We are all on the hunt for creative budget meals these days, and these 22 recipes don’t disappoint! I’ve found 22 simple cheap ground beef recipes to make for your family. With this many ideas, you will be sure to find a bunch of new dinners that everyone likes to add into your weekly meal rotation.
Easy Family Friendly Cheap Ground Beef Recipes
Ground beef is fast and simple to make, pretty affordable (compared to steak at least), very nutritious, filling, and extremely versatile. If you want an alternative that doesn’t compromise on flavor (don’t get me wrong it is different, but really good too) and is more lean and cheaper try subbing the ground beef for ground turkey!
Watch the local grocery ads for when ground beef goes on sale and buy and freeze as much as you can! Also, when you are shopping always check for discount ground beef. Since it freezes so well either go home and cook it up right away or pop it in the freezer right away so it doesn’t spoil.
You can save even more money if you buy in bulk. Pick up a 3 or 5-pound chub of ground beef an when you get home separate it into 1 or 2-pound portions in freezer bags.
Let’s jump right into these yummy easy and cheap ground beef dinner recipes!
Poor Man’s Stew
Fill up your bowl with this easy and delicious Poor Man’s Stew. Perfect for a cold winter night or a great way to make a budget meal. Fast and simple weeknight dinner.
Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
This classic Chinese-American dish but with ground beef is a quick and easy weeknight meal that’s packed with flavor and texture. The broccoli adds a vibrant green color and a satisfying crunch, while the beef provides a hearty protein element.
The sauce, often made with a combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and ginger, brings a savory and slightly sweet taste that ties everything together. Savory slices of seared beef are stir-fried with crisp-tender broccoli florets in a rich and flavorful sauce.
Poor Man’s Meal
A hearty midwestern skillet full of flavorful ground beef, corn, and potatoes. Frugal foods piled on top of each other to make a comforting and filling meal that costs WAY less than it weighs. haha.
Stovetop Beef and Bean Chili
This delicious stovetop beef and bean chili combines ground beef, classic chili vegetables, zesty spices, and three kinds of beans for a super hearty Tex-Mex feast that’s perfect for Dinner
Everything simmers together on the stovetop, allowing the flavors to meld for a delicious and comforting chili.
Hamburger Steak with Gravy
This simple hamburger steak is made with ground beef, breadcrumbs, and seasoning which is gently combined into an oval patty reminiscent of a steak rather than a hamburger, and simmered in mushroom gravy. Served on mashed potatoes with a side of green beans, it’s classic comfort food that is hearty, cost-effective, and simple enough to make even on the busiest weeknights.
Skillet Beef And Rice Dinner
Skillet Beef and Rice is an easy recipe that will be on the table in about 30 minutes. Ground beef, vegetables, rice and seasonings cook together in one pot for a simple dinner recipe. Top with cheese and serve with a tossed salad.
You can customize it with your favorite flavors, from cheesy and comforting to Tex-Mex inspired. It’s a quick and satisfying dish that the whole family will love.
Hamburger Potato Casserole
Not only is this Hamburger Potato Casserole absolutely scrumptious and easy to make, but it’s also a super economical and hearty meal.
Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is a comforting dish that’s perfect for a hearty meal. It features a savory layer of ground meat, typically beef but sometimes lamb, simmered with vegetables in a rich gravy. This filing is then topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown.
The result is a delicious combination of textures and flavors, with crispy mashed potato bits giving way to the tender meat and flavorful sauce
Ground Beef and Cabbage
This easy ground beef and cabbage recipe stretches a pound of hamburger to fill up the whole family with a truly budget friendly main dish. When simple, tasty comfort food is what you’re craving, this recipe will definitely satisfy.
Big Mac Quesadilla On A Blackstone Grill
These easy big mac quesadillas are full of savory beyond beef (you can use regular ground beef!), melty cheese, tart pickles, shredded romaine lettuce, and a tangy homemade special sauce.
