Seasoned ground beef, a building block of casseroles, soups, chilis, sandwiches, and burritos, is a great meal component to make ahead and freeze, to keep on hand for quick easy dinners.
Be sure to check out these 5-Ingredient Ground Beef Recipes for more yummy inspiration.
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Ever have those days when dinnertime comes around more quickly than you’re ready to prep something? That’s when it’s such a blessing to have a few things stashed away in the freezer.
One of my faves is seasoned ground beef. Not only is it a great thing to make when I find a good sale on ground beef, but it’s also super handy as a building block for a host of delicious main dishes. Perfect for those days when my meal plan goes astray.
What is seasoned ground beef?
Just as its name implies, seasoned ground beef is ground beef that has been cooked and seasoned, in this case with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic, so that it’s ready to go.
It’s a base component for any number of main dishes, including chilis, casseroles, pasta dishes, sandwiches, and more. It’s easy to prepare quickly and easily and freezes beautifully.
Dinner will come together in a snap when you’ve cooked seasoned ground beef ahead of time and freeze it for later.
Uses
Any recipe that calls for cooked ground beef is an ideal candidate for this seasoned ground beef, including:
- chili
- soups
- casseroles
- pasta dishes
- lasagnas
- enchiladas
- tacos
- shepherd’s pie
Scroll down for a huge list of recipes to use this seasoned ground beef in.
Ingredients
You don’t need much to prep this easy meal component—just ground beef, chopped onion (or onion flakes), salt, pepper, and garlic powder (or fresh garlic).
Seasoned with the basics, this ground beef opens up a world of possibilities in terms of versatility. Decide the day you serve it how you want to season it.
Adaptations
Or you can vary the seasonings when you cook it to match any number of flavor profiles. For each pound of ground beef, add ½ teaspoon (or more to taste) of the following:
- Mexican: cumin, chili powder
- Italian: oregano, basil
- Asian: sesame oil, red pepper flakes
- French: thyme, rosemary
- Greek: oregano, dill
- Indian: garam masala, turmeric, cumin
And of course, you can always use ground pork, turkey, or chicken if that’s what you have.
Instructions
Prepping this in advance is super easy. Combine all the ingredients in a skillet over medium heat and cook, breaking the meat into chunks with the back of the spoon, until the meat is cooked and the onions are tender.
Don’t be afraid to let the meat brown a bit as this adds flavor and texture.
Use the cooked meat right away in recipes or store it for another day.
To store: place the meat in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing instructions
Storing the meat in the freezer allows you to get ahead of the game. Frozen, cooked meat is good for several months when stored appropriately.
To freeze: Once the meat is cooked and chilled, label it with the contents and date so that you know what you have, and stash it in the freezer. Be sure to add it to your freezer inventory.
I like to use Soupercubes. These silicone molds allow you to easily pop out the frozen food and store in ziptop bags for easy storage space. They work great for freezing seasoned ground beef.
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to share a picture on social media and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
Seasoned Ground Beef Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef ground pork, turkey, or chicken can also be used
- ½ onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Add the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.1 lb ground beef, ½ onion, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Cook, stirring, until the meat is cooked through and the onion has gone clear, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Drain the meat mixture and use in recipe right away. Alternatively, drain it and place the meat in an airtight container. Chill completely before storing the meat mixture in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipes that Use Seasoned Ground Beef
Healthier Chili Cheese Fries
Make Chili Cheese Fries a little bit “good for you” with homemade chili, oven fries, and shredded cheddar.
Easy Slow Cooker Chili
This Easy Slow Cooker Chili really is easy. Cook up meat and onions, open some cans, dump some spices, and walk away.
Sloppy Joes from Scratch
Sloppy Joes from scratch are a quick and easy dinner that won’t break the budget. In fact, you can very easily — and economically — make this savory meat mixture to serve a crowd. No cans or mixes required.
Taco Sloppy Joes
Prepare a quick and easy meal that the whole family will like. These Taco Sloppy Joes, made with Mexican-spiced ground beef and topped with your favorite taco toppings, are delicious!
Spicy No Bean Chili
Ditch the canned chili. You can make your own bowl of red or topping for a hot dog in just minutes. Great taste without the wait.
Red Burritos with Beef and Beans
Red Burritos, particularly those stuffed with savory beef and beans and topped with luscious enchilada sauce and cheese are so tasty. Even better, you can make them and freeze them in advance!
