Chefs share the best and worst meals to make with ground beef

Chef Palak Patel of the Institute of Culinary Education told Insider that one of his favorite easy weeknight dinner solutions is a hearty Bolognese or Italian meat sauce served over pasta.

"It's very easy to make a small or large batch to freeze for later," said Patel. "Because all you have to do is combine ground beef with herbs and tomato, you can cook it slowly on the stovetop, slow-cooker, or even an Instant Pot."

For a lighter version of this dish that's perfect for warmer months, use fresh tomatoes instead of canned when making the sauce.

Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon told Insider that ground beef makes for a scrumptious taco filling.

"Ground beef tacos are easy to make at home and can be full of flavor. Plus, you can control the fat content based on your personal needs by choosing leaner or fattier ground beef," said Randhawa.

You can make an easy taco filling by simmering ground beef with tomato sauce and spices like chili flakes, paprika, garlic powder, and cumin. Add chopped vegetables or shredded cheese for extra flavor.

Cajun rice, also known as dirty rice for its color, is a traditional Louisiana Creole dish made with seasoned rice, chopped peppers, and spiced meat such as ground beef.

"Cajun rice is a great way to use ground beef," said Randhawa. "Though it's usually known as a spicy dish, you can omit spicy ingredients like jalapeño if you're sensitive to heat."

In addition to being a versatile meal that can easily be scaled up or down to feed groups of different sizes, Cajun rice is an ideal way to use up different cuts of meat. Toss in leftover steak, sausage, or even chicken gizzards.

Private chef and recipe developer Mila Furman of Girl and The Kitchen told inside that meatballs are the ideal way to use high-quality ground beef.

"Meatballs are one of the most versatile meals to have in your artillery as a chef," said Furman. "They're super simple to put together and will always be a hit for the whole table."

Whether you're making classic meatballs with tomato sauce or whipping up a batch of creamy Swedish meatballs, using ground beef with a slightly higher percentage of fat will keep your meatballs juicy and tender.

If you're struggling to think of ways to use up a small portion of leftover ground beef, tipping it into a soup may just be the answer.

"Using ground beef in soups isn't just for chili," said Furman. "Add ground beef, especially in the form of leftover meatballs, into soup with plenty of hearty vegetables for a complete meal."

A great way to infuse prepackaged ground beef with tons of moisture and flavor is to bake it into a lasagna.

"Lasagna is a versatile ground beef meal because it's very hearty and works well with all kinds of veggies, like mushrooms, squash, or corn," Patel told Insider. "Plus, you can add a fried egg on top to turn leftovers into a weekend brunch."

Patel said that using an average grocery store package of ground beef to make burgers is a mistake.

"It is important to know the type of beef that you're buying," said Patel. "Prepackaged grocery store ground beef is not processed daily or in-house, so the resulting burgers tend to be dry and chewy."

Instead of grabbing a styrofoam package of ground beef, ask the deli or butcher to grind a portion of quality beef for you. Cuts such as chuck steak usually have a better ratio of fat to lean meat, which makes for a juicier burger.

Beef stroganoff is traditionally made with sautéed pieces of whole beef, but some recipes call for ground beef instead. Unfortunately, this variation is hard to get right.

"This is a very classic recipe for ground beef, but often the beef is left bland and dry, while the delicate egg noodles are overcooked," said Patel.

Patel also cautioned that if the ratio of cream to beef is not balanced, this dish can become overly creamy and even soggy.

Steak tartare is made with lightly seared or completely raw ground beef. The meat is generally served as a patty topped with a raw egg yolk.

Randhawa said home chefs — and restaurant diners — should generally avoid steak tartare for safety reasons.

"Unlike other raw meat recipes from around the world, steak tartare does not include an acidic citrus juice," said Randhawa. An acidic citrus juice can cause a phenomenon that causes meat to seem somewhat cooked, but it doesn't actually make meat entirely safe to eat.

"Uncooked meat can have both dangerous parasites and potentially life-threatening bacteria," Randhawa added.

Some salad recipes call for ground beef as a topping. Unfortunately, the temperature difference between warm ground beef and a cold salad can cause the melted fats in the meat to solidify.

"Do not put ground beef in your salads if you can help it. You often end up with a situation where beef fat leaks down through the greens and congeals," said Furman.

You can potentially avoid this stomach-turning scenario by chilling the cooked ground beef beforehand.

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