27 practical recipes with ground beef to add to your menu

Versatility. This is certainly the main word to define ground beef. This type of food is usually part of the diet of most people, being used in the most varied preparations, such as, for example, kibbeh; hamburgers; cookies; pasta fillings, pastries; sautéed with vegetables etc.

In addition, because there are different cuts for ground beef (for example: soft top, hard top, duckling, etc.), you can choose the one you like the most, whether in terms of flavor, tenderness or even in terms of the amount of fat. that each cut has.

Everyone agrees that, no matter how tasty a food is, eating it every day in the same way ends up making you sick. So, how about taking advantage of the versatility of ground beef and creating different dishes?!

So that you don’t run out of ideas, you can check out some super practical and tasty recipes below, and that will probably be a big hit at your house, whether at lunch or dinner on a daily basis; whether on a special occasion when you are going to cook for friends or family.

1. Eggplant stuffed with oven-roasted ground meat: this is a recipe that is considered low carb and very nutritious (especially if it is made with lean meat), in addition to being super practical. Worth noting!

2. Ground beef with potatoes: for those who are a fan of a simple, homemade meal, the combination of ground beef and potatoes – preferably with rice, beans and salad – is perfect!

3. Ground beef with eggplant: a simple, tasty and healthy recipe, which basically takes eggplant cut into cubes, onion, garlic, tomato paste and ground beef.

4. Ground beef with okra: a simple but very tasty recipe, ideal for changing the way you eat meat on a daily basis. You will basically only need ground beef, okra, potatoes, garlic and onions.

5. Oven ground beef: a different way to eat ground beef! You will use, in addition to this main ingredient, onion soup, sour cream, cottage cheese, grated mozzarella and seasonings to taste.

6. Ground beef parmigiana: a different recipe, however, easy to make! You will basically need to mix the ground beef with onion cream, onion and green smell, later dividing the mixture into “steaks”. It’s worth learning!

7. Ground beef for bolognese sauce: most people love a good plate of pasta with bolognese sauce! If you are also part of this team, check out this recipe to perfect the preparation of ground beef and sauce.

8. Ground beef for lasagna: there’s no denying it, bolognese sauce also goes perfectly with a good lasagna. And here you can find the recipe for a complete dish, ideal for a Sunday lunch with the family! Here’s the tip!

9. Gardener’s ground beef: another different, healthy and simple way to consume ground beef on a daily basis. You will use, in addition to the main ingredient, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, parsley, salt and black pepper.

10. Ground beef in spring: for those who love Arab food, this tip is great! In the recipe, the oven-baked kibbeh gains more color and flavor with tomato, zucchini, onion, mint leaves, olive oil, pepper and salt!

11. Silveirinha ground beef: learn how to make a delicious crepe with a filling that takes, in addition to ground beef, onions, garlic, carrots, olives, parsley, pepper, salt and olive oil. It is mouthwatering!

12. Ground beef with bacon: if, in addition to ground beef, you love bacon, you’ll love this super-practical and tasty recipe, ideal for a home-cooked lunch or dinner.

13. Creamy ground beef: with tomato sauce, cream, among other ingredients, your traditional ground beef with vegetables will gain a “new face”, becoming much tastier and creamier. Perfect to serve with rice and a green salad!

14. Ground beef with cassava: and who said ground beef only goes with potatoes?! It’s also delicious with cassava, in a super simple dish to make.

15. Ground beef with pumpkin: a different, healthy recipe that yields a lot and has few calories. Worth noting!

16. Ground beef with eggs: if you like and usually have ground beef and eggs at home, you’ll love this super-practical recipe that combines the two ingredients and more tomato sauce.

17. Ground soy meat: a good option for those who don’t eat meat and/or like to try new flavors. It’s simple and it’s delicious!

18. Baked rice with ground beef: this recipe is a great way to reuse leftover rice, preparing a complete and delicious dish.

19. Ground beef cake: the recipe reuses ready-made rice, and takes, in addition to ground beef, eggs, garlic, onion, oregano, salt, parsley and chives, plus a homemade tomato sauce topping.

20. Ground Beef Soup: A recipe that uses simple ingredients that you usually have at home. Great request for the coldest days!

21. Peppers stuffed with ground beef: a practical recipe that results in a delicious dish, ideal to be served with sliced ​​potatoes and rice with carrots.

22. Ground Beef Pancake: The most traditional filling for a good pancake is certainly ground beef! Most people love it! Check out the recipe to make the full dish.

23. Pastel with ground beef: Pastel goes perfectly with ground beef! Check out a quick but very tasty recipe that yields 18 servings. It’s a great request for a weekend, for example!

24. Polenta with ground beef: ideal recipe to make that simple food almost “gourmet”!

25. Sweet potato dumplings with ground beef: a different recipe, easy to make, that results in tasty dumplings, ideal for those who like to eat healthy foods.

26. Escondidinho de carne mince: a simple recipe that results in a delicious and complete dish! It’s worth learning!

27. Ground beef ragu: check out the recipe for this delicious sauce that combines, among other ingredients, ground beef, pork, tomato pulp, celery, carrots, onions, salt, oil, pepper and garlic.

How to choose the right ground beef for each dish?

Antonio Filho, chef at LC Restaurantes, points out that, in order to have good ground beef, the principle of everything is choosing a butcher shop you trust: one that always has fresh meats of good origin. “Remember: if the raw material is not of good quality, we will hardly have good results in our recipes”, he says.

In this context, the chef gives some important tips:

1. Choose the piece you want and ask to grind it on the spot.
2. Trays on gondolas are not always fresh meat.
3. Time and oxygen are enemies of ground beef, as it begins to darken, changing aroma and flavor, depending on the exposure time. Thus losing important quality.
4. The ground meat must have a bright and intense red color. Sometimes light red, depending on the amount of fat purposely added to it for better results in specific recipes.

It is worth remembering that there are several cuts for ground beef, which differentiates it in flavor, tenderness, in the amount of fat, etc. Below, chef Antonio Filho talks about the main types:

Acem (11% fat): second-rate meat, but very rich in flavor. “It is a relatively lean meat, ideal to be used in fillings for pies, pastries, pies, croquettes. In addition to being a meat that cannot be missing in blends (mixtures of two or more types of meat to balance the flavor of the perfect hamburger). It has short fibers and a medium degree of softness”, explains the chef.

Hard topside (9% fat): “this piece has thick, long and dry fibers, with a layer of fat. After grinding, the preparation time is longer and the flavor concentration is also higher in relation to the soft coxão. Ideal to be used in the preparation of bolognese sauce. This piece needs to be ground two to three times”, highlights Antonio Filho.

Coxão soft (9% fat): has soft, short fibers, with fat and nerves, according to the chef. “It is also richer in furrows. This piece needs to be ground two to three times, the preparation is faster because of the fat that helps soften the fiber. Ideal for the production of meatballs, stuffed polpetones, etc.”.

Fraldinha (26% fat): “This piece is the wall of the animal’s abdomen, made up of long fibers and fat. It is a very tender, tasty meat with a very pleasant aroma, ideal for barbecue. Ground, we can use it in the production of kaftas and blends for hamburgers”, highlights the chef.

Muscle (7% fat): this piece is considered third-party, however, it is one of the richest meats in flavor, aroma and nutrients, as explained by Antonio Filho. “I recommend grinding the back part along with some other piece of your choice so that there is a balance in the fiber to the palate, because it is muscles and nerves. Short and hard fiber, which requires longer cooking time. I recommend the use in sauces, soups, broths and fillings”.

Duckling (7% fat): premium meat, with soft fibers, without fat, with a large amount of furrow and blood with a very characteristic aroma and flavor. Ideal for making minced meat and using it in various preparations, according to the chef.

Picanha (20% fat): noble cut and very soft, super rich in fat and groove. “Recommended especially for barbecue. Its fat can be ground together with other meats to enrich flavor and aromas in preparations. We use the rump steak with one or two other types of meat to prepare the hamburger”, explains the chef.

So, in a nutshell, chef Antonio Filho advises which are the most suitable cuts of ground beef for each type of dish below:

• Pasta: chuck steak, muscle, hard thigh, duckling.
• Hamburger: flank steak, picanha, chuck, shoulder, rib, rump, soft thigh. (Blends: chuck + flank steak + fat)
• Sauces: muscle, chuck.
• Snacks: duckling, chuck. Ideally, they should be lean meats.
• Roasts: picanha, rump, soft coxão, flank steak. “Preferably pieces that have a layer of fat, as it protects from drying out and helps to soften, in addition to enhancing the aromas of the preparation”, explains the chef.

Now you have great tips for consuming ground beef in different ways, as well as for choosing the best cuts! It is always worth using creativity, creating, in addition to these, new recipes that take this versatile, accessible and tasty ingredient.