Healthy Ingredient Recipes Healthy Meat & Poultry Recipes Healthy Beef Recipes Healthy Ground Beef Recipes 26 High-Protein Dinners with Ground Beef By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 20, 2021 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Try one of these satisfying and healthy dinner recipes using ground beef. Ground beef cooks quickly and is a budget-friendly protein that can be used with a variety of spices and flavors. Recipes like Cauliflower-Rice Stuffed Peppers and Chipotle Beef Tacos with Tomato-Avocado Pico de Gallo are filling and delicious with at least 15 grams of protein per serving. 01 of 26 Cauliflower Rice-Stuffed Peppers View Recipe 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. 02 of 26 Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes View Recipe Take taco night to a new level with sweet potato taco "shells." Tender sweet potatoes pair perfectly with spicy taco meat, creamy cheese and crisp lettuce. Let everyone customize their taco potato with their favorite toppings. 03 of 26 Pressure-Cooker Chili View Recipe Chili cooks in just 15 minutes when it's made in a multicooker. The beef gets infused with the flavors of chili powder and cumin. Shredded cheese, scallion and sour cream round out the meal, but feel free to garnish with whatever toppings you choose. 04 of 26 Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes View Recipe Two of our favorite comfort-food sandwiches join forces in these family-friendly dinner sandwiches. We found that softer buns make this easier to eat, and it's all the better when wrapped takeout-style in a sheet of foil. 05 of 26 Firehouse Enchiladas View Recipe 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. 06 of 26 Bacon & Mango Tango Sliders View Recipe With a touch of sweet from the mango, savory from the bacon, plus a creamy avocado spread, this healthy slider recipe with takes burgers to a whole new level. Double the avocado mayo and use it for your next BLT. 07 of 26 Easy Cauliflower Shepherd's Pie View Recipe Brie Passano With lots of veggie shortcuts and a cauliflower-mash topping instead of spuds, you can have this comfort-food staple in a fraction of the usual time—and save carbs too! Cook the veggies from frozen; no need to thaw. Swap ground turkey for the beef if you prefer. 08 of 26 EatingWell Meat Pie View Recipe Traditionally meat pie recipes are made with mostly ground pork. This recipe for French-Canadian meat pie, or tourtiere, is lightened up by using lean ground beef with a little ground pork for flavor and bulked up with plenty of shredded vegetables. You can make it even easier by using a store-bought crust. 09 of 26 Chipotle Beef Tacos with Tomato-Avocado Pico de Gallo View Recipe These spicy chipotle tacos are the perfect choice for your next taco night. You can substitute ground turkey for the beef if you'd like, but either way, you'll want to make sure each bite includes a bit of the homemade pico de gallo. 10 of 26 Zucchini Lasagna View Recipe Roasted zucchini slices stand in beautifully for wheat pasta in this no-noodle lasagna. The simple swap reduces calories and eliminates gluten. It's also a great way to use up extra zucchini if your plants are prolific. 11 of 26 Taco-Stuffed Zucchini View Recipe These stuffed zucchini boats are filled with all your favorite taco ingredients like seasoned meat, cheese and avocado. They're perfect for a a low-carb alternative on taco night or a great kid-friendly way to sneak in more vegetables. 12 of 26 Spicy Meatloaf with Collards View Recipe Plenty of dark leafy greens deliver the moisture needed to balance lean ground pork and beef in this spicy meatloaf recipe. Serve any leftovers with extra ketchup as meatloaf sandwiches. 13 of 26 Italian Meatball Soup View Recipe Vegetables and lean meatballs streamline a traditional Italian meatball soup to make it lighter while keeping all the great flavor. Save some of the meatball soup to make a delicious casserole for later. 14 of 26 Pita Chip Nachos View Recipe Swap tortilla chips for pita chips in this healthy Mediterranean nacho recipe. For a party, create one large platter--just be sure to serve with plates! 15 of 26 Stuffed Delicata Squash View Recipe In this Tex-Mex-seasoned stuffed delicata squash recipe we swap out half of the ground beef you'd normally use for bulgur to reduce saturated fat without skimping on the amount of stuffing. Serve with a mixed green salad with cilantro vinaigrette. 16 of 26 Beef Kofta with Bulgur & Kale Salad View Recipe Whole grains take too long to cook, you say? Well, say hello to bulgur, which can be ready in less than 15 minutes. Try this Middle Eastern-inspired healthy dinner recipe topped with plain yogurt or store-bought tzatziki for an extra hit of creamy flavor. 17 of 26 Cheddar-Stuffed Mini Meatloaves with Chipotle Glaze View Recipe Individual meatloaves not only take the guesswork out of portion size, they cook quicker than a large loaf. Look for ground chipotle in the spice section of the market--it gives the glaze a hit of smoke and spice. Serve with roasted broccoli and brown rice tossed with cilantro. 18 of 26 Mexican Skillet Lasagna View Recipe This easy Mexican-inspired lasagna recipe replaces the noodles with tortilla strips that become like tender ribbons in the cayenne- and cumin-spiked tomato sauce. Topped with Cheddar and cream cheese, the lasagna is just as soulful as its Italian cousin and can be made on a busy weeknight in about 30 minutes using a single skillet. Excerpted from The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion, published by ABRAMS © 2017. 19 of 26 Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes View Recipe This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar. 20 of 26 Zucchini Parmesan View Recipe Nothing goes to waste in this twist on eggplant Parmesan, as the scooped-out zucchini flesh gets mixed into the meat sauce. Use long, straight zucchini for this dish, which are easier to hollow out for stuffing. 21 of 26 Quick Pasta Bolognese View Recipe Who doesn't love pasta with a quick meat sauce? This crowd-pleasing healthy spaghetti Bolognese recipe is a boon for busy cooks--it's ready and on the table in just 40 minutes. 22 of 26 Mexican Beef and Corn Skillet Peppers View Recipe Sweet bell peppers are simmered to tenderness with ground beef, corn, and Mexican-style seasonings, stuffed, then topped with goat cheese for a hearty dinner that doesn't need an oven. 23 of 26 Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs View Recipe 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. 24 of 26 Beef and Vegetable Sandwiches View Recipe Similar to sloppy joes but with more vegetables, these delicious sandwiches are made in the slow cooker. 25 of 26 Meatball-Barley Soup View Recipe Homemade meatballs flavored with garlic and rosemary take center stage in this simple 1-hour soup recipe. Great Northern beans and barley add a healthy dose of protein and fiber to this hearty and filling dish. 26 of 26 Beefy Stuffed Shells View Recipe Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a hearty beef and mushroom filling are baked with tomato sauce and cheese for an Italian-style dinner that's ready in less than an hour. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit