16 Ground Beef Recipes You Can Make With 6 Ingredients or Less

If you've got a package of ground beef, you're almost all the way to dinner.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published May 17, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
My family's 5-ingredient pasta bake

Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

If there's one thing that makes cooking an easy recipe even easier, it's using fewer ingredients. It's less to buy, less to prepare, and less to worry about! These recipes all use a package of ground beef and five or fewer other ingredients (not including salt, pepper, oil, and water) to make a variety of delicious dinners you'll want to make on repeat.

Don't forget to read the helpful tips and tricks from our editors and contributors as you go, as they have great ideas for slimming down the ingredient count to get dinner on the table in a flash.

  • 5-Ingredient Barbecue Meatloaf

    Overhead shot of a sliced up meatloaf on a white serving plate, with two slices of meatloaf on another plate next to it

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "I recently came across a meatloaf recipe online that called for 20 ingredients. I was perplexed because my mom’s meatloaf recipe has just five ingredients and is, in my humble opinion, one of the best and easiest meatloaf recipes I’ve ever made." —Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer

  • 3-Ingredient Dolma and Ground Beef Skillet

    A skillet with dolmas cooked in tomato sauce and ground beef, served with pita bread and yogurt

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "This dinner tastes like it took hours to make thanks to the rich flavor of the ground beef combined with the tang of the dolmas, but from start to finish you’ll need less than 30 minutes to get this hearty main on the table." —Megan Scott, Senior Editor

  • 20-Minute One-Pan Beef and Chickpeas

    plate of 20-Minute One-Pan Beef and Chickpeas with rice and greek yogurt

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "To make this recipe 5-ingredient, skip the ground cumin and ground onion powder, opting for a bit more garam masala and you've got a 5-ingredient, 20-minute dinner!" —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

  • 5-Ingredient Pasta Bake

    My family's 5-ingredient pasta bake

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

    "Since the pasta will be cooked twice, it’s better to slightly undercook it during its initial boil. Check it two minutes before you expect it to be done to determine texture. It should still be a little hard." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 16 below

  • 5-Ingredient Gingery, Garlicky Ground Beef

    Ground Beef with Rice

    Simply Recipes / Myo Quinn

    "Get the rice going before you start. Then, have all of the ingredients prepped before you heat the pan because everything cooks in under 5 minutes." —Myo Quinn, Former Associate Editorial Director

  • Ground Beef Hummus Bowls

    Ground Beef Hummus Bowl and pita chips

    Simply Recipes / Stephanie Ganz

    "Keep the seasoning to a minimum on the ground beef with your favorite seasoning mix instead of the three separate spices called for in the recipe. To serve, find whatever you have in the fridge, or keep it super stripped back and simple." —Stephanie A. Ganz, Recipe Developer

  • Air Fryer Hamburgers

    Air Fryer Burger on a Plate with Onion Rings

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "I’m a firm believer that fat is flavor when it comes to burgers, so I always look for at least an 85-15 blend for ground beef when I’m making burgers. You can also purchase an 80-20 blend." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Crispy Ground Beef Tacos

    Crispy ground beef tacos on a plate at a table setting with glasses of beer, bowl of diced tomatoes, and a table napkin

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

    "Swap the spices (chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and salt) for 1 1/2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Add salt to taste." —Laurel Randolph, Associate Editorial Director

    Continue to 9 of 16 below

  • Classic Patty Melt

    A sliced patty melt ready to eat

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "Personally, I like simple sandwich bread for my patty melts. Nothing fancy! I just use standard white or wheat sandwich bread and the results are wonderful." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Andrew Zimmern's Hotdish

    Andrew Zimmern hotdish

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

    "Andrew's hotdish tastes like a cozy home filled with family photos and a broken-in sofa. I haven’t had much experience with this type of food, but I liked it." —Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

  • Creamed Tacos

    creamed tacos in bowl with chips, lettuce and tomatoes

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "We always serve creamed tacos super thick, so it really sticks to your ribs. But if yours is thicker than you’d like, add a little water or milk to get a slightly soupier consistency." —Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

  • Easy Beef Krapow

    Beef Krapow in two bowls

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "Slim this recipe down to 6 ingredients by skipping the sugar, Thai basil, and Thai chilies. You'll still have a satisfying, savory beef that will pair well with steamed rice." —Frank Tiu, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 13 of 16 below

  • Mom's Stuffed Bell Peppers

    Stuffed Bell Peppers

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Substitute the herbs with an Italian herb mix to keep it under 6 ingredients." —Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Baked Ground Beef Tacos

    Baked tacos on a platte surrounded by bowls of toppings (bowl of shredded iceberg lettuce, bowl of diced onions, bowl of tomatoes, bowl of salsa, and a bowl of sour cream)

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas, RD

    "Lose the diced tomatoes here and serve with your favorite salsa." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

  • Hamburger Stroganoff

    Ground Beef Stroganoff

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "With a few tweaks (use yogurt in place of sour cream and lemon, skipping the sherry) this easy recipe is made even easier with just 6 ingredients." —Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Taco Bowls

    Plate of 5-ingredient turkey taco bowl at a table setting with a glass of water, bowl of lime wedges, and a fork on a table napkin

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ana Kelly / Prop Styling by Shell Royster

    "This recipe originally calls for ground turkey, but ground beef makes a great, equally delicious swap." —Devan Grimsrud, Contributor

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