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Busy days need easy dinners! And today I’m sharing 30 Ground Beef Dinner Recipes that you can make for the family on the busiest days. All of these meals are simple, yet bold and flavorful. Try out the classics like our Ground Beef Crispy Tacos, Homemade Chili Mac or easy versions of favorites like our Ground Beef Fajitas.
Over the 10 plus years of developing recipes I have worked on creating several easy, affordable meals that are big on flavor and feature the use of ground beef. These are recipes that we use over and over for family dinner, they’re kid friendly, and simple. Most of the recipes fall into one of these categories:
- Skillet Meals– the entire meal is conveniently made in one skillet (like our popular Mexican Picadillo), great for casseroles and pastas. Easy prep times and easy clean up. (our favorite skillet)
- One Pot Meals– cooking the meal all in one pot works well with soups! (our favorite dutch oven)
- Sheet Pan Meals– the meal is cooked on a large sheet pan, making it simple for weeknight family dinner, just like our Sheet Pan Nachos. (our favorite sheet pan)
Ingredient Spotlight
First, let’s chat about ground beef a little bit. It’s more than a delicious ingredient, it’s also budget friendly, versatile, and packed with nutrients and protein. According to Beef Loving Texans here are a few of the additional health benefits of lean ground beef:
- Rich in iron
- Contains Vitamin B6 and B12
- Source of zinc which is essential for many things including immune systems, and skin health.
One of our all-time most popular recipes here on the site and also in our own home is this ground beef taco meat. It’s the star of our crispy ground beef tacos and many of our other dishes in this round up.
Ground Beef Taco Meat
For quick and easy dinner ideas prep ground beef taco meat and store in sealed containers in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you need an easy meal, thaw the meat in the refrigerator overnight. Some of our favorite meals to make with this meat include:
- Casseroles like our Walking Taco Casserole or Tamale Pie
- Crispy Ground Beef Tacos
- Ground Beef Burrito Bowls
- Taco Salads
- Burritos (try our Wet Burritos or the viral Grilled Cheese Burritos)
- Taco Bowls
- Taco Stuffed Avocados or Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers for fun low carb options
- Casseroles like our Walking Taco Casserole or Tamale Pie
Make Ahead and Freezing Options
Want to work ahead when you have the time to allow for even quicker and easier dinner times? Many of our recipes feature make ahead or freezer instructions in the recipe cards and posts. Some of our favorites to keep stashed in the freezer include our Ground Beef Texas Chili and Taco Soup.
30 Ground Beef Easy Dinner Ideas
Best Ground Beef Taco Recipe
The absolute BEST ground beef Tacos! An easy to make homemade taco seasoning and a secret ingredient that makes this the most flavorful and juiciest taco meat EVER! The perfect family weeknight meal that can be ready in less than 30 minutes!
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Ground Beef Burrito Bowls
These easy Ground Beef Burrito Bowls are a quick, flavorful dinner made with seasoned beef, rice, beans, and all your favorite toppings. Perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep, they’re customizable, budget-friendly, and family-approved!
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Ground Beef Fajita Bowls
Ground Beef Fajita Bowls are a quick, flavorful dinner that combines zesty, seasoned beef with tender fajita veggies and rice. Perfect for busy weeknights, this budget-friendly recipe delivers big Tex-Mex flavors the whole family will love!
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Walking Taco Casserole
Mouth-watering Walking Taco Casserole is a versatile and family-friendly recipe. This taco bake features layers of seasoned ground beef, melty cheese, Frito corn chips, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa.
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Taco Salad
This easy classic Taco Salad features fresh, crisp lettuce with a taco seasoned ground beef and all the best taco toppings including cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and onion. Drizzle with a simple homemade dressing that only needs 2 ingredients!
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Mexican Picadillo
This quick and easy Mexican Picadillo dinner recipe comes together with minimal ingredients and only 30 minutes. Ground beef and potatoes are simmered in a seasoned tomato sauce. Serve this dish up with some rice and fresh flour tortillas for a complete meal.Â
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Ground Beef Enchilada Skillet
An easy to make Ground Beef Enchilada Skillet meal that comes together in approximately 30 minutes and one skillet that is perfect for busy weekdays. Ground beef, enchilada sauce, soft corn tortillas, and melty cheese give all the flavors of enchiladas with minimal prep work.
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Enchilada Meatballs
This fun and flavorful Enchilada Meatball Skillet features tender ground beef meatballs seasoned with a simple Tex Mex blend and slow simmered in enchilada sauce. It has all the enchilada flavors you love in a simplified, family friendly meal making it perfect for a busy weeknight or a lazy day dinner.
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Easy Homemade Meatballs
These easy Homemade Meatballs are made with ground beef and seasoned with Italian breadcrumbs are simple to make! Perfect for simmering in a marinara sauce or freezing for future use. All the tips you need for tender, juicy meatballs included!
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Swedish Meatballs
These creamy Swedish meatballs are an easy dinner idea that’s full of rich flavor and family-friendly comfort. Juicy, tender meatballs made with warm spices, simmered in a creamy gravy. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or over noodles for a perfect comfort meal.
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Meatball Chili
This meatball chili takes all the best parts of classic chili and adds a fun, hearty twist with perfectly spiced meatballs. Packed with bold flavors and endless comfort, it’s a recipe you’ll turn to again and again!
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Bacon Bourbon Meatballs
These indulgent meatballs are made with bacon and ground beef and simmered in a bourbon bbq sauce. Perfect to serve as an appetizer for the big game or on a sandwich for family dinner!
