19 Deeply Satisfying Ground Beef Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the most flavor out of ground beef? ›

Add a flavorful liquid: Add a small amount of beef broth, tomato sauce, or red wine to the ground beef while it cooks to add extra flavor. Add vegetables: Finely chop vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, or bell peppers and add them to the ground beef while it cooks.

Onion powder combines with oregano leaves, salt and pepper to take ground beef from plain to perfect.

Because of beef's hearty, robust nature, flavor-forward spices like garlic and onion or herbs like rosemary and oregano are the best choices for an unforgettable beef dinner.

The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins. Whole milk (not reduced fat), buttermilk, and yogurt all get the job done – with a special nod to buttermilk and yogurt for their optimal tenderizing acidity levels.

Culinary professionals know that a small amount of vinegar makes food taste bright and fresh. Too much, however, may make the food unpleasantly sour. First and foremost, vinegar is used as a tenderizer for meat and poultry. It may be added as an injected marinade in very tough proteins or applied via a soak or rub.

Use a marinade: Marinate the ground beef in a flavorful liquid such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, or red wine before cooking. Add a flavorful liquid: Add a small amount of beef broth, tomato sauce, or red wine to the ground beef while it cooks to add extra flavor.

For ground meats, a splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce does wonders to increase the beefy flavor compounds. Adding cooked dried pieces of bacon — a product that already has high concentrations of savoriness — makes for a one-two punch of meaty flavor.

However, by gently tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking, beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better.

Season the Ground Beef

When it comes to seasoning your ground beef, wait until after it has been browned and drained. Adding salt to raw ground beef pulls out moisture, drying the meat out and creating steam while it cooks, which prevents it from browning properly.

Mixing salt, pepper and any other seasonings right into your ground beef is one way to season them. This method has the advantage of distributing the flavors throughout the meat, and it's the only realistic way to get add-ins like minced onion or herbs into the mix.

Is it better to season hamburger meat before or after cooking? ›

If possible, season at least 30 minutes (and up to to two hours) before cooking to let that seasoning work its way into the patty. There's no skipping this step: Unseasoned burgers will always taste bland.

Ginger is a common ingredient in marinades thanks to its uniquely spicy flavour and the fact that it contains a 'proteolytic' enzyme that naturally breaks down meat protein. Method: Add slices of ginger or ginger pulp to the surface of the beef and leave for a minimum of 2 hours.

Choose your tenderizer—salt, baking soda, citrus, or vinegar.

Basil – this spice adds a refreshing, hearty tone to beef, and the flavors of this spice complement the meat. Yellow mustard powder – a very pungent seasoning that produces a sharp taste when used for burgers. Onion/garlic – much like yellow mustard powder, this spice creates that classic, strong taste for your beef.

However, by gently tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking, beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better.

Add the fat you seek directly to the meat. Butter is readily available, affordable, and adds moisture and fat to beef — making for a tender, juicy burger.

Here's a little trick. For 1 pound of ground beef, add 1.5 cups of water and a 1/2 cup of quick oatmeal. Keeps it moist and "fluid".