These simple ground beef dishes range from easy weeknight meals to fun summer dishes that the whole family will love.

Ground beef dishes are a staple around here, and it is one of our favorite types of beef to have on hand.

We love making easy ground beef lunch recipes like cheesy taco pockets and spaghetti tacos. Or for easy weeknight dinners, tater tot hotdish, and slow cooker chili are definite kitchen staples!

How To Cook Ground Beef

Here are some tips for cooking ground beef

• Precook it – Most recipes that use ground beef will involve browning the ground beef before it is added. This adds a ton of flavor!
• Internal Temperature – The safe internal temperature of ground beef is 160°F. Using a meat thermometer you can test to ensure it has reached this temperature, or you can cook it until no pink remains.
• Break it up – While the ground beef cooks, break it into small pieces using a masher or a spatula.
• Drain it – Ground beef will give off quite a bit of fat while it cooks, so make sure you drain the excess fat before continuing with the recipe.
• Know your beef – know what kind of beef you’re purchasing while you’re at the store: regular, lean, or extra lean. The leaner the beef the less fat it has in it. For some recipes that means less to drain off, for other recipes it could mean less flavor!

How To Defrost Ground Beef

The easiest way to defrost ground beef is by placing it in the fridge the morning before you plan to use it.

The quickest way to defrost ground beef is by placing it in a plastic freezer bag in a bowl of cold water. Remember to change the water every 30 minutes.

Alternatively, you can place the ground beef under cold running water until completely defrosted.

Ground beef should not be refrozen once defrosted.