6 Must Try Healthy Ground Beef Recipes

Who says being on a diet or eating healthy means staying away from beef? If you are a health-conscious person who loves beef but needs to control yourself, then you are missing out on the best healthy beef recipes¹.

Beef is abundant in protein and several other nutrients. However, its high amounts of saturated fat make it unhealthy for most people. So the best alternative is to incorporate health with taste, read on to find out more!

6 Tasty Healthy Ground Beef Recipes

The list below some healthy ground beef recipes which are easy to make and use simple ingredients. Every recipe has its uniqueness and flavour, making these healthy ground beef recipes fit for different occasions.

Get ready to cook some very tasty ground beef!

1. Phyllo Meat Pie Or Egyptian Goulash

One of the healthy beef recipes, Phyllo Meat Pie ²is probably the best savoury pastry made with ground beef you would not be able to stop eating.

It also has a tad sweet taste that keeps your concentration on only the dish. But the best part about the meat pie is you can make and have it whenever you want! It is the ultimate comfort food.

1.1. Ingredients:

1. 16 oz of. frozen phyllo dough package. Thaw the dough in its package.
2. Whisk one egg in a cup of milk to get your egg-milk mixture.
3. A cup of extra virgin olive oil. If not, you can also take half a cup of olive oil and combine it with half a cup of melted butter.

1.1.2. Ingredients For The Meat Filling:

1. A cup of onions chopped moderately.
2. One and a half cups of chopped lean ground beef.
3. One teaspoonful of ground allspice.
4. A teaspoonful of garlic powder.
5. One teaspoon of black pepper.
6. One teaspoon of white pepper.
7. One teaspoon of salt.

1.2. Instructions For Making This Healthy Ground Beef Recipe:

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now, lay the thawed phyllo dough sheets between two lightly damp kitchen towels and leave them there. Be careful not to tear the dough sheets.

1.2.1. Prepare The Healthy Ground Beef Filling:

Start preparing the meat filling by heating one tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick pan. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped onions and the ground beef.

Saute them briefly for about five minutes on medium-high heat. Cook until fully browned and toss them at regular intervals.

Remove the pan from the heat briefly (to ensure some of the fat is drained) Now return to the stove. Add in the spices and stir to combine them with the onions and remove the pan totally from the stove.

1.2.2. Prepare The Tasty Phyllo Pie

You need to assemble the phyllo pie first. For this, lay three to four sheets of the damp dough on the bottom of a lightly greased baking pan (9 ½ x 13 x 2 ¼ inches).

Fold in any excess dough and brush generously the top phyllo sheet very with the melted butter and oil mixture. Continue doing this as you lay three to four sheets of phyllo at a time in the baking pan. At this point, you ought to have used up half of the phyllo sheets.

You have now prepared a nice base for your pie. Next is the time to spread the ground beef filling evenly on top of the last phyllo sheet.

Layer the remaining sheets on top of the meat repeating the same process as before. Layer three or four sheets at a time fold any excess phyllo sheets and butter the top sheet and continue until all the sheets are used up. Remove from stove.

Next, brush the top sheet very generously with the butter and olive oil mixture. Cut the phyllo pie into twelve equal squares using a sharp knife, now season the prepared milk and egg mixture with salt and pepper. Then pour it evenly over the pie.

Place your phyllo meat pie on the middle rack of the preheated oven to cook for about forty minutes to an hour, or until cooked through. It should turn a nice golden brown colour and the ground beef pie should look flaky. Be watchful so that the pie does not overbake or burn.

The pie is best served with a side of green salad. Enjoy!

2. The Beef-Vegetable Skillet

One of the tastiest skillet meals, this ground beef recipe uses some unique spices and common vegetables to make it one of the perfect healthy ground beef recipes. Vegetables are a great source of minerals and vitamins and roughage, whereas ground beef is rich in protein.

It is a recipe that adults love and children want. Even the pickiest eaters will want to get a taste of this fine ground beef recipe. It is probably one of the tastiest healthy beef recipes.

