cool sour cream; But the best part of this recipe is actually the salsa cooked ground beef. You brown the beef and add both broth and salsa and then add French dressing off the heat. Sounds weird but this Tex-Mex mash up is a huge hit at the dinner table.

    Continue to 9 of 15 below.

  • 09 of 15

    Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (11)

    Stuffed peppers are a great way to use up leftovers but the classic oven baked method takes over 90 minutes to make. This Instant Pot version takes a third of the time and doesn’t require pre-cooking the ground beef before pressure cooking.

  • 10 of 15

    Easy Loaded Nachos Recipe

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (12)

    Nachos are one of the best vehicles for ground beef and this recipe turns the basic sheet pan method into a deep dish casserole of layered beef, cheese, and chips. After baking, top the whole thing with your favorite toppings or scoop up individual servings and let each diner top their own.

  • 11 of 15

    Moroccan Beef Koftas

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (13)

    Beef kebab lovers have long been hip to pressing seasoned ground beef onto skewers and grill, and now you can be too. You can cook these skewers on the grill or in a pan and then turn them into a meal with pita, hummus, and chopped fresh veggies in less than 30 minutes.

  • 12 of 15

    Beef and Bean Burritos

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (14)

    These burritos take just over 30 minutes, but the extra 5 minutes is totally worth it. The ground beef and beans are simmered with enchilada sauce and then wrapped up with cheese into a cozy burrito. You’ll even have time to crisp the finished burritos in a hot pan.

    Continue to 13 of 15 below.

  • 13 of 15

    Meaty and Cheesy Stuffed French Bread

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (15)

    This sandwich is a little like a cheesesteak sandwich with its creamy comforting sauce, melty cheese, and tender beef on crispy bread—but, of course, it takes way less time.

  • 14 of 15

    Instant Pot Goulash

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (16)

    Goulash dishes range from long braised beef and lamb dishes to quick cooking ground beef varieties. This version utilizes the Instant Pot to cook both the beefy, tomato sauce and the pasta at the same time. From prep to pressure release, this goulash cooks in 24 minutes.

  • 15 of 15

    Walking Tacos

    15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (17)

    A walking taco is quite possibly the most fun dinner you can make with ground beef! You brown beef, season it with taco season, add some beans and serve this chili-like base inside a bag of Fritos. You can literally eat this dinner walking out the door, if you need to.

15 Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What to make for dinner when you didn t plan? ›

Rice Bowls are so easy and versatile. You can top them with whatever little bits of meat, cheese, beans, and veggies you have on hand. Depending on which rice you buy, dinner can be ready in 20 to 45 minutes. Cook some rice, assemble your toppings, and get to good eating!

What to make for dinner when you're broke? ›

65 Easy And Cheap Dinner Ideas That You'll Want To Make On Repeat
  • Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos. tasty.co. ...
  • Chili Lime Baked Tilapia With Avocado Crema. ...
  • Barbecue Beer Can Chicken. ...
  • Energy-Boosting Buddha Bowl. ...
  • Zucchini Noodles with Kale Pesto. ...
  • Chicken & Biscuit Bake. ...
  • One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta. ...
  • Pesto Chicken Bake.
Dec 21, 2023

What to make for dinner when you have no clue what to make? ›

30 Easy Dinner Ideas For When You're Not Sure What To Make
  1. Fajita Parchment-Baked Chicken. tasty.co. ...
  2. The Best Ever Slow Cooker Pot Roast. tasty.co. ...
  3. Veggie Garlic Noodles. tasty.co. ...
  4. Chicken & Biscuit Bake. tasty.co. ...
  5. Taco Soup. tasty.co. ...
  6. One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta. ...
  7. Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry. ...
  8. Oven-Baked French Bread Pizzas.
Apr 19, 2023

How to survive a week on $20? ›

Your Shopping List
  1. 1 bag of dried beans: $1.49.
  2. 2 pounds of chicken breast: $3.76.
  3. 1 jar of peanut butter: $1.98.
  4. 1 jar of jelly: $1.79.
  5. 1 loaf of whole wheat bread: $1.63.
  6. 1 dozen eggs: $1.26.
  7. 1 container of oatmeal: $1.35.
  8. 1 bag of dried lentils: $1.39.