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Ground Beef Texas Style Chili Without Beans
This easy to make Ground Beef Texas Style Chili is thick, hearty, and comforting. Using ground beef and chili seasonings this is a quick version of a Texas chili made without beans.
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Easy Chili Recipe
Quick and filling, this easy chili recipe can be made in the slow cooker or as a one pot 30 minute meal. Loaded with ground beef, beans, chiles and more this hearty chili is perfect for loading up with all your favorite toppings.
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Easy Cheeseburger Soup
Cheeseburger Soup. This thick and hearty soup comes together in 30 minutes. Made with tender ground beef, potatoes, and vegetables all in a cheesy and creamy broth.Â
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Cowboy Stew
Thick and hearty cowboy stew is loaded with three kinds of meat, beans, and veggies. This ground beef stew recipe will quickly become a family favorite!
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Taco Soup
This easy and comforting Taco Soup is a perfect family friendly meal that comes together in only 30 minutes! This recipe is great for a busy weeknight and makes for perfect lunch leftovers. Loaded up with beef, beans, corn, and all your favorite Tex Mex ingredients.
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Burger Bowls
All the best parts of a juicy cheeseburger, served up in a bowl with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, pickles, and a quick homemade burger sauce. It’s hearty, customizable, and weeknight-friendly—no bun required.
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Homemade Chili Mac
Hearty, cheesy, and loaded with flavor, this one-pot chili mac is the ultimate weeknight dinner win. It’s like your favorite chili and mac & cheese got together and decided to make life easier (and way more delicious).
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Taco Stuffed Peppers
Easy Taco Stuffed Peppers are a fun low carb dinner ready in 30 minutes. One pound of ground beef is cooked with beans, seasoned with a homemade spice blend, stuffed into bell peppers, then topped with cheese.
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Taco Stuffed Avocados
Taco Stuffed Avocados. The perfect low carb Taco! These avocados are loaded up with the BEST taco meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and a dollop of sour cream. Perfect for an easy lunch or light dinner.
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Cuban Picadillo
This Cuban Picadillo is a hearty, flavor-packed dish made with ground beef, tomatoes, olives, and a hint of sweetness from raisins. It's the perfect blend of savory and sweet, bringing a taste of Cuban comfort straight to your dinner table.
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Sweet Potato and Ground Beef Skillet
This easy-to-make Sweet Potato and Ground Beef skillet is seasoned with a homemade Tex-Mex spice blend featuring chili powder, cumin, and coriander. All made in one skillet, this quick recipe is perfect for a weeknight family dinner.Â
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Chipotle Ground Beef
This quick and easy Chipotle Ground Beef is packed with smoky, spicy flavor using pantry spices, tomato paste, and fresh lime juice—no blender or special tools required. Perfect for tacos, bowls, or meal prep, it’s a weeknight-friendly recipe the whole family will love.
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One Pot Taco Pasta
This Cheesy Taco Pasta is so easy to make! It only needs one pot and 30 minutes. Ground beef and shells are simmered in a taco seasoned sauce, and topped with lots of cheese for a delicious family dinner recipe.
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Tamale Pie
This easy tamale pie is classic Tex-Mex comfort food. Featuring ground beef, enchilada sauce, and a tamale-inspired cornbread base, this recipe is a great family dinner idea for busy weeknights.
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Grilled Cheese Burritos
This homemade version of the Grilled Cheese Burrito has all the cheesy, melty goodness you love, with the bonus of skipping the fast food lines. It might take a little more effort, but trust me—the crispy grilled cheese exterior and customizable fillings make it so worth it!
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Sheet Pan Nachos
Easy Sheet Pan Nachos with ground beef are a fun and quick family dinner! Tortilla chips loaded up with juicy taco meat, refried beans, melty cheese and all your favorite toppings. This meal comes together in 30 minutes and is large enough to feed a crowd.
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Taco Bowl
These Taco Bowls are a fun twist on a traditional taco. Ground beef taco meat layered on cilantro lime rice and all your favorite taco toppings. This easy and delicious meal will become a new family favorite.
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Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme Recipe
These Crunchwraps are a Tex-Mex favorite filled with ground beef, lettuce, cheese and all your favorites! Homemade yet still as delicious as the fast-food version, they make a great family friendly meal everyone will love.
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Frito Pie
This authentic Texas Frito Pie is made with an easy ground beef chili on top of corn chips. Load it up with cheese, diced onion, and a scoop of sour cream. Perfect for game-day treats or an easy family dinner.
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John Wayne Casserole
This easy-to-make John Wayne Casserole features a chile-spiced ground beef mixture with bell peppers, tomatoes, and onion with melty cheese, all on top of buttery, flaky biscuits.Â
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Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls
These mini Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls are packed with tender, juicy ground beef melty cheese, and tangy pickles all smothered in a homemade burger sauce. Perfect for Game Day or family dinner!
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Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes Recipe
Hearty and flavorful old fashioned sloppy joes! This homemade sauce is perfect for using as a quick weeknight meal for the family!Â
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Wet Burrito
The KING of Burritos! This Wet Burrito is loaded up with juicy, tender meat, rice, beans, and cheese. All smothered in a red enchilada sauce, more cheese and baked until nice and melty. Top with some cooling sour cream and fresh lettuce and tomato for a fun, restaurant quality meal.
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Don’t forget the sides!
- Mexican Side Salad
- Mexican Roasted Vegetables
- Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Homemade Refried Beans
Check out our entire collection of side dishes.
