The Best Healthy Ground Beef Recipes

Eating healthy doesn't always mean giving up red meat. With these recipes, you can enjoy burgers, meatloaf, and other favorite dishes without breaking your diet.

Traditional Meatloaf with a New Twist

Ellie Krieger uses plenty of vegetables in this lightened-up version of meatloaf. For a sweet and savory twist, top the dish with a tomato sauce with mustard and molasses before baking.

Recipe: Traditional Meatloaf with a New Twist

Grilled Meatloaf in Foil

What makes this low-carb, low-fat meatloaf cook faster than the traditional oven-baked version? The secret lies in the reflective surface of the foil pouch, which traps and amplifies heat like a mini oven. This meatloaf is also slightly thinner, so it cooks faster while maintaining a delicious crust.

Recipe: Grilled Meatloaf in Foil

Beef cutlets in a frying pan

Instead of baking, this miniature meatloaf is pan-fried. This quick-to-make dish is topped with a savory-sweet glaze.

Recipe: Beef cutlets in a frying pan

Light meatballs in tomato sauce

Hearty beef meatballs are enhanced with egg whites and portobello mushrooms. Boost the fiber by using whole-wheat spaghetti.

Recipe: Light meatballs in tomato sauce

Meatballs

Trisha Yearwood's simple appetizer is perfect for a party. Despite the small size of the meatballs, each bite is packed with beef, garlic, onion, and fresh parsley.

Recipe: Meatballs

Greek salad with meatballs

These meatballs use pita chips instead of bread crumbs, adding a salty, crunchy note to the hearty salad.

Recipe: Greek salad with meatballs

Meat lasagna with mushrooms

Fill lasagna with beef, cheese and tomato sauce, then top with fiber-rich mushrooms.

Recipe: Meat lasagna with mushrooms

Greek moussaka with minced beef

There's no abundance of cheese here, unlike traditional moussaka recipes. The rich flavor of this low-calorie casserole comes from spices, tomato paste, wine, and vinegar.

Recipe: Greek moussaka with minced beef

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Beef Stroganoff with Ground Beef in a Frying Pan

Low-fat sour cream and low-fat cream cheese make this beef stroganoff, which has only 322 calories per serving. Garnish this delicate dish with fresh parsley and chives.

Recipe: Beef Stroganoff with Ground Beef in a Frying Pan

Chili with ground beef and three types of beans

Ellie uses lean ground beef to make a hearty, low-fat chili. But the flavor remains rich thanks to a blend of three types of beans (black, red, and pinto) and the addition of chipotle chili peppers.

Recipe: Chili with ground beef and three types of beans

Stuffed peppers with light filling

Bell peppers are rich in vitamin C, and when filled with ground beef, lentils, and rice, these stuffed vegetables make a perfectly balanced meal.

Recipe: Stuffed peppers with light filling

Bell peppers stuffed with sweet and sour couscous

For a nutritious, protein-rich dish, stuff bell peppers with ground beef and couscous. The vibrant colors of these antioxidant-rich peppers aren't just for show—the more fresh, colorful ingredients you have on your plate, the healthier the dish.

Recipe: Bell peppers stuffed with sweet and sour couscous

Greek-Style Bulgur Stuffed Peppers

Sweet red peppers are stuffed with a flavorful filling of spinach, bulgur, and lean ground beef. Top the peppers with feta cheese and bake until tender.

Recipe: Greek-Style Bulgur Stuffed Peppers

Sweet potato stuffed with beef and vegetables

For those who strive for healthy eating but are picky about their vegetables, we've used a trick. In this Latin American-style stuffed sweet potato, the carrots, onions, and tomatoes are cut into small pieces—they're almost invisible when cooked with the ground beef.

Recipe: Sweet potato stuffed with beef and vegetables

Shepherd's pie

This version of the classic meat and potatoes dish uses lean ground beef and adds cauliflower to the mashed potatoes.

Recipe: Shepherd's pie

Beef with tofu on lettuce leaves

Ellie adds Asian spices, water chestnuts, and peanuts to lean ground beef. This textural variety is complemented by crisp lettuce leaves.

Recipe: Beef with tofu on lettuce leaves

Quesadilla with your choice of fillings

This dish allows kids to customize the fillings of an open-faced quesadilla. Let younger children assemble the quesadilla before baking, while older kids can season the meat and chop the vegetables for topping.

Recipe: Quesadilla with your choice of fillings

Taco salad with beef and tomato dressing

Those who think salads are just a light snack will be surprised by this recipe. This taco salad with chili-spiced beef, sharp cheddar, green vegetables, tomato-lime dressing, and corn chips will satisfy even the most ravenous hunger.

Recipe: Taco salad with beef and tomato dressing







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