Seasoned Beef and Vegetables
Seasoned ground beef and vegetables combine in a symphony of flavors, making a great topping for pasta or rice.
Crockpot Chili Mac Recipe
This simple Chili Mac Recipe is very make-ahead and super good. It’s good old fashioned comfort food that gives you the night off cooking with delicious results.
Easy Taco Salad
Super simple taco salad that you can scale for any size group. Simple and delicious!
Quickest Chili in the West
Looking for a quick, hot meal? How about a quick supper to give as a gift? I gotcha covered on both counts with the Quickest Chili in the West.
Lawnmower Taco Casserole
Lawnmower Taco is super easy and freezer-friendly. It’s perfect comfort food, rich in flavor, ground beef, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and spices.
Chili Dogs - No Cans Needed
No need for a can, man. These easy Chili Dogs are simple to make and so fun to eat.
Chili Burritos
Chili Burritos are a quick and easy dinner that comes together effortlessly. Savory chili tucked in a tortilla wrapper and topped with your favorite goodies makes for a dinner you'll want on repeat.
Not Soggy Nachos
Enjoy the best nachos possible, the not soggy nachos! This ingenious method allows you to enjoy your chip as well as all the flavorful toppings, too.
Chihuahua Beer Chili Recipe
This easy Chihuahua Beer Chili comes together quickly on the stove or in a slow cooker. Flavorful from enchilada sauce, beer, and spices, it is the perfect bowl of red.
Mexican Lasagna
This Mexican lasagna recipe is a great twist on a traditional lasagna recipe that your family is sure to gobble up. With pepper jack cheese and salsa, this spicy Mexican lasagna is sure to please all.
Easy Lasagne with Fresh Basil and Chives
This Easy Lasagne comes together easily and is very freezer-friendly. You’ll please all the crowd when you set this casserole on the table!
Easy Vegetable Bolognese
This is an easy stovetop Vegetable Bolognese that is full of meat, eggplant, zucchini, and peppers. It’s delicious in a number of dishes and freezes well.
Chimichangas
Chimichangas are crispy burritos that are easy to make at home! While frying is traditional, you can also crisp them on the griddle or bake them in the oven.
Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Take stuffed potatoes to a whole new level by making a batch of these Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. They can be served paleo style or simply gluten-free.
Shepherd's Pie with Cheddar Mash
Shepherd’s Pie is a hearty, filling dish featuring meat, vegetables, and gravy under a fluffy bed of mashed potatoes. Bake this up for some ultimate comfort food.
Slow Cooker Taco Soup Recipe
Taco Soup is an easy-to-prepare dish, so easy even a 5-year old can do it. And it tastes great, especially when you make it without the packets of junky mixes.
Bean and Meat Crockpot Enchilada
Let the slow cooker do the work for you with these lazy cook enchiladas. Simply layer beans, meat, tortillas, cheese, and sauce, for the simplest delicious Crockpot Enchilada.
Paso Mom Tacos with Home Fried Taco Shells
Home fried taco shells make the best tacos. Ever. They’re a bit of work, but the flavor can’t be beat! You won’t stop at just one of these Paso Mom Fried Tacos.
What’s your favorite way to use seasoned ground beef?
Shan
This is a fantastic time saver Jessica! Just to let you know, two of your recipe links just lead back to this page: 1) Chili Dogs, 2) Chili Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. I’ll be trying to find those using a Google search. Especially interested in trying the sweet potatoes!
Jessica Fisher
Thanks for letting me know about the redirects. We don’t have those recipes on the site anymore, so that’s odd it would take you here. I’d recommend our 30-Minute No Bean Chili Recipe for topping both hot dogs and baked sweet potatoes!
Linda
This is my favorite way of cooking ground beef. I try to cook a large batch all at once…like 10 pounds. I make some of it into chili that same day and freeze the rest in 12 oz portions in zipper freezer bags. I find that 12 ounces cooked is about what 16 ounces of raw equals. I like to keep the ground beef loose and flatten the package so they are easily stacked. With this in the freezer, I can have dinner in the table in under 20 minutes whenever I need to. Open a jar of pasta sauce, put it in a saucepan, dump in a package of the frozen ground beef that I’ve whacked on the counter a few times to make sure it’s broken up. The ground beef thaws while the sauce cooks. The thing that takes the most time is cooking the pasta. I can do the same with Sloppy Joe’s and quesadillas. Best tip ever, Jessica!!!