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    Home » Recipe Roundups

    23 30-Minute Ground Beef Dishes for Busy Weeknights

    By Emmeline Kemperyd on April 22, 2025, updated March 20, 2025 - Leave a Comment

    Ground beef is a go-to ingredient for quick and satisfying meals, especially on busy weeknights. With just 30 minutes, you can whip up a variety of dishes that are both easy to make and full of flavor. From classic tacos to hearty stir-fries, these 23 recipes will help you get dinner on the table in no time.

    Ground Beef Stroganoff

    Ground Beef Stroganoff.
    Photo credit: Cheerful Cook.

    This flavorful stroganoff is a quick and easy dinner option that packs a punch. It's perfect for busy nights when you want something delicious without spending too much time in the kitchen.

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    Ground Beef Flautas

    Ground beef flautas.
    Photo credit: Midwest Foodie.

    These crispy flautas are filled with ground beef and melted cheese, perfect for a quick meal. In just 30 minutes, you can enjoy them with a refreshing avocado cilantro sauce.

    Get the recipe

    Cottage Pie

    Cottage Pie.
    Photo Credit: Our Love Language is Food.

    This dish features a filling of beef and vegetables, all topped with a cheesy mashed potato layer. With some easy ingredients, it comes together in just 30 minutes, making it a great choice for family dinners.

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    Cheeseburger Macaroni

    Dutch oven with Cheeseburger Macaroni.
    Photo Credit: Homemade Hooplah.

    Cheeseburger macaroni is a quick and easy dinner option that’s perfect for busy weeknights. This one-pan dish combines tender pasta with seasoned ground beef and gooey melted cheese for a satisfying meal.

    Get the recipe

    Egg Roll in a Bowl

    Egg roll in a bowl with chopsticks.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    Egg roll in a bowl is a quick and easy one-pan dinner that you can whip up in just 30 minutes. Packed with fresh veggies and tasty flavors from soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic, this dish is sure to please.

    Get the recipe

    Air Fryer Un-sloppy Joes

    Air Fryer Unsloppy Joes Biscuit Pockets.
    Photo credit: xoxoBella.

    This is a tasty twist on classic sloppy joes, perfect for when you want great flavor without the mess. It's a quick and easy meal that everyone will enjoy.

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    Crunchwrap Supreme

    Crunchwraps.
    Photo credit: Midwest Foodie.

    These homemade Taco Bell crunch wraps are packed with layers of flour tortillas, seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese, a crunchy tostada shell, cool sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and extra cheese. This quick 20-minute dinner is a fun twist on taco night that everyone will enjoy!

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    Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

    Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce on a bowl.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    This instant pot spaghetti is simple to prepare with just 9 ingredients and only one pot. In under 30 minutes, you can have this classic dish ready for your family, even on a hectic weeknight.

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    Ground Beef & Broccoli

    Ground Beef And Broccoli.
    Photo credit: LIving Chirpy.

    This healthy meal comes together quickly with just 9 ingredients and only one pan. In just 20 minutes, you can have a tasty dish ready to enjoy.

    Get the recipe

    Air Fryer Meatballs

    Air fryer meatballs with sauce.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    Air fryer meatballs are quick and easy to prepare, taking only 30 minutes with ingredients you likely already have. They are juicy and tender inside, with a nice crispy outside.

    Get the recipe

    Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls

    Cheeseburger sliders.
    Photo credit: House of Yumm.

    Mini cheeseburger sliders made with Hawaiian rolls are a simple dinner option that you can whip up in just 30 minutes. Filled with juicy ground beef, melted cheese, and zesty pickles, these sliders are topped with a tasty homemade burger sauce.

    Get the recipe

    Kimchi Sloppy Joes

    Kimchi Sloppy Joe.
    Photo credit: Served From Scratch.

    This classic dish gets a tasty twist with some Korean flavors. It's a quick and easy way to enjoy a delicious meal.

