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10 Recipes to Cook with Ground Meat

You likely already have a pound or two of ground meat sitting in the back of the freezer. Whether it’s beef, turkey or pork, it often comes in handy when it’s time to cook. While burgers, meatballs and chili are the usual meals when it comes to using ground meat, here are 10 different recipes to try.

1. Flatbread Pizzas with Ground Meat (Lahmajoun)

We love this Armenian twist to pizza! The classic version utilizes a thin, crisp flatbread, but store-bought naan, pita or even tortillas work here too. The cooked seasoned ground beef has a unique, almost creamy texture because it is blended in a food processor along with tomatoes, yogurt and herbs. Top the bread with the meat mixture, cook for 20 minutes and enjoy!

2. Dan Dan-Style Asian Noodles with Pork

Dan dan noodles are a popular Sichuan dish consisting of ground pork, veggies, Sichuan peppercorns, chili oil and peanut sauce. It’s a bold and spicy meal (not for the faint of heart!) that will definitely perk things up at the table!

3. Turkey and Cilantro Wontons

Ground meat is a standard filling for wontons, and this version starring turkey is a popular recipe of ours. Yes, store-bought wontons come in handy in a pinch, but there’s just something about stuffing and wrapping your own at home! The filling here includes turkey, cilantro and soy sauce, but the flavour is definitely amped up when they’re added to this tasty lemongrass soup.

4. Mexican Beef Pie

Savoury pies are often the best meal ideas! A flaky, buttery crust filled with a hearty, flavourful filling, all in one convenient slice on your plate…how can you resist? This beef pie is an exceptionally great recipe, with a spicy Tex-Mex-style stuffing that’ll be a hit at the dinner table.

5. Chicken Tacos

Taco night is always a hit! Ground chicken is a lighter alternative to ground beef, but is no less flavourful or protein rich. With the perfect medley of spices and fresh ingredients, this recipe will prove to be a fun meal idea as everyone can garnish their taco to their heart’s content.

Meat Swap

Do you have a beef burger recipe to make but only have ground pork on hand? You may decide to simply use the latter instead. However, making this swap may require you to make other adjustments.

While some meats can be used interchangeably in recipes (think ground turkey vs. chicken), most meats have different flavour profiles and fat content and may require different cooking times. The final result won’t be as expected and you might have to make adjustments to recipes, such as adding extra fat to leaner meats or adding breadcrumbs to certain meatballs to keep them from becoming dry.

If you don’t believe you can adequately and successfully make these customizations, we recommend using the correct meat suggested in the recipe.

6. Beef Keftas on Naan Bread

Make the most of your ground beef with this flavourful weeknight dinner idea. These keftas are perfectly seasoned and are served on pillowy naan. The accompanying yogurt sauce is the perfect blend of coolness and a bit of heat.

7. Warm Ground Pork Roll with Red Cabbage Slaw

This ground pork dish is a fun sloppy joe/banh mi hybrid. It’s topped with a colourful slaw of red cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots and coriander. Serve it on a hot dog bun, and you’ve got a flavourful and texture-filled meal on your hands!

8. Ethiopian Beef Berbere Stew

Ethiopian berbere refers to a blend of spices that includes garlic, chili, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Cook these spices with ground beef and serve it with green vegetables. Flatbread comes in handy to help scoop up the meat from the plate, using your hands as utensils.

9. Broccoli and Lamb Kefta

Ground lamb is a gamier meat when compared to others, so it often can be a bit intense for fussier eaters come dinnertime. One tip is to add finely chopped broccoli into the meat mixture, then mould it onto skewers before grilling. The addition of the vegetable makes for a more balanced taste experience.

10. Stewed Eggplant and Minced Meat

This simple weeknight dish uses ground meat (either lamb or beef) and cooks it with tomatoes, eggplant and bell peppers. It’s a flavourful dish and is a unique way to use a pound of ground meat you have on hand.