How to live on 10 a week for food? ›

£10 a week shopping list
  1. Bag of porridge (500g): 39p (75p* at Asda)
  2. Jar of instant coffee £1.09 (used 1/4): 28p (70p*, or 18p for a quarter, at Asda)
  3. Chicken breast fillets (300g): £1.79 (£2.00* at Tesco)
  4. Long grain rice (1kg): 40p (45p* at Asda/Tesco)
  5. 400g tin chopped tomatoes: 33p (28p* at Asda/Tesco)
Apr 5, 2022

What to eat when you have no food or money? ›

Cheapest Foods to Live On:
  • Oatmeal.
  • Eggs.
  • Bread.
  • Rice.
  • Bananas.
  • Beans.
  • Apples.
  • Pasta.

What food do you usually eat when you are tired and don't want to cook? ›

If I am too tired to cook, and can't afford to eat out (which has been most of my life,) I always have peanut butter and bread, yogurt, frozen dinners, canned soups and beef stew, fruits on hand, eggs. A well stocked pantry is the key. I am just as happy with a can of bean soup and some crackers.

What to eat when you are sick of everything? ›

WHAT TO EAT FOR DINNER WHEN YOU LACK INSPIRATION OR DON'T FEEL LIKE EATING
  • Homemade queso + chips.
  • Popcorn. ...
  • Eggs on or with toast.
  • Omelet – very accommodating to whatever you might have in the fridge!
  • Grilled cheese and soup. ...
  • Cereal. ...
  • One skillet meals like rice, chicken and veggies.
  • Pesto pasta.
May 27, 2020

What's the cheapest food you can live on? ›

10 Cheap & Healthy Foods to Buy, According to a Dietitian
  • Canned Tomatoes.
  • Oats.
  • Peanut Butter.
  • Canned Beans.
  • Potatoes.
  • Lentils.
  • Popcorn.
  • Frozen Berries.
Apr 24, 2024

How do you feed a family of 5 for $10? ›

Cheap Family Meals Under $10
  1. Spanish Rice Soup. ...
  2. Ramen Noodle Stir Fry with Vegetables. ...
  3. Crescent Roll Sausage Egg Casserole. ...
  4. Chicken and Rice Casserole with Broccoli. ...
  5. Creamy Tomato Bacon Pasta. ...
  6. Easy Cheese Manicotti. ...
  7. White Bean and Spinach Soup. ...
  8. Black Bean Enchilada Casserole.
Apr 2, 2023

What to do when nothing sounds appetizing? ›

Easy comfort food:
  1. Grilled cheese and tomato soup.
  2. Mac and cheese with frozen peas.
  3. Scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit.
  4. Toast with peanut butter and banana.
  5. Cereal with milk and fruit.
  6. Canned stews or soups.
  7. Spaghetti and frozen meatballs.
  8. Ramen with added tofu and spinach.
Apr 8, 2023

What to do when you don't want to cook anymore? ›

What to Eat When You Don't Want to Cook
  1. Cereal & Fruit.
  2. Build-Your-Own-Sandwich Bar.
  3. Grilled Cheese.
  4. Quesadillas.
  5. Salads.
  6. Frozen Pizza+
  7. Boxed Mac n Cheese+
  8. Leftovers.
Aug 29, 2022

What can I buy with 20 dollars for food? ›

WHAT TO BUY WITH A $20 GROCERY BUDGET
  • 1 loaf of bread, $1.
  • 1 (16-slice) pack cheese, $1.
  • 1 (16-oz) pack spaghetti noodles, $1.
  • 1 head Iceberg lettuce, $1.
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, $1.
  • 1 lb ground beef, $3.
  • 1/4 lb thin-sliced deli ham, $2.
  • 1 box mashed potato flakes, $1.

What's a good tip for a 20 dollar meal? ›

People generally tip 15-20% of the bill.

What is the cheapest meal to make? ›

Budget dinner recipes
  • Sardine pasta with crunchy parsley crumbs. ...
  • Miso lentil & cabbage soup. ...
  • Air-fryer meatballs. ...
  • Black bean & tortilla soup. ...
  • App onlyOne-pan hot honey & mustard parsnips & chicken thigh traybake. ...
  • Turbo beans & cheese on toast. ...
  • Chole with cumin rice & raita. ...
  • Spicy jerk potato & pineapple hash.

How to survive on $20 a week for food? ›

Here is an example of a grocery list that could last one person a week for around $20:
  1. Rice.
  2. Beans.
  3. Pasta.
  4. Canned tomatoes.
  5. Canned vegetables.
  6. Fresh vegetables (e.g., carrots, onions, potatoes)
  7. Fresh fruit (e.g., bananas, apples)
  8. Eggs.
Sep 11, 2023

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