18 Easy Ground Beef Recipes to Make for Dinner Tonight

Ricotta Meatballs

When you think of ground beef, meatballs are likely one of the first foods that come to mind. This recipe calls for a combination of ground beef and ground turkey or pork, which yields a slightly leaner but just as delicious meatball. The meatballs are also made with ricotta, which gives the final product an incredibly tender texture. You can freeze these guys for up to a month, which means you can always have delicious meatballs within reach.

Beef and Cabbage Skillet Supper

Think of this easy meal as deconstructed beef cabbage rolls with a little Moroccan flair. You'll start by sautéing ground beef that's been seasoned with cinnamon and coriander, and then add some sliced green cabbage and onion. A finishing touch of raisins and tomato purée adds sweetness and brightens the sauce. Serve over rice, and you've got dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Spicy Ground Beef

This savory ground beef mixture is seasoned with chili powder, cumin, paprika, and garlic. It obviously makes for an easy, flavorful taco filling, but you can also add it to a quesadilla, use some to top a homemade pizza or sprinkle a bit on top of a bowl of pasta or rice.

Bulgogi-Inspired Beef Tacos

Speaking of tacos, these quick ones come together in 15 minutes. Inside you'll find ground beef seasoned with brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha, as well as mini cucumber slices, toasted sesame seeds, and a dollop of store-bought kimchi. This recipe is so easy and flavorful that we guarantee it will become a new weeknight favorite.

Fajita Burgers

Ground beef is the backbone of many hamburgers. Here, the meat is seasoned with chili powder and cumin, while the patties themselves are then topped with sautéed bell peppers and onions. Spread a creamy avocado mixture on one half of the bun, and add some pickled jalapeño slices for even more flavor.

Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs

If you've ever wondered what you get when you combine spaghetti and meatballs and a casserole, this is it. Our favorite part about this one-dish recipe is that everything—meatballs, pasta, and tomato sauce—goes uncooked in the oven. Roughly an hour later, you have a ready-to-serve family favorite that even picky eaters will love.

Slow-Cooker Black Bean and Zucchini Chili

This chili, which feeds eight, calls for more than a pound of ground beef. The meat is prepared in a slow cooker along with other chili mainstays like black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, tomato paste, and chili powder. Zucchini slices add plenty of nutrients to the meal and make it even heartier. Top each bowl with sour cream, cut-up avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro, and you're good to go!

Sloppy Joe Biscuits With Roasted Broccolini

What's better than a sloppy Joe? A sloppy Joe served on refrigerated biscuits. In addition to saving time, the biscuits act as the perfect vehicle to sop up all the sloppy goodness. When shopping for ground beef, look for a mixture that is 80 percent lean meat and 20 percent fat—a great ratio for juicy, tender beef. If you're feeling ambitious, try making your own biscuits instead of using store-bought ones.

Spaghetti With Bacon Meatballs

Bacon meatballs? Yes, please! In addition to ground beef, these meatballs are made with coarsely chopped bacon, which adds a salty, smoky taste to the mixture. Other meatball ingredients include grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and flat-leaf parsley leaves. Serve 'em over spaghetti, polenta, or zucchini noodles and you've got an easy, cozy meal in less than 30 minutes.

Simple Shepherd's Pie

For a meal that's packed with meat and potatoes, but not difficult to make, give this simple shepherd's pie a whirl. The comforting dish features vegetable-enriched beef filling topped with a batch of buttery mashed potatoes, meaning it's likely to be a hit with the whole family.

Fast Bolognese

The frustrating thing about a Bolognese sauce is that it typically requires hours of simmering on the stove. However, this quick and easy version calls for just 30 minutes of hands-on work, followed by a 90-minute simmer.

Go ahead and make a big batch, and feel free to store any leftovers in the freezer for up to three months. Then, use the leftovers to coat the pasta and poach the eggs for an interesting take on shakshuka, or top a steaming hot baked potato.

Grass-Fed Albondigas (Meatballs) With Tomato Sauce

For a different take on meatballs, try this recipe from Argentine chef Fernando Navas. These meatballs call for grass-fed ground beef, stale bread, ricotta cheese, and more. Plus, the meatballs get a chance to simmer in their own homemade tomato sauce, yielding a complete light meal or appetizer in a little over an hour.

Spiced Mini Burgers With Couscous Salad

Cumin and oregano give these pint-sized burgers their kick. Then make this dish's tangy counterpart by tossing some couscous with scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, and lemon juice. Add some naan and hummus for a hearty meal that's full of Mediterranean flavors.

Smoky Adobo-Seasoned Hamburgers

For these southwestern-style burgers, start by making your own taco seasoning to mix into the ground beef. You'll grill the patties, then fry an egg to place on top of each burger, along with toppings like avocado, salsa, sliced pepper Jack cheese, and lettuce. Finish it off with some adobo sauce mixed with mayonnaise. Hot, hot, hot!

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

This colorful dish offers a festival of flavors, and the ground beef provides protein. Cook the beef with scallion whites. Then combine it with corn, chilies, cumin, cooked rice, and Monterey Jack. Spoon it all into bright red (or orange, yellow, or green) bell peppers and drizzle with diluted plain Greek yogurt.

Four Cheese Lasagna

The meat layer of this delectably cheesy lasagna is a mixture of ground beef, garlic, tomato sauce, tomatoes, vinegar, and shredded fresh basil. The cheese layer includes ricotta, provolone, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Serve with crusty bread and a side salad.

Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti

This easy-as-can-be recipe merely requires skillet-browning the ground beef and tossing it with cooked ziti, marinara sauce, spinach, ricotta, and Parmesan. Then sprinkle with mozzarella, slide it into the oven, and bake until the cheese melts.

Spaghetti With Beef Mushroom Sauce

Beef and mushrooms are a classic, comfort food combo, and this decadent dish gets its creamy texture from heavy cream and Parmesan. Top with roughly-chopped parsley and pair with a heavy red wine like Bordeaux.