31 Healthy and Delicious Ground Beef Recipes to Make for Dinner

Ground beef is a kitchen staple perfect for easy, budget-friendly meals. But often our favorite ground beef dishes like sloppy joes, tacos, and casseroles can be high in calories, fat, and sodium. Luckily, you can easily make healthier versions of classic beef recipes by swapping a few simple ingredients.

Here are 31 delicious ideas for healthy ground beef meals:

Lower-Carb Ground Beef Recipes

1. Zucchini Lasagna – Replace traditional lasagna noodles with sliced zucchini for a low-carb, veggie-packed twist.

2. Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie – Use riced cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes as the topping for a lighter shepherd’s pie.

3. Stuffed Peppers – Stuff bell peppers with lean ground beef, rice or quinoa, and shredded cheese for a veggie-centric meal.

4. Zoodle Bolognese – Spiralized zucchini stands in for pasta in this easy, low-carb beef bolognese.

5. Cheeseburger Cabbage Wraps – Use cabbage leaves instead of buns for burger wraps that are naturally gluten-free.

Leaner Ground Beef Recipes

1. Turkey-Beef Meatloaf – Lighten up meatloaf by using half ground turkey and half lean ground beef.

2. Veggie-Packed Chili – Bulk up chili with extra beans, corn, zucchini, and other veggies to add fiber.

3. Beef and Lentil Meatballs – Mix in protein-packed lentils to make healthier baked meatballs.

4. Lean Sloppy Joes – Use 90/10 lean ground beef and drain excess fat after browning for lower-fat sloppy joes.

5. Bunless Cheeseburger Lettuce Wraps – Skip the bun and wrap burgers in lettuce leaves for a lighter meal.

Cleaner Ingredient Ground Beef Recipes

1. Taco Salads – Build healthier taco salads with lettuce, tomato, avocado, beans, corn, and lean taco beef.

2. Vegetable Soup with Ground Beef – Simmer ground beef in a veggie-packed soup with tomato, zucchini, peppers, and beans.

3. Clean Sloppy Joes – Make your own healthier sloppy joe sauce from tomato paste and seasonings instead of canned sauce.

4. Baked Ziti with Veggies – Add fresh spinach and carrots to baked ziti for extra nutrition. Use whole wheat pasta.

5. Beef and Vegetable Kebabs – Thread lean beef and vegetables like onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini onto skewers to grill.

Lighter Cooking Method Ground Beef Recipes

1. Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry – Quickly stir fry marinated beef and broccoli with reduced sodium soy sauce. Serve over brown rice.

2. Air Fryer Meatballs – Air fry homemade lean beef meatballs to cut added fat and calories from frying.

3. Sheet Pan Fajitas – Cook beef fajita meat and veggies together on one sheet pan instead of sautéing.

4. Ground Beef Lettuce Wrap Tacos – Skip the taco shell and use lettuce leaves to cut carbs and calories.

5. Crockpot Chili – Make healthy chili in a slow cooker with extra veggies and beans but lean ground beef.

More Healthy Ground Beef Dinner Ideas

1. Stuffed cabbage rolls

2. Beef and vegetable soup

3. Healthier beef stroganoff with cauliflower rice

4. Beef and broccoli stir fry

5. Lean burrito bowls

6. Zucchini taco boats

7. Egg roll in a bowl

8. Beef kofta kebabs

9. Korean-style ground beef bowls

10. Cleaner sloppy joe lettuce wraps

11. Zucchini lasagna with ground turkey and spinach

With a few easy ingredient swaps and cooking adjustments, you can still enjoy quick and satisfying ground beef meals while lightening them up. Use these healthier recipes as a starting point and customize with your favorite fresh veggies, seasonings, and whole grain sides.