2.1. Ingredients:

1. Five hundred grams of lean ground beef. Lean beef has a lower percentage of saturated fat and is healthier. You can swap ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken if those are available to you.
2. One medium-sized chopped onion.
3. One tablespoon of minced garlic.
4. Two and a half tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning or Mexican seasoning to add to it the flavour of Mexican food.
5. One small cup of chopped tomato.
6. One small cup of chopped zucchini.
7. Some fresh cilantro (coriander) for garnishing purposes.
8. One cup of Romaine lettuce (optional)
9. Half a cup of sliced green olives (optional)

Apart from the tomatoes, bell peppers (various-coloured because it makes the ground beef recipe look vibrant and bright), and zucchini.

Apart from these vegetables, you can also add corn, beans, mushrooms, carrots, or, brussels sprouts if you are not on a low-carb/keto diet. Fresh vegetables not only increase the nutritional value but also makes the dish more filling.

2.2. Instructions:

Start by heating a heavy cast-iron skillet on your stove. Add the beef to the skillet and cook ground beef for about five minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Stir occasionally.

Now add chopped onion, minced garlic, and taco seasoning. Saute for a minute until the onion has softened. and changed colour. Now add the chopped tomato. Continue to cook on low heat.

By the time the beef is fully cooked and the liquid is slightly reduced, it’ll take about seven to ten minutes.

Toward the end of cooking, add the chopped bell peppers and zucchini. Mix well and cook again for about two minutes. Be careful not to cook the vegetables all the way through, they’ll lose their crunchiness and the dish will lose its texture.

You have made one of the very healthy ground beef recipes. Now serve hot with fresh cilantro or your favourite toppings!

3. Bolognese

The term Bolognese is used to refer to the culture of Bologna in Italy and I’m sure you have heard of ‘Bolognese sauce’, which is a tomato and meat sauce. This is one of the best ground beef recipes made in the bolognese style, it is super easy and very fun to make.

Let’s cook ground beef bolognese, a healthy dinner recipe that we assure you, the whole family will love!

3.1. Ingredients For Lean Ground Beef Bolognese:

One of the extremely healthy ground beef recipes, this recipe uses:

1. One tablespoon of olive oil.
2. A cup of carrots, grated.
3. A cup of sliced green onions.
4. A cup of minced celery.
5. A cup of minced garlic.
6. One pound of low-carb ground beef.
7. One pound of low-carb ground turkey.
8. A jar of marinara sauce.
9. Half a cup of heavy cream.
10. A teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder.
11. One pound of pappardelle or tagliatelle or any other wide pasta noodles.
12. Parmesan Cheese

3.2. Instructions To Cook Ground Beef Bolognese

Start by heating olive oil in a large saucepan. Add in the vegetables: carrots along with celery and green onions.

Sauté until they’re just tender, this will take about 3 minutes. Now add the ground beef and ground turkey. Cook until browned, tearing up the meat as you stir.

Pour in the marinara sauce. Sprinkle salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. When the Bolognese sauce³ has reached your desired consistency, stir in the heavy cream to make a creamy sauce.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and your healthy ground beef bolognese is ready. Serve hot over your favourite wide pasta. Grate some parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!

4. Healthy Ground Beef Taco

If we are speaking of healthy ground beef recipes, we must mention the fabulous traditional recipe for the Mexican Ground Beef taco.

It is easy and takes only about fifteen minutes to cook, hence a perfect choice for your busy weeknights. It’s something you’d want to eat every day!

You can also make a taco salad with this healthy ground beef recipe.

4.1. Ingredients:

1. One pound of lean ground beef (85% to 93%). But you can also use regular ground beef.
2. One teaspoon of cumin powder
3. One teaspoon of smoked paprika
4. Half a teaspoon of garlic powder
5. Half a teaspoon of chilli powder
6. Half a teaspoon of salt
7. Half a teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper.
8. Two cups of diced tomatoes.
9. Two cups of chopped bell peppers.
10. Half a sweet onion, diced.
11. Half a cup of tomato sauce (optional).
12. One-fourth cup of chopped cilantro.
13. About two teaspoons of lime juice.
14. Salt and pepper as per your taste.

4.1.2. For Serving:

1. Warm corn or flour tortillas. You can opt for gluten-free tortillas to make healthy tacos as well.
2. A bowl of sharp white fresh cheddar cheese.
3. A small cup of diced avocado.
4. A bunch of cilantro for garnishing.
5. Some pickled onions.

4.2. Instructions:

For making healthy ground beef Mexican food, start by heating a skillet over medium heat. With ground beef, you don’t need to add any oil to the skillet because it gets fattier.

But if need be, add a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, sweet onion, and stir fry.

