Best Ground Meat Recipes

Juicy Baked Turkey Burgers — The Spruce/Katarina Zunic

You probably have a package of ground meat in your freezer, but could you use fresh ideas for how to use it? Get inspired to think beyond beef burgers, with these delicious recipes for satisfying dinners and appetizers you can make with ground meat. You'll find recipes here that use ground turkey, chicken, and pork, as well as beef, so you never have to repeat a meal.

26 Easy and Quick Weeknight Dinners

01 of 19

Cheeseburger Pie

Diana Rattray

Cheeseburger pie is baked in a prepared pastry crust, oozes with cheese, and explodes with ingredients that make it taste just like a cheeseburger. You make it by browning seasoned ground beef, stirring in an easy sauce that includes ketchup and mustard, adding burger toppings, including dill pickle, cheddar , bacon, and tomatoes, and baking in a pastry shell.
02 of 19

Ground Turkey Burritos With Refried Beans

The Spruce/Diana Mocanu

Turkey burritos are a healthy, inexpensive alternative to beef burritos and a cinch to prepare in less than an hour. Brown some ground turkey meat, add canned refried beans, jalapenos, cheese, salsa, and Mexican seasonings, then roll it all up in warm flour tortillas. Top with sour cream or guacamole for a tasty, protein-rich weeknight meal.
03 of 19

Siu Mai Dumplings With Ground Pork and Shrimp

The Spruce Eats/Victoria Heydt

Siu mai are the delicious, steamed pork and shrimp dumplings that are popular at dim sum parlors. They are also one of the easiest Chinese dumplings to make at home and have a pretty appearance that will wow your family and friends. Simply prep the ground meat and vegetable filling, stuff it into prepared wonton wrappers, and steam until cooked through.
04 of 19

Chicken Meatloaf Muffins

Getty Images/Jodi Pudge

When you're craving meatloaf, but don't have time for the full recipe, make these clever, kid-pleasing mini versions that bake in muffin cups. They use ground chicken instead of beef and are packed with sneaky vegetables, so parents can feel great about serving them. Top with piped mashed potatoes before baking.

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05 of 19

Ground Turkey Stir-Fry

Anita Schecter

For a twist on a traditional Chinese stir-fry, try this recipe using ground turkey. It is reminiscent of the Asian lettuce cup appetizer in terms of flavors and texture, but the added broccoli and peppers make this a nutritious and complete dish, perfect served over cooked rice.
06 of 19

Crock Pot Corn and Beef Stuffed Peppers

Melissa Carroll/Getty Images

Your slow cooker makes easy work of preparing stuffed peppers with a hearty filling of meat, corn, and tomatoes. The addition of corn stretches ground beef, making this crockpot meal easier on the budget. For Tex-Mex flavor, mix a tablespoon of taco seasoning into the meat mixture and top cooked peppers with melted shredded cheese.
07 of 19

Taco Pizza

The Spruce / Laurel Randolph

This taco pizza can be made with your choice of ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or a meat substitute. It starts with 1 pound of homemade or purchased pizza dough and taco sauce replaces the marinara sauce of a traditional pizza.
08 of 19

Sloppy Joe Macaroni and Cheese

Diana Rattray/The Spruce

Kids and adults alike will gobble up this hearty casserole that combines two popular family recipes in one cheesy, meaty dish. Create a tasty base of "sloppy Joe" ground beef, top with a a rich and creamy macaroni and cheese layer, add some breadcrumbs, and bake to perfection in the oven.

