16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (2024)

Save money with hamburger and ground beef recipes that won't shred your food budget. These top-rated budget-friendly recipes were taste-tested and overwhelmingly approved by the Allrecipes community. They're easy to make and use ingredients you might already have in your pantry.

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Sloppy Joes II

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (1)

"This is the recipe my mother used for Sloppy Joes, and it always gets compliments," says Tamara.

Rave Review: "I browned the ground beef, onion, and green pepper. I then put the remaining ingredients into a slow cooker and cooked on low for about 3-4 hours. This recipe was really simple & delicious."—Brandy Berner

02of 17

Melinda's Porcupine Meatballs

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (2)

"This is, by far, the best recipe for porcupine meatballs I have ever had," says Melinda. "This is a recipe that was given to my mom when she married back in 1970. The recipe also includes cooking directions for stovetop cooking or cooking in the oven. Hope you enjoy as much as our family does."

Rave Review: "Definitely a 5 star recipe! Easy to throw together, ingredients I always have on hand, and super tasty! Served with salad and garlic bread (a must to soak up all the yummy sauce)." —Minnesota_Girl

03of 17

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (3)

"This is a quick, throw together slow cooker soup with a Mexican flair," says Janeen. "Teenagers love it. Serve topped with corn chips, shredded Cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Make sure you adjust the amount of chile peppers if you're sensitive about spicy foods."

Rave Review: I will definitely be making this again! My husband loved it and was craving more the next day. We ate it a spoonful of sour cream and cheese on top, with tortilla chips of course. It's also very good with rolls. Makes great leftovers!
—Lesli

04of 17

Easy Mexican Casserole

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (4)

"This is an easy and very tasty dish," says ANDREALF63. "I often substitute ground turkey and low fat dairy products and it is still delicious! Serve with chips, salsa, and green salad."

Rave Review: "Very easy to prep with ingredients I usually have on hand. Next time I think I may use plain yogurt instead of sour cream and mix it with a little taco seasoning to up the flavor and ease up the calories a little. You could totally add a can of corn or another thing of beans as well and it would be delicious. Thanks for a keeper!" —Jaime

05of 17

Debdoozie's Blue Ribbon Chili

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (5)

"This is the tastiest, easiest chili recipe you'll ever find," says Deb. "I recommend serving it with sliced jalapeno chile peppers and crackers or cornbread."

Rave Review: "Even my 7-year-old ate this! I coupled it with the "Absolute Mexican Cornbread" and, needless to say, it was a keeper. I followed the recipe only substituting the dark red kidney beans for pinto beans and added a little bit of fresh jalapeños...other than that it really doesn't need any tweaking!" —Christine

06of 17

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (6)

"This is an easy tasty meatloaf," says tangastar. "It tastes as good as it smells!"

Rave Review: "This recipe was fabulous!!!! Instead of spreading the ketchup and brown sugar on the bottom of the pan I mixed them together and used it as a glaze on top of the loaf and it came out beautifully. I won't be using any other meatloaf recipe again!" —Aimee

07of 17

Shepherd's Pie VI

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (7)

Yes, we know this recipe should be made with lamb in order to be called "shepherd's pie," and that since it's made with ground beef, it should be called "cottage pie." That said, this is a very popular, top-rated recipe — no matter what you call it.

Rave Review: "I've made this so many times that I must give everyone my updates. First, I season the beef with whatever I have on hand (onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, meat magic, etc.) I use canned veggies (drained), and then top it with instant potatoes. (I use either 4 cheese or roasted garlic!) Then I top with about 1 cup of cheese (any Cheddar mix will do.) The result is delicious AND it is sooooooo much faster!" —CLS1220

08of 17

Ground Beef and Cabbage

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (8)

"My mother was a country cook, plain and simple. But as I have traveled and worked and experienced foods from around the world, I look back and realize that many of the dishes she prepared, while simple, were perfect for that moment. Sometimes we have to put emotion and love in a dish to make it extra-special. The dish I am going to give you today is one like that. Simple and easy, yet full of love and goodness. My mother used to serve this with corn on the cob and cornbread. Very inexpensive and very good as well. Enjoy an Ozark memory..." —mtgraham2