This recipe combines all the juicy, cheesy goodness of a Big Mac with the satisfying crisp of a quesadilla. Imagine melty American cheese, tangy pickles, crisp lettuce, and that iconic special sauce sandwiched between a perfectly browned tortilla.
3 Ingredient Sloppy Joes
Nothing like a good old-fashioned 3-ingredient sloppy joes recipe that the whole family will love. The easy homemade sloppy joe sauce is made of only 2 ingredients and is gluten-free. Together they make this classic sandwich saucy, sweet, and savory with a bit of tang.
This delicious recipe is easy to make & economical so make it part of your regular mealtime routine.
Beef Tamale Casserole
This Beef Tamale Casserole, also called a Tamale Pie, is a quick and delicious weeknight dinner the whole family will love! Using boxed cornbread mix with ground beef and some pantry staples you can have a hearty meal on the table in no time!
It typically features a layer of seasoned ground beef with vegetables, often topped with a cheesy cornbread crust.
Doritos Taco Pie
If you love Doritos chips, which my kids always eat them, then you’re going to enjoy this recipe too. It’s layers of ground beef, cheese, creamy salsa dressing and crushed Doritos. You bake it to a bubbly perfection and serve!
Johnny Marzetti – Ground Beef Noodle Casserole
Johnny Marzetti is a hearty and comforting casserole that combines ground beef, pasta, and a rich tomato sauce. It’s a classic American dish that originated in Ohio and is perfect for a weeknight meal.
The ground beef is browned and then simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce with vegetables like onions, peppers, and sometimes celery.
Baked Cheese Ravioli
Not only does this baked ravioli require minimal ingredients, but it requires very little effort and uses frozen raviolis. A perfect solution for frugal weeknight dinners or anytime you’re in a pinch! With just five simple ingredients, this dish will have you coming back for more.
Ground Beef Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe
A well-seasoned ground beef cheese stuffed zucchini boats with a tomato sauce, baked and served up in a casserole dish.
This recipe is easy to follow, making it a perfect weeknight dinner. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak in some extra veggies!
American Goulash
American Goulash is a classic American comfort food popular in the mid-western and southern parts of the United States. Not to be confused with Hungarian goulash, this old fashioned American goulash is made with ground beef and macaroni noodles, not chunks of beef and peppers – which, coincidentally, make this a cheaper version of goulash.
Slow Cooker Minced Beef Cobbler
This mince cobbler recipe is easy to prep and cook in the slow cooker, is frugal, yet flavorsome and will remind you of old fashioned cobbler recipes from childhood.
Spanish Rice and Ground Beef Skillet
This is a super frugal recipe and you can make it even cheaper if you buy your beef and rice in bulk!
Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
This quick and easy recipe utilizes your pressure cooker to whip up a flavorful sauce in a fraction of the time compared to stovetop simmering. You can use ground beef or Italian sausage for a savory base, and the recipe is easily adaptable to your favorite vegetables and herbs.
This pasta sauce is rich and delicious and will be your go-to sauce once you taste it. It has a perfect balance of flavors and a boost from an umami mixture that brings it to a restaurant-quality dinner.
Ground Beef Stroganoff
This Ground Beef Stroganoff is a quick, easy weeknight dinner that everyone will love. Lean ground beef is cooked up in a creamy sauce in no time flat. You can serve this over egg noodles or mashed potatoes
The ground beef is browned with onions and garlic, then simmered in a sauce made with beef broth, sour cream, and sometimes cream of mushroom soup for extra richness.
Easy King Ranch Beef Casserole (Texas Favorite)
This dish is packed with seasoned ground beef, crisp bell peppers, and melty cheese, all smothered in a creamy sauce.
Layers of tender corn tortillas add a delightful textural contrast. It’s a perfect weeknight meal that’s both satisfying and simple to prepare.
Korean Beef and Veggies
Savory Korean Beef and Veggies is a quick and flavorful dish packed with tender beef and crisp-tender vegetables.
The star of the show is the Korean-inspired sauce, usually made with a combination of soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and gochujang (a spicy Korean chili paste) for a sweet, salty, and slightly spicy kick.