30 Beef Dinners with 500 Calories or Less

Loosely translated as "minced meat," the traditional texture of carne picada ranges from finely chopped to ground. Here we start with brisket, which becomes nice and tender in the slow cooker, then shred and chop the meat before serving. The seasoning is flavorful but not too spicy. Blistered jalapeños added at the end will satisfy the heat-lovers in the family. Pile the brisket into warmed corn tortillas, with lettuce, the jalapeños, cheese and avocado salsa for a healthy dinner that'll wake up your taco night routine. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019

Strands of tender squash replace pasta for a more flavorful version of spaghetti pie casserole. Not to mention, spaghetti squash is a low-carb alternative to pasta and saves more than 150 calories per serving compared to a traditional recipe. A sprinkling of nutty fontina cheese melts into a gooey topping. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2020

Using riced cauliflower as the base of these "grain bowls" is an easy (and tasty!) way to up your vegetable servings. If you've ever wondered how to make those jammy eggs served with ramen, here you go! Let them simmer for 3 minutes more if you prefer a hard-set yolk. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2019

These easy grilled beef & vegetable kebabs are not only delicious--they're economical too. Tri-tip is an inexpensive and flavorful cut of beef that takes beautifully to cooking over an open flame. Thread it onto skewers with colorful veggies and marinate for up to eight hours before cooking on the grill or over your campfire. Either way, it's a healthy and tasty summer meal. Source: Eatingwell.com, July 2019

This easy inside-out ravioli lasagna is the ultimate weeknight comfort food--no layering or mixing bowls required. Feel free to swap in ground turkey for the beef. Look for fresh mozzarella balls (also called "pearls") in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2019

Slash the calories and carbs of traditional stuffed peppers by swapping white rice for cauliflower "rice." The riced cauliflower is hearty and won't turn to mush during baking. Use an assortment of red, yellow, orange and green peppers to make an appealing presentation. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2018

Sweet potatoes pair wonderfully with this simple chili recipe. Add one more chipotle pepper if you want to spice up this healthy sweet potato recipe. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Winter 2020

An herbaceous butter turns grilled sweet corn into a rave-worthy accompaniment to simple grilled flank steak. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July / August 2020

Whip up a chef-quality stir-fry recipe at home. This beef and broccoli stir-fry packs in more vegetables and nearly halves the calories of what you would find in a restaurant. And this healthy dinner takes just 30 minutes to prep, so it's about as quick as takeout too. Ginger, which adds a lively kick to this stir-fry, has long been touted for its power to settle stomachs. But that's not its only superpower: preliminary research suggests it may improve blood sugar and inflammation too. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019

You could argue that fried rice is really all about the "add-ins," so why not skip the grain itself and save some calories with cauliflower while you're at it? If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, swap sliced mushrooms for the steak. Either way, you don't have to be on a low-carb diet to love this 30-minute dinner. Source: EatingWell Magazine, April 2019

Cutting the steak immediately after cooking breaks all the rules on meat cookery, but in this recipe we do it intentionally in order to capture the juices and incorporate them into the dressing. Serve this grilled flank steak recipe with crusty bread to soak up the deliciousness. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2020

Mapo tofu is extremely popular both in and outside of China, perhaps because it was meant to be adaptable. The type and amount of both tofu and meat is often varied and even the spicy sauce can be tuned to the desired level of heat. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May 2020

Using an oven-safe skillet (like cast iron) allows you to take this healthy homemade potpie from stovetop to oven without dirtying extra pans. A quick drop-biscuit topping made with white whole-wheat flour adds 2g fiber per serving and cuts the sodium in half compared to using refrigerated biscuit dough. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March 2020

Mounding a classic Philly cheesesteak mixture in a colorful bell pepper and melting cheese on top is an easy way to skip the bread and cut the carbs. Source: EatingWell.com, January 2019

Toasting raw rice in hot oil--some of it may even pop like popcorn--adds texture to this steak-and-rice salad. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2020

Ground beef cooked with tomatoes and briny olives can be found all over Latin America. This is a favorite Cuban variation served over plantains, starchy vegetables that look like giant bananas. You can also serve the picadillo over rice or potatoes, so this easy dinner recipe is versatile too. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Fall 2019

All of the ingredients for this easy beef stir-fry recipe are cooked in one wok (or skillet), so not only is the meal-prep fast for this healthy dinner, cleanup is quick too. Look for Lee Kum Kee Premium oyster-flavored sauce in the Asian-foods aisle of your grocery store. It has the most concentrated oyster flavor. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine, Fall 2019

Meatballs, green beans and potatoes happily coexist while roasting together on a large sheet pan. Seasoned with fresh rosemary and Italian seasoning and served with pasta sauce and Parmesan, this one-dish meal is one you'll want to make again and again. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

This easy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning that seared steak can be a weeknight meal. Cooking herbs in the pan with the steak releases their aroma, infusing it into the meat while creating a crispy garnish. After the steaks and herbs are pan-seared, the escarole is cooked in the same skillet, so this healthy dinner requires minimal cleanup too. Source: EatingWell Magazine, October 2019

We've taken a simple burger recipe and made it pop with an easy three-ingredient jalapeño cheese topping. Ground sirloin is lean ground beef made exclusively from the center loin cut. It has less connective tissue than regular ground beef for a super-tender burger. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May 2019

Corn, tomato and basil scream summer, but simplicity makes this easy dinner recipe perfect for the season. Serve the grilled skirt steak and relish with salad greens for a quick and healthy dinner you'll want to make over and over. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2019

A savory marinade with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil infuses flavor into sirloin steak pieces in this healthy beef and broccoli stir-fry recipe. Tip: Partially freeze the beef for easier slicing. Source: What to Eat with Diabetes 2019

We've bulked up the serving size of beef pad thai by adding in lots of healthy veggies like matchstick carrots, snap peas and scallions. Look for whole-grain brown-rice pad thai noodles to add an additional 3 grams fiber to each serving. Source: EatingWell.com, August 2018

Meatloaf and potatoes cook together in your multicooker, such as the Instant Pot, in this weeknight-ready recipe. Cooking meatloaf in your pressure cooker keeps it nice and moist and, once assembled, the whole meal is cooked in just 20 minutes! Source: EatingWell.com, August 2018

Sloppy Joes are a classic! Make this healthier-for-you version, and top with homemade Honey and Spice "pickles" for added zest. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

This one-dish meal is a combination of two favorites--hamburgers and macaroni and cheese. Add in some broccoli and carrots and a creamy cheese sauce and you've got a meal the whole family will appreciate. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

Looking for a pasta that's lower in carbohydrates? Look no further than spaghetti squash. Mix it with homemade meatballs and lower-sodium pasta sauce, and you will quickly love this healthy swap. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

Phyllo dough comes to life as thin, flaky pizza crust in this tasty pizza topped with red onion, mushrooms, sirloin steak, and mixed fresh herbs. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

Our take on this popular Mexican dish certainly does not disappoint. Packed with protein and easy to make, this recipe is the perfect dinner solution. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

One pan = less cleanup. To make this sheet-pan dinner work, the potatoes are roasted for 15 minutes before the asparagus and skirt steak are added. Finished with rosemary and blue cheese, it's our easy--and healthy--take on steak frites. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2018