Ground beef just might be the ingredient heard around the world. Although it’s essential for building burgers, packing patty is hardly the only thing to do with hamburger meat.
You can fold fatty ground beef into little dumplings (pro-tip: consult our guide to homemade dumplings), or crumble lean ground beef into an egg or potato hash to up your weekend breakfast game. When it comes to meals to make with ground beef, the recipe possibilities are endless. From Italian meat sauce to Chinese dumplings to homemade chili, here are some of our best ground beef recipes and ideas to try any time of year.
On October 17, 1982, the Bolognese chapter of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, “after having carried out long and laborious investigations and conducted studies and research”, decreed the following recipe to be the official one for classic ragu alla bolognese. We’re not necessarily convinced of that, but it’s a fantastic recipe nonetheless. Get the recipe for Classic Ragù alla Bolognese »
This recipe for summer bolognese has the classic comfort of bolognese, but without the heaviness of a red sauce, instead embracing the summer’s bounty of gorgeous tomatoes and fresh basil.
Lou Di Palo shared his grandmother’s recipe for the meatballs that he sells at his family’s store, Di Palo’s Fine Foods, in New York City; they’re composed of pork, beef, and veal and flavored with four kinds of cheese. Get the recipe for Spaghetti and Meatballs »
In these delightfully rich dumplings, homemade or store-bought chile oil is balanced by freshness from scallions and ginger and sweetness from oyster sauce. To maximize the crispy surface area, stretch and arc the shape of the raw dumpling slightly. Get the recipe for Pan-Fried Spicy Beef Dumplings »
The key to making these meatballs is to brown them first in a skillet and then braise them in a sauce of red wine and tomatoes. Serve them with crusty bread or spaghetti to sop up the sauce. Get the recipe for Classic Meatballs »
At Ethel’s Grill on Oahu, Hawaii, juicy pork-and-beef patties are served over salty-sweet ponzu sauce and crisp cabbage, and topped with grated daikon and spicy sprouts.
The recipe for these kebabs, which can also be made with lamb, is adapted from Charmaine O’Brien’s Recipes from an Urban Village (The Hope Project, 2003).
Lasagna gets a bad rap for being a labor-intensive dish, but with a few shortcuts, like starting with store-bought lasagna sheets, you can make a great cheesy version any night of the week. Get the recipe Classic Easy Lasagna »