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09 of 19

Instant Pot Taco Soup

Diana Rattray

Change up your Taco Tuesday with this hearty soup made in the Instant Pot. Ground beef, beans, and taco seasonings combine with diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and green chilis and are cooked for just 20 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and add tortilla chips and your favorite taco toppings.
10 of 19

Soboro Donburi (Ground Chicken Bowl)

MIXA/Getty Images

Send kids to school with a satisfying, nutritious lunch of soboro donburi, a Japanese-style dish that includes seasoned, browned ground chicken, finely scrambled eggs, and tender cooked rice. Pack the components into a bento box, adding optional steamed green beans or snow peas for extra nutrition. It makes a great rice bowl lunch for grown-ups, too!
11 of 19

Baked Ground Beef Nachos

Diana Rattray

This is nacho ordinary snack! The delicious recipe loaded with ground beef, tortilla chips, refried beans, cheddar cheese, chopped green bell pepper, tomato, and onions make an outstanding game-day nosh or a super filling after-school snack. Spice them up with pickled jalapenos if you like and serve with guacamole, sour cream, or salsa.
12 of 19

Juicy Baked Turkey Burgers

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Move over, hamburgers! These moist and juicy baked turkey burgers will satisfy a burger craving and are lean and healthy, so they're guilt free. Make them with a combination of ground turkey thigh and breast meat, seasoned with onion, garlic, lime juice, and optional cilantro. Serve on toasted buns with mayo, Fontina cheese, or toppings of your choice.

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13 of 19

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs With Pineapple

Diana Rattray

Crockpot meatballs cooked in a tangy sweet and sour sauce make a tasty tailgating appetizer or a family-friendly dinner you can serve over hot cooked rice. Pineapple chunks, sweet pickles, and pickle juice bring a unique, mouth-watering flavor to tender, slow-cooked meatballs.
14 of 19

Fried Wontons with Ground Pork and Mushrooms

Roy Hsu/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty Images

Crispy fried wontons with a seasoned pork and mushroom filling make a fantastic party appetizer. This recipe makes enough to serve a big crowd and can be prepped ahead for refrigerating or freezing. Just before party time, bring wontons to room temperature, then fry them quickly, until crunchy and golden-brown. Serve with sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
15 of 19

Crescent Beef Stroganoff Bake

Diana Rattray

This winning family casserole inspired by beef stroganoff includes a flaky crescent roll crust for a comforting, pot-pie vibe. Simply unroll a can of dough from the store and press it into a casserole dish to form a crust. Top with browned ground beef, mushrooms, onions, sour cream, and seasonings, and bake until pastry is nicely browned and filling is heated through.
16 of 19

Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Darlene Schmidt

Thai basil chicken lettuce wraps make a wonderful healthy dinner idea for two or a vibrant party appetizer. Make them in under 30 minutes by stir-frying ground chicken, vegetables, and aromatics in a Thai-style soy-lime sauce. Add fresh basil leaves at the end of cooking and tuck the filling into crunchy, cool iceberg lettuce leaves for serving.

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17 of 19

Spinach and Turkey Lasagna

Randy Mayor/Getty Images

Makeover your usual lasagna dinner with this healthful version that uses ground turkey and spinach. It has all the cheesy goodness you want in a baked pasta dish, thanks to a trio of Italian cheeses, but won't weigh you down quite as much. Use whole-wheat lasagna noodles for an extra boost of good-for-you fiber.
18 of 19

Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

Diana Rattray

Using ground meat as a stuffing is not only creative but will also stretch the meat to make more servings for your family. As an added bonus, cooking these ground beef and rice stuffed peppers in the Instant Pot means you'll have dinner on the table in just a matter of minutes. Bell peppers are filled with a mixture of tomatoes, cheese, herbs, and seasonings, put in the pressure cooker, then topped with cheese and finished off in the Instant Pot until nice and melted.
19 of 19

Texas-Style Chili With Ground Beef and Pork

Michael Maes/Getty Images

On colder days, when you crave comfort in a bowl, cook up a pot of tasty, rib-sticking Texas chili. It's got everything you need to warm you up, and keep you satisfied, including saucy ground beef and pork, jalapeno and chili peppers, stewed tomatoes, and spicy seasonings. Serve topped with grated cheddar cheese, and optional corn chips or tortilla chips.

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