15 Ground Beef Recipes With Not Too Many Other Ingredients

If there's one thing that makes cooking an easy recipe even easier, it's using fewer ingredients. It's less to buy, less to prepare, and less to worry about! These 15 recipes use a package of ground beef and just five other ingredients (not including salt, black pepper, oil, and water) to make a variety of delicious dinners you'll want to make on repeat.

So whether you're short on time, have a package of ground beef already in the fridge, or want to save a little money, you're sure to find a recipe below that will work for you! Don't forget to read the helpful tips and tricks from our editors and contributors as you go, as some of these recipes need to be slightly tweaked to fit our self-imposed six-ingredient requirement.

20-Minute One-Pan Beef and Chickpeas

"To make this recipe 5-ingredients, skip the ground cumin and ground onion powder, opting for a bit more garam masala and you've got a 5-ingredient, 20-minute dinner!" —Devan Grimsrud, Simply Recipes Contributor

Gingery, Garlicky Ground Beef

"Get the rice going before you start. Then, have all of the ingredients prepped before you heat the pan because everything cooks in under 5 minutes." —Myo Quinn, Simply Recipes Associate Editorial Director

5-Ingredient Pasta Bake

"Since the pasta will be cooked twice, it’s better to slightly undercook it during its initial boil. Check it two minutes before you expect it to be done to determine texture. It should still be a little hard." —Sara Haas, Simply Recipes Contributor

Ground Beef Hummus Bowls

"Keep the seasoning to a minimum on the ground beef with your favorite seasoning mix instead of the three separate spices called for in the recipe. To serve, find whatever you have in the fridge, or keep it super stripped back and simple." —Stephanie A. Ganz, Simply Recipes Contributor

Air Fryer Hamburgers

"I’m a firm believer that fat is flavor when it comes to burgers, so I always look for at least an 85-15 blend for ground beef when I’m making burgers. You can also purchase an 80-20 blend." —Nick Evans, Simply Recipes Contributor

Crispy Ground Beef Tacos

"Swap the spices (chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and salt) for 1 1/2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Add salt to taste." —Laurel Randolph, Simply Recipes Senior Editor

Classic Patty Melt

"Personally, I like simple sandwich bread for my patty melts. Nothing fancy! I just use standard white or wheat sandwich bread and the results are wonderful." —Nick

Creamed Tacos

"We always serve creamed tacos super thick, so it really sticks to your ribs. But if yours is thicker than you’d like, add a little water or milk to get a slightly soupier consistency." —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Senior Editor

Andrew Zimmern's Hotdish

"Andrew's hotdish tastes like a cozy home filled with family photos and a broken-in sofa. I haven’t had much experience with this type of food, but I liked it." —Sara

Taco Bowls

"This recipe originally calls for ground turkey, but ground beef makes a great, equally delicious swap." —Devan

Easy Beef Krapow

"Slim this recipe down to 6-ingredients by skipping the sugar, Thai basil, and Thai chilies. You'll still have a satisfying, savory beef that will pair well with steamed rice." —Frank Tiu, Simply Recipes Contributor

Mom's Stuffed Bell Peppers

"Substitute the herbs with an Italian herb mix to keep it under 6-ingredients." —Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes Founder

Baked Ground Beef Tacos

"Lose the diced tomatoes here and serve with your favorite salsa." —Sara

Ground Beef Bulgogi

"Skipping marinade time is fine, but the flavor is deeper with proper marinade time." —Peter Serpico, Simply Recipes Contributor

Hamburger Stroganoff

"With a few tweaks (use yogurt in place of sour cream and lemon, skipping the sherry) this easy recipe is made even easier with just 6-ingredients." —Elise