Once the veggies turn golden brown, add in the ground beef and break it apart using a wooden spoon. Cook the beef by stirring while breaking it apart continuously, until it starts to brown.

Now add in the cumin powder, paprika, garlic powder, chilli powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well till all the seasonings are dispersed evenly throughout the meat and the vegetables Cook until the beef is just browned. Be careful not to burn it. Use a meat thermometer if you are unsure.

The filling for the beef taco is done. However, if you feel it is too dry and would like it saucier, add tomato sauce or a cup of vegetable stock.

For the pico, take the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lime juice together and toss them in a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Your quick pico is ready!

Serve your tasty and healthy ground beef in a slightly warmed beef taco (or nachos or tortilla chips) and top it with the quick pico de Gallo.

Ground beef tacos can also be used to make taco salad.

5. Healthy Ground Beef Stroganoff

In this healthy recipes list, we must talk about beef stroganoff. One of the extremely healthy ground beef recipes, beef stroganoff is where the delicious flavour of ground beef meets the crunch of mushrooms, within a creamy Greek yogurt sauce.

It’s great served on its own, over egg noodles, or with brown rice.

This healthy meal can easily be your dinner tonight! Find out why it is one of the really special healthy beef recipes.

5.1. Ingredients:

1. One pound of ground beef (preferably lean and grass-fed for a healthier version)
2. Half a teaspoon of salt
3. One-fourth teaspoon of pepper
4. One tablespoon of olive oil or sesame oil.
5. Half a cup of finely diced yellow onion, or any other onion.
6. Three cloves of garlic. Mince them.
7. Eight oz. of crimini mushrooms, sliced.
8. One cup of beef broth
9. Half a cup of white wine
10. Three-fourth cup of 2% Greek yogurt, or plain Greek yogurt.
11. Two tablespoons of butter
12. Half a cup of reduced-fat sour cream.
13. Two tablespoons of all-purpose flour. You can also use gluten-free flour like almond flour.
14. One tablespoon of  Worcestershire sauce
15. A teaspoon of Dijon mustard
16. Use salt and pepper as per your taste.

5.1.2. For Garnishing:

1. Half a cup of chopped parsley.
2. Half a cup of shredded lettuce.

5.2. Instructions

In a large skillet, heat olive or sesame oil (omit if the skillet is non-stick) over medium-high heat. Add in the ground beef, salt, and pepper. Cook until the beef turns brown breaking it apart and stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat, remove the skillet from the stove and transfer the cooked beef to a bowl. Cover, and set aside for later.

In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and mushrooms, and cook for about five minutes, or until the onions turn brownish.

Add in the garlic, flour (or, gluten-free flour), and sour cream, and cook until they gush out their delicious flavours, identifiable by their appetizing fragrance. This generally takes less than one minute on a medium-high flame.

Add the wine, and cook for about two minutes. Let the wine incorporate all the flavours together. Stir in the beef broth, the Worcestershire sauce, and the dijon. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about five minutes.

Now, add the Greek yogurt and the cooked beef you had set aside. Stir till every ingredient mixes well to get your healthy ground beef stroganoff.

Season with salt & pepper to taste. You can two pinches of each, which is about one-fourth teaspoonfuls. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped parsley or shredded lettuce. Serve over egg noodles or brown rice.

6. The Ground Beef Roast

If you are searching for the best ground beef recipes, the ground beef roast surely makes the list. It is one of the really easy ground beef recipes which is full of flavour and aroma. If you are looking for a healthy dinner recipe with ground beef, this might be it.

It is a classic dish that uses simple, low-carb ingredients and is one of the wholesome meals that take care of your blood sugar and pressure. Prepare it for dinner, for a party, or simply as your healthy comfort food!