Rave Review: "I found this while looking for something to do with a cabbage and ground beef I had on hand and I can't believe how delicious this came out and yet so easy to put together and, all in one pot!" —Linder007

09of 17

Tatertot Casserole

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (9)

"Pretty tasty stuff. I did my own thing with it though," comments Melissa Worthy. "While browning the beef I seasoned it with onion powder, garlic powder, freshly ground black pepper, and a smidge of salt. I chopped up one small onion, and after draining the beef I mixed the beef, cream of mushroom soup, and chopped onions together and let them simmer a bit. Then poured the mixture into a 10x10 casserole dish. I added sharp cheddar. Then put the tots on, then added triple cheddar shredded cheese on top of the tots. My family loved it including my 2 year old who typically doesn't eat beef!"

10of 17

Ground Beef Curly Noodle

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (10)

"An easy, quick and economical recipe that kids really like. Ground beef, noodles, corn and tomatoes make a complete meal in one skillet," says recipe creator windedmama.

Rave Review: "Good, quick, easy and made with stuff I always have in the pantry and freezer!" —Lynn1775

11of 17

Taco Pie

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (11)

"It's a quick, easy meal that is very filling," says recipe creator stephanie. "Some people will also top it with regular taco toppings, i.e. lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, etc. It also is great as leftovers for lunches! Serve with taco sauce."

Rave Review: "My family really enjoyed this meal! I sautéed onion and bell peppers with the meat and added a layer of black beans. I also crumbled Queso Fresco over the finished pie." —Gena Haynes Chreiteh

12of 17

Simple Hamburger Stroganoff

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (12)

"I've always loved the taste of a good Stroganoff, but I hated the expense and preparation of beef tips or steak or roast beef to make it. So I created my own creamy Stroganoff," says recipe creator Jessica.

Rave Review: "Easy! My husband and my boys loved it. It made enough for leftovers for two more nights ( blessing and a curse). I used farfalle noodles instead of egg noodles and added garlic salt to taste. The only thing I'll do differently next time is cook the mushrooms separately in the hamburger pan. They were a little under done because I didn't want to overcook the hamburger. Quick and easy last minute dinner...tastes delicious too!" —Antonia Frasier

13of 17

Salisbury Steak

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (13)

"This recipe has been in my family for years. It's easy to cook, but tastes like it took hours to make!" says recipe creator Kelly Berenger. "I usually make enough extra sauce to pour over mashed potatoes. YUM!"

Rave Review: "This was a very simple recipe that my family loved. The only change I made was to add garlic powder. I will be making this again, for sure!" —Vampy

14of 17

Stuffing Meatloaf

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (14)

"Fantastic if you have limited ingredients. Adjustable with seasonings if needed as well, I used turkey stuffing as that is what I had on hand, came out fine. Nice density, did not fall apart while serving as some tend to do." —Jesse Seidel-Iaquilino

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Instant Pot Beef-Stuffed Peppers

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (15)

"Since today's electric pressure cookers are so versatile, you can make versatile recipes in them such as these stuffed bell peppers," says recipe creator bd.weld. "Top your bell peppers with your favorite garnish, such as pico de gallo. The stuffing can also be used for taco salads as well as tacos or burritos."

Rave Review: "I have to say WOW, because this recipe was simple and delicious! I thought I'd choose this as my first ever instant pot meal and I'm so glad I did." —Zepharius Lowell

16of 17

Ground Beef Casserole with Brown Rice

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (16)

Ready in 30 minutes, this simple recipe features Healthy brown rice and ground beef combine with peas, condensed cream of celery soup, milk, a little soy sauce, and garlic, topped off with Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese. "My mother used to make this ground beef casserole for my brother and I when we were kids," says BIFAERIE79. "Very filling. Takes well to additions and alterations."

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16 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How much ground beef do I need for 16 people? ›

Try serving 3/4 of a pound per person to factor in the extra weight. If you're dishing up some ground beef for taco night, ¼ of a pound per person should be sufficient. You might want to consider ¾ of a pound for those with heartier appetites. A half a pound might not be enough.

