18 Ground Beef Recipes That Are Anything But Ordinary (2024)

FAQs

What to do with extra ground beef? ›

The trick to cooking ground beef well is to not move it around a lot until it's finished cooking and nicely browned. This helps create a crust on the meat which is delicious. I sauté it in cooking oil.

The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins. Whole milk (not reduced fat), buttermilk, and yogurt all get the job done – with a special nod to buttermilk and yogurt for their optimal tenderizing acidity levels.

With one of these clear-out-the-fridge recipes, you can turn a few cups of chopped or shredded meat into fried rice, frittatas, curries, stuffed peppers, soup, or pad Thai. Or use smaller amounts of leftover meat to top standbys like salads, pizzas, and burrito bowls.

Our 100% beef burgers are made from whole cuts of beef, from the forequarter and flank of both male and female cattle sourced from over 16,000 British and Irish farmers.

80% lean ground chuck (shoulder) will be the juiciest and most flavorful. It's also the grind I recommend for making burgers for the grill. It has the perfect fat-to-meat ratio. These burgers will still be juicy when grilled to the recommended internal temperature of 160 degrees.

The meat from the loin primal is very lean, so it produces ground beef with the healthiest lean point. You will often hear ground sirloin called extra-lean ground beef. If you want to create a healthy menu and limit the saturated fat in your dishes, then ground sirloin is the best choice.

The biggest impact with minimal effort, flavor-wise, will come from basic spices you probably already have stocked in your pantry. Adding some ground spices like cumin, ground fennel, garlic powder, or even mushroom powder will amplify the savory taste of the beef and add a new flavor profile.

What makes beef taste the best? ›

Production/management factors that influence beef flavor do so primarily via effects on amount and composition of fat. Beef flavor desirability increases as intramuscular fat content increases.

What's the difference between "hamburger" and "ground beef"? Beef fat may be added to "hamburger," but not "ground beef." A maximum of 30% fat is allowed in either hamburger or ground beef. Both hamburger and ground beef can have seasonings, but no water, phosphates, extenders or binders added.

Nevertheless, you should throw away ground beef if it has turned either brown or gray on the outside, as this indicates that it's beginning to rot. Additionally, mold can spoil cooked ground beef, so you should toss your leftovers if you notice any fuzzy blue, grey, or green spots.

If ground beef is refrigerated promptly after cooking (within 2 hours; 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F), it can be safely refrigerated for about 3 or 4 days. If frozen, it should keep its quality for about 4 months.

A package of ground beef can stay in the fridge for up to two days from the date of purchase, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By day two, it's best to either cook the ground beef or freeze it. Freezing ground beef is a great long-term solution, as it can last in the freezer for months.

If it is refrigerated promptly (within two hours at room temperature; or one hour if surrounding temperature is above 90 °F), it can be safely kept for about three or four days stored in the refrigerator (40 F or less). If frozen, it should keep its quality for about four months.

It can be refrigerated or frozen in its original packaging if the meat will be used soon. If refrigerated, keep at 40 °F or below and use within one or two days. For longer freezer storage, wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap, aluminum foil, freezer paper, or plastic bags made for freezing.