6.1. Ingredients:

For the ground beef roast, you will need:

1. Three-half to four pounds of beef chuck, cut into pieces. Beef chuck has lots of fat marbling and cooks into the most marvellous tender and flavorful beef roast you will ever try. Use this cut only as beef chuck is very juicy and never dry and retains the perfect texture for your ground beef roast.
2. About one and a half of mushrooms- You can use white button mushrooms or portabello mushrooms.
3. Two medium-sized Onions- This recipe will use both dry onions and caramelized onions.
4. Six to eight tablespoons of neutral oil- Light olive oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, or even avocado oil can be used.
5. Half a cup of white wine.
6. Five to six cloves of garlic- Use fresh or dried garlic.
7. One teaspoon of smoked Paprika- Do not replace it with regular or hot paprika as they’re very different and will make your roast beef very spicy. Smoked paprika adds just a hint of smokiness and rounds off the flavour of the roast beef recipe nicely.
8. Two large peeled carrots were cut into pieces.
9. A cup of chopped green peppers.
10. One teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
11. One and a half tablespoons of kosher salt. If you are using table salt, reduce the amount to half to one teaspoon.
12. Two to three bay leaves for their amazing flavour and aroma.
13. Three to four tablespoons of parsley for garnishing purposes.

6.2. Instructions:

The first step is to prepare the beef chuck.

To do this, toss the cubed beef chuck in a large mixing bowl with five to six cloves of minced garlic cloves, one and a half teaspoons of black pepper, one teaspoon of smoked paprika, one teaspoon of crushed red pepper, one tablespoon of salt, and three tablespoons of olive oil until the beef is evenly coated.

Transfer the tossed beef to an ovenproof baking dish. Add carrot pieces and the bell pepper between the meat pieces. Top it with two to three bay leaves.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for one and a half hours at 350°F or until the meat pieces are tender. Be careful not to overcook. Most meat juices would have evaporated by the end of cooking even though the dish was covered.

While the meat is baking, preheat a large skillet with three to four tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and bell peppers and saute.

Make sure to mix frequently until the onions are caramelized and translucent. Remove the onions and pepper with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.

Next, add the sliced mushrooms cut side down to the same skillet. Sear over high heat on both sides of the mushrooms in the oil left behind from the onions. Stir until the mushrooms turn slightly golden. Season them with kosher salt.

Cover the skillet with a lid, and continue cooking. Toss the skillet from time to time until the mushrooms are cooked through, which takes about five to ten minutes. Set aside.

Once the meat is tender and baked, remove it from the oven and lift off the foil. Be careful of the hot steam that gets trapped under the foil. Now sprinkle the caramelized onions and mushrooms on top of the meat and add a cup of wine.

Then return to the oven for fifteen minutes. This ensures the mushrooms, onions, and peppers are heated and the alcohol from the wine is evaporated.

For garnishing, gently mix everything, sprinkle with parsley on top, and serve.

We assure you you’ll want to try this recipe for yourself and your whole family. It’s both tasty and healthy!

Closing Thoughts

If you want to reduce the amount of fat content in your ground beef, rinse it after browning and before adding it to your recipe. Simply cook the meat until done, pour it into a colander in the sink, and rinse with hot water.

Thoroughly drain the water and blot dry with paper towels, this method is helpful if you’re unable to access the expensive lean ground beef.

Do not use frozen ground beef directly from the freezer to the pan. Instead, let the meat thaw first. This ensures that the meat retains its healthy juices.

Another useful cooking tip is to always use fresh ground beef in ground beef recipes where it is the main focus. However, if the ground beef is to be used in a casserole (like a beef enchilada casserole) or sauce, you probably will not notice any flavour difference when using frozen meat.

Remember these tips while preparing the unique healthy ground beef recipes mentioned above!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it OK to eat beef daily?

Limit your weekly intake of red meat, if you consume it, to a maximum of three meals, as your cardiovascular health could decline with a lot of beef.

2. What is the healthiest meat to eat?

The best choice for getting the greatest amount of protein per meal appears to be a turkey. A single serving of turkey contains 30 grams of protein, making it a fantastic complement to your weekly food plan.

3. Is beef better for you than chicken?

Depending on the quantity consumed and the preparation, lean beef may be better than chicken, fish, or even tofu.

To read more, click here.

1. Jacobi, Dana. 12 Best Foods Cookbook: Over 200 Recipes Featuring the 12 Healthiest Foods. Rodale, 2005. ↩︎
2. Tsiraki, Maria I., et al. “Use of natural antimicrobials to improve the quality characteristics of fresh “Phyllo”–A dough-based wheat product–shelf life assessment.” Food microbiology 62 (2017): 153-159. ↩︎
3. Gwinner, Thomas. “The origin and evolution of ragù bolognese (Bolognese Sauce).” Int J Arts Humanit 4.3 (2018): 16-28. ↩︎

Last Updated on March 14, 2024 by ayeshayusuf