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Weekly meal prep doesn’t have to be difficult or include a long list of groceries! That’s why I’ve put together a list of 25 3 ingredient ground beef crock pot recipes that are flavorful and easy to make.
The hardest part will be deciding which recipe to make first!
25 Easy 3 Ingredient Ground Beef Crock Pot Recipes You Can Make For Dinner Tonight
Here’s your 25 ground beef slow cooker recipes!
Use these tasty recipes with budget-friendly, simple ingredients to plan your meals for the week!
1. 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joe Crock Pot Recipe
These sloppy joes only require ground beef, ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. You can add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot and cook it on low until cooked through.
Sloppy joes are a great way to keep everyone at the table full on a budget.
You can also use ground turkey as a lower-calorie option.
2.Crock Pot Taco Meat
Skip Taco Bell and create this tasty 3-ingredient slow cooking taco meat at home for your next taco night instead!
For this delicious recipe, you will need ground beef, taco seasoning, and salsa.
There’s no need to brown ground beef for this dish, simply add everything to the crock pot and cook on low for about three hours for the best taco meat.
Serve with tortillas, sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes.
3.3-Ingredient Chili
Bursting with flavor, this hearty meal is great for staying warm in the winter!
Plus, you likely have most of the ingredients already in your pantry. You’ll need a pound of ground beef, a can of chili beans, a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, and salt/pepper for this easy recipe.
The best part is that you can freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for quick future meals.
4.Crock Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs
Keep an open mind with these meatballs; they’re sweet, tangy, and an easy way to craft a unique, frugal, delicious dinner for the family.
You can use either premade meatballs or molded ground beef with seasonings into meatballs.
Then, add them into a crock pot with jelly and BBQ sauce. Serve these alongside rice or noodles at the dinner table.
5.3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Meatballs
Similar to the above recipe, you’ll also use jelly and BBQ sauce for these meatballs. There’s one main difference, though: this recipe calls for honey BBQ sauce for a sweeter taste.
Even with this small change, it will feel like a completely different recipe that everyone in the family will love!
6.3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Italian Sloppy Joes
This fun and easy recipe only requires ground beef (or ground chicken), chopped mushrooms, and marinara sauce.
The cooking time for this recipe is about 6-8 hours, so it’s best done first thing in the morning or overnight.
Bonus – you can use this sloppy joe recipe as pasta sauce if you have any leftovers.
7.Shortcut Crock Pot Hamburger Steaks and Gravy
You won’t want to miss out on these hamburger steaks and gravy for dinner time!
You can use either hamburger patties or press ground beef into patty shapes for this crock pot Salisbury steak recipe.
Then, you’ll need a gravy packet, golden mushroom soup, seasoning, and cornstarch.
Serve each hamburger steak over your pasta of choice, and you’re set with a filling meal for the week.
8.3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Lasagna
This easy dinner recipe is a cheap and tasty alternative to spaghetti and meatballs.
You’ll need readymade lasagna noodles, marinara or tomato sauce, ground beef, and parmesan cheese. Layer browned ground beef, marinara sauce, and noodles in the slow cooker until you run out of noodles or reach the top of the pot.
You can cook this recipe on high heat for a quicker meal time.
9.3-Ingredient Beef Teriyaki with Pineapple
Satisfy Chinese food cravings by making this at-home version.
The recipe card calls for ground beef, teriyaki sauce, and pineapple bits.
This easy recipe will be a new family favorite in no time! It’s sweet, tangy, and delicious.
10. Slow Cooker Hamburgers
All you need for this dish is pre-formed hamburger meat (you can use raw ground beef and hand-shape it), chopped onions, and Worcestershire sauce.
You’ll need to layer the patties with the onions and sauce for this dish.
If you want easier cleanup, consider using a slow cooker liner.
11.Ground Beef Mushroom Recipe
This recipe is so simple that you’ll want to make it every week!
You’ll need ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, and chopped mushrooms.
If you want extra flavor, consider garnishing this dish with parsley flakes.
12.3-Ingredient Hamburger Pockets
Who knew you could make a delicious meal with only ground beef, cheddar cheese, and premade biscuits?
These tasty pockets are great for on-the-go meals or as a quick breakfast for the kids. They’re soft, pillowy, and an easy favorite for households.
You can also cook these in the oven and use the crockpot to keep them warm.
13.Cheesy Beef Enchilada Dip
If you’re craving comfort food and a more casual dinner, try creating this cheesy beef enchilada dip!
It’s made with ground beef, enchilada sauce, Colby jack cheese, and a few spices.
Enjoy it with tortilla chips as an appetizer, or turn it into a meal by scooping up the dip and wrapping it in a tortilla.
It’s also easy to heat up the next day by putting a serving in a microwavable bowl and reheating it.
14.Ground Beef and Sauce
If you’re on a tight budget, try to find ground meat that’s on sale for this recipe.
The only other ingredients you’ll need are tomato rice soup and onion. You’ll need to pan-fry the onion first, then you can add the ingredients to a crock pot and cook them on low.
