Although the benefits of not eating meat and sticking to a plant-based diet has been linked to boosting longevity, like most things in life, it's about consuming foods in moderation that's important. That's to say, including ground beef in your meal plan every once and a while can be an easy, quick, high-protein option to help fuel your day. Not to mention: it's relatively affordable, super versatile, and you can stash it in your freezer for three to four months. Ahead we're sharing 10 delicious high-protein ground beef recipes that come together in less than an hour to spare you any mealtime emergencies.
Benefits of a eating protein-packed meals
While this isn't an excuse to eat less plants, eating a moderate amount of meat does have its own nutritional positives. Beef is high in important nutrients including bioavailable protein, iron, and vitamin B-12. "You can incorporate [red meat] into your life in a healthful way, but it is something you have to monitor,” registered dietitian Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD, shared with Well+Good. The key making beef a supporting player in your diet, not the focus. On that note, the American Heart Association recommends moderating saturated fat consumption by limiting intake to less than seven percent of your daily intake, which is standardized as around 13 grams of saturated fat.
While red meat may have higher levels of saturated fats than other foods, it does have a substantial amount of protein to help you meet your protein goals. So, how much protein per meal should you be eating anyway? Registered dietitians recommend getting about 30 grams of protein per meal (from plant-based sources or not). For context, you can get 17 grams of protein per 100-gram serving of ground beef.
With this in mind, there are *plenty* of easy ground beef recipes that also contain lots of fiber-rich veggies to fuel up on. It's always nice when you can get a well-rounded meal by only cooking one dish, right? Rounded up here are 10 recipes to (ahem) beef up your recipe repertoire.
10 ground beef recipes paired with tons of gut-healthy vegetables
1. Sweet and Spicy Ground Beef and Rice Bowl
Sweet and spicy is the name of the game in this ground beef and rice bowl recipe by My Korean Kitchen. This tasty meal stars ground beef that's seasoned with soy sauce, rice wine, minced garlic, sesame oil, ginger, and a touch of brown sugar to give it tons of flavor. Then, it's combined with white rice and your choice of fresh veggies, like kimchi, radishes, avocado, cucumber, and bell peppers, that give this dish that sought-after crunch factor.
Get the recipe: Korean-Inspired Ground Beef and Rice Bowl
2. Gluten-Free Burrito Bowl
Love bowl-based meals you can make with ground beef? Say no more. This burrito bowl recipe by Salima's Kitchen is an explosion of flavor with every bite. The main cooking tip to keep in mind when making this dish is not to forgo the taco seasoning when cooking the beef; it's crucial as it adds depth of flavor thanks to warming spices like chili powder and cumin. Once your meat is cooked and has thoroughly absorbed the seasonings, you'll want to pair it with rice, black beans, corn, romaine lettuce, onion, bell pepper, avocado, and salsa for a well-balanced meal. Not to mention, there's no shortage of fiber in this dish thanks to the fruits and veggies that make this dish a standout.
Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Burrito Bowl
3. Skillet Ground Beef and Potatoes
If you're truly hard-up on what to do with your ground beef, why complicate things? Throw it on a skillet with whatever veggies are camped out in your crisper or pantry and a well-rounded meal will come together quickly—all while only dirtying one dish. Swoon. This ground beef and potatoes recipe by Well-Plated by Erin calls for simple pantry staple ingredients like oregano and Worcestershire sauce for extra flavor, but feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand, as this dish can easily be doctored up to best suit your taste preferences.
Get the recipe: Skillet Ground Beef and Potatoes
4. Stuffed Peppers
Anytime a vegetable serves as the "bowl" of your dinner, you know you're going to get some good fiber. In this recipe, the recipe developer behind Salt and Lavender uses bell peppers to hold the ground beef, rice, and crushed tomatoes mixture. Top it all off with a little cheese and you just made yourself a dinner of champions.
Get the recipe: Stuffed Peppers
5. Beef Picadillo
Traditional in Latin America and the Philippines, picadillo varies by region but ground meat is always central to the recipe. In this Puerto Rican-inspired take by Budget Bytes, it's also made with raisins, briny green olives, and bell peppers. So, how to make beef flavorful, you may be wondering? Well, you'll want to be sure to stick close to your spice rack, as this dish is loaded with anti-inflammatory spices including garlic, bay leaves, and oregano, that takes ground beef from zero to 100 with a few teaspoons.
Get the recipe: Beef Picadillo
6. Minced Curry
The combination of ground beef and potatoes in this recipe by African Bites makes this South African-inspired meal hearty and comforting—and the flavorful curry sauce really takes the dish to the next level. Curry powder, paprika, ginger, and minced garlic are all used to make it. Want to make it extra spicy? Add a chili pepper... or two (if you can handle the heat).
Get the recipe: Minced Curry
7. Vegetable Beef Soup
Cozy soup season is here, and if you're looking for a way to cook with frozen or canned vegetables you have on hand, this recipe by The Hungry Bluebird will put them to good use; they work just as well, if not better, than fresh veggies in this recipe. Plus, there's high-protein beans—another pantry staple—in the pot too, which ups the fiber even more. A win-win.
Get the recipe: Vegetable Beef Soup
8. Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole
There's a reason why casserole recipes have been passed down for generations: they get dinner on the table quickly and don't require constant monitoring. But this isn't your grandmother's typical casserole. Instead of traditional rice, this version by My Keto Kitchen is made with cauliflower rice, upping the fiber and nutrient content. Although if you don't have cauliflower available, you can always swap it for other meat extenders, such as oats, beans, mushrooms, or lentils, to name a few.
Get the recipe: Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole
9. Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Another dinner you can stick in the oven to cook while you finish the hundred other things on your to-do list is this shepherd's pie by Real Food With Sarah that's topped with fluffy, fiber-rich sweet potatoes. The tubers are a key source of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber and add the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the beef.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
10. Ground Beef and Zoodles
If you're in the mood for pasta but are hunting for a recipe that's a little more veggie-centric, using zucchini noodles in place of traditional pasta noodles does just the trick, as demonstrated in this recipe by The Healthy Foodie. Plus, cooking with bone broth and a few key herbs adds flavor in place of a heavy sauce. Of course, if you want to make this recipe even better, you can rely source regenerative meat options, sourced from farmers practicing regenerative agriculture, which aims to reverse effects of climate change by rebuilding organic matter in soil and restoring degraded soil biodiversity.
Get the recipe: Ground Beef and Zoodles
How to make a vegan beef bourguignon:
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