How much ground meat do I need for 20 people? ›

According to the USDA, a serving of ground beef is 3 ounces. Considering that, 3.75 pounds of ground beef would be enough to serve 20 people. Now, if you want to go the 'excessive and unhealthy' route… you can serve them a quarter pound patty.

How much ground beef to make burgers for 20 people? ›

Burgers
  1. 10 burgers = 40 to 60 ounces = 2½ to 3¾ pounds ground beef.
  2. 15 burgers = 60 to 90 ounces = 3¾ to 5⅔ pounds ground beef.
  3. 20 burgers = 80 to 120 ounces = 5 to 7½ pounds ground beef.
  4. 25 burgers = 100 to 150 ounces = 6¼ to 9⅓ pounds ground beef.
May 21, 2024

How many meals in 1lb of ground beef? ›

Quick tip: Purchase about 1 pound of ground beef or boneless roast for four servings.

How much taco meat for 16 people? ›

For instance, plan for about 3-4 ounces of ground beef taco meat per person, which means a pound of ground beef can feed roughly four people. Use a similar scale when shopping for other proteins, and remember, it's easier to have a little extra at the end of the party than to run out of food for your guests!

How many tacos will 10 pounds of ground beef make? ›

The "conservative" amount of ground beef in a typical taco is 2.5 ounces, but because of the other taco fillings we can estimate 2 ounces of beef for the average taco. So that being said, probably about 8 tacos per pound of ground beef.

How many burgers can 3lbs make? ›

Ground Beef – We use 1.5 lbs of 80/20 beef to make 4 double-patty burgers, but you can easily scale the recipe up to feed a crowd (use 3 lbs for 8 double-patty burgers).

How many pounds of ground beef to feed 25 people? ›

How Much Food to Serve at a Party
FOODSERVE 25SERVE 100
Meats
Chicken or turkey breast8–9 pounds32–36 pounds
Fish (fillets or steaks)7-1/2 pounds30 pounds
Hamburgers6-1/2–9-1/2 pounds26–30 pounds
35 more rows
May 23, 2024

What cheese goes well on burgers? ›

Best Cheeses for Burgers
  • Cheddar Cheese. Cheddar cheese is a classic for a reason. ...
  • Provolone Cheese. Provolone cheese is another great option for burgers. ...
  • Blue Cheese. If you're looking to add a little bit of extra flavor to your burger, blue cheese is the way to go. ...
  • Smoked Gouda. ...
  • American Cheese. ...
  • Pepper Jack. ...
  • Brie Cheese.

How many patties does 1lb of ground beef make? ›

If you're making the patties yourself (to save money or because you love making burgers), assume four burgers per pound of meat. For 120 burgers you'll need 30 pounds of ground beef.

How long can ground beef stay in the fridge? ›

Information. Refrigerate or freeze ground beef or hamburger as soon as possible after purchase. 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.

What to season ground beef with? ›

ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons oregano.
  2. 1 tablespoon chili powder.
  3. 1 teaspoon cumin.
  4. 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  5. 2 teaspoons onion powder.
  6. 12 teaspoon salt.
  7. 1 lb ground beef.
  8. 12 cup water.

How much beef do I need for 16 adults? ›

When cooking something like steak, turkey or pork, where meat is the main dish of the meal and paired with a few side dishes, we recommend about 1/2 pound (eight ounces) per person, or up to 3/4 (12 ounces) pound for bigger appetites and those who love leftovers.

How much meat do you need to feed 16 people? ›

What weight of meat per person to order?
Boneless MeatNumber of PeopleBone in meat
5lb / 2.27kg10 – 117lb / 3.18kg
6lb / 2.73kg12 – 138lb / 3.64kg
7lb / 3.18kg14 – 1510lb / 4.54kg
8lb / 3.64kg16 – 1712lb / 5.44kg
8 more rows

How much beef do I need for 15 adults? ›

A question we often get is “How much meat do I need?” The starting rule of thumb is: Boneless Meat: 1/2 lb. per person for adults and 1/4 lb. per person for children.

How much ground beef for tacos for 18 people? ›

Generally speaking, four ounces of taco meat per person should be enough to make plenty of tacos for everyone in your group. That's approximately one-half to three-quarters of a pound of raw ground beef, depending on the size of the portion.

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