This recipe is easy, filling, and delicious.
If you want to stretch the dish further, you can serve it over instant mashed potatoes.
15.Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Slow-cooking spaghetti and meatballs in a crock pot is an easy way to create cheap meals for the week.
You’ll need meatballs (or you can form your own), spaghetti noodles, marinara sauce, and seasonings. The finished dish includes perfectly cooked al dente noodles and saucy meatballs.
I like to serve garlic butter toast alongside spaghetti and meatballs for a more filling meal.
16.Easy Meatloaf Recipe
Meatloaf is easy to make with this recipe, for which you’ll only need a few ingredients.
Grab two pounds of ground beef, a box of stuffing (any will do), and milk for this dish.
You can serve the meatloaf with toast or mashed potatoes to help make it stretch.
17.3-Ingredient Swedish Meatballs
This recipe works well with frozen meatballs or ground beef formed into meatballs.
Once the meatballs are formed, add them into the crock pot with cream of mushroom soup and ranch dressing seasoning. Even with only three ingredients, these meatballs have so much flavor!
Serve these meatballs with rice and veggies like green beans or sliced bell peppers to create a more filling meal.
18.Rotel Dip with Ground Beef
Rotel dip alone won’t keep you full, so I like to create a large batch of nachos by spreading tortilla chips in a bowl and pouring the dip on top.
You can also serve this Rotel dip over rice for a cheesy, protein-rich dinner dish.
To create this tasty recipe, you’ll only need ground beef, Velveeta, and Rotel.
19. Teriyaki Meatballs
These teriyaki meatballs pair well with rice or noodles!
All you’ll need to create this crock pot recipe is premade or homemade meatballs, teriyaki sauce, and pineapple tidbits.
If you want to boost the flavor, you can garnish them with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
20.Frito Pie
This recipe is made easier by using leftovers from the 3-ingredient chili listed above.
Grab leftover chili, Frito chips, and shredded cheese for an easy and tasty dinner.
The cooking process is quite easy; you just need to layer the chips, chili, and cheese, then let the Instant Pot work its magic!
21.Quick Beef Stew
This hearty soup is a delicious option for colder weather.
All you need is canned or frozen mixed veggies, V-8 juice, and ground beef. Brown the ground beef and drain it in a pan. Then, add the ground beef, juice, and veggies into the crock pot and cook on low.
To create a heartier meal, you can serve this soup with crackers, dinner rolls, or cornbread.
22.Instant Pot Burgers
3-ingredient Instant Pot burgers are a great way to keep the cost of dinner down, plus even picky eaters will enjoy this recipe!
You’ll need ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning.
I love setting up a pick-your-own topping station for these burgers. You can have fresh vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, onions) in bowls, cheese slices, and condiments set out for your family to use.
23.3-Ingredient Beef Stroganoff
Usually, beef stroganoff calls for a chuck roast. However, you can easily use ground beef for this recipe to help cut costs.
The only other ingredients you’ll need are egg noodles and cream of mushroom soup. After boiling the noodles and browning the beef, you can add the ingredients to a crock pot to finish cooking.
This simple recipe is just as good, if not better, as a Hamburger Helper meal.
24.3-Ingredient BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Instead of chuck roast, swap to ground beef for these BBQ sandwiches. The only other ingredients you’ll need are beef broth and BBQ sauce.
Serve this saucy beef on some toasted buns, and you’re ready to go.
These sandwiches are also great for kids’ lunches, though you’ll want to pack them extra napkins!
25. Little Hamburgers in Gravy
These mini hamburgers can be made with only ground beef, gravy mix, and onion soup mix. You’ll use the onion soup powder to season the ground beef. Then, form the beef into patties and brown it in a pan. The final step is cooking the beef patties in the gravy in the crock pot.
These recipes are great ways to use up extra ground beef you have in your freezer, plus many of them include pantry items so you can save money while at the grocery store.
Many recipes will also work with ground chicken, turkey, or pork. If another similar protein is on sale, use that instead to save a few dollars.
Using these simple, quick, and easy recipes will help you avoid the cost of going out to eat during the week!
Need More Help Planning Your Weekly Dinners?
Check out the above ground beef recipes for meal inspiration for you and your family. You can also note which meals your family enjoys and use that to make a grocery list.
Creating a grocery list before you hit the store makes you more likely to stay within your budget! Keep track of your favorite recipes and grocery lists using My Meal Planning Starter Pack.
Here are some more cheap meal ideas to help you make your own frugal weekly meal plan:
- 20 Things to Eat on a Tight Budget
- 12 Cheap Meals: $2 Meal Ideas
- Cheap Dinner Ideas for 2
- Easy Two Week Rotating Meal Plan on a Budget
- 15 Ideas of 10 Minute Meals
- 10 Pantry Meals: When the Menu Plan Doesn’t Happen
- Theme Nights Meal Planning: Easy Dinner Ideas for Every Night of the Week