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    Ground Beef Philly Cheesesteak

    Ground beef cheesesteak.
    Photo credit: Easy Budget Recipes.

    If you're in the mood for a Philly Cheesesteak but need something quick and budget-friendly, this ground beef version is perfect. It delivers all the classic flavors you love, with savory meat, gooey cheese, and delicious toppings, all on a soft bun.

    Get the recipe

    Ground Beef & Cabbage Skillet

    Ground Beef and Cabbage Skillet.
    Photo credit: Real Food Real Deals.

    This one pot ground beef and cabbage skillet is a quick and healthy dinner option. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s a dish you’ll want to make again and again!

    Get the recipe

    Italian Meatballs

    Italian Meatballs served over pasta.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    These baked Italian meatballs are quick to prepare, taking only 30 minutes from start to finish. They're full of great flavors from herbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic.

    Get the recipe

    Homemade Sloppy Joes

    Homemade sloppy joes with a golden bun.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    Homemade sloppy joes are packed with flavor and can be ready in about 30 minutes using just one pan. This dish is simple to scale up, making it great for feeding a crowd or preparing in advance.

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    One Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper

    A bowl of One Pot Homemade Hamburger Helper.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    This homemade hamburger helper is a warm and comforting dish packed with tender macaroni and crumbled ground beef in a creamy cheese sauce. It's a quick and satisfying meal that's perfect for busy nights.

    Get the recipe

    Manestra (Greek-Style Orzo with Ground Beef)

    Greek orzo with ground beef.
    Photo credit: Bowl of Delicious.

    Comfort food often includes casseroles or mac’n’cheese, and this dish is a tasty Greek take on that idea. Manestra is a simple and satisfying meal that you can whip up quickly.

    Get the recipe

    Ground Beef Tacos

    Ground beef tacos with salsa.
    Photo credit: House of Yumm.

    These classic Ground Beef Tacos feature homemade taco meat loaded into freshly fried taco shells. Serve up with all your favorite toppings for an easy family meal that takes less than 30 minutes!

    Get the recipe.

    Beef & Quinoa Bowls

    Beef & Quinoa Bowls.
    Photo credit: Seasonal Cravings.

    This Indonesian Beef and Quinoa Bowl is a comforting dish that comes together quickly. With beef cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with curry and cinnamon, it’s packed with flavor and can be customized with your favorite toppings for a nutritious meal.

    Get the recipe

    Walking Taco Casserole

    Walking taco casserole.
    Photo credit: Emmeline Kemperyd.

    This casserole combines all the great flavors of tacos into a simple one-dish meal. It's packed with ground beef, salsa, and plenty of cheese, making it perfect for a potluck or a quick weeknight dinner.

    Get the recipe

    Homemade Hamburgers

    air fryer hamburger.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This dish features juicy ground beef that’s cooked just right and ready to be topped with your favorite burger fixings. With just a few simple ingredients like ground beef, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, it comes together quickly.

    Get the recipe

    3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes

    SLOPPY JOES.
    Photo credit: The Short Order Cook.

    A classic sloppy joe is a quick and satisfying meal that everyone in the family can enjoy. It's a simple dish that comes together in no time, perfect for busy evenings.

    Get the recipe

    More Recipe Roundups

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      22 No-Fuss Pasta Dinners That Almost Cook Themselves
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      24 Simple Crockpot Dinners That Get the Job Done
    • Hot honey garlic chicken.
      22 Dump-And-Cook Chicken Dinners That Will Change Your Weeknight Routine
    • Cheeseburger tater tot casserole.
      23 Hearty Ground Beef Dishes to Make When You’d Rather Not Cook

    About Emmeline Kemperyd

    Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has more than 20 years of experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN  and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, Daily Kos, The Grio, The Asian Parent, and The Feed Feed, among others.

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    Hi, I'm Emmeline! I love tasty food, but I'm always in a hurry. And I have the quick and easy recipes to prove it!

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