19 Low Calorie Ground Beef Recipes (2024)

Stay on your diet with the best recipes to use your ground beef, that are still low in calories.

In the health world, beef tends to get a bad rap. Beef does tend to be higher in calories and fat, but that doesn’t mean it should be avoided.

Just like everything. Eating beef in moderation definitely has its benefits. So going out for that steak or incorporating beef into a weekly meal plan isn’t such a bad idea.

The health benefits of beef

Beef is a great source of carnitine, zinc, selenium, iron and B Vitamin. Carnitine helps the body turn fat into energy and is important for heart and brain function as well as muscle movement.

Selenium can help reduce the risk of some cancers, protects the heart and boost your immune system.

The B Vitamins are important for maintaining overall good health and well-being. They also have a direct impact on energy, brain function and cell metabolism.

Beef definitely has its health benefits. I encourage people to not avoid beef because of those benefits. It’s good to get your protein from a variety of protein sources for optimal health (check out my list of favorite protein sources here). I also tell people to try and eat the ground beef that is more lean to help stay away from some of the fats.

If you have a recipe that calls for beef, but you are looking for something lower calorie and with less fat, don’t forget that you can always substitute for ground turkey or chicken. Listed below are some of my favorite Ground Beef recipes that the whole family can enjoy!

Favorite Ground Beef Recipes

1. Homemade Big Mac: Calorie: 381kcal, Carbohydrates:35g, Protein:29g,Fat:11g ( 10WW Points). Another couple of options to make this Big Mac have less Carbohydrates and Fat is by making it into a salad or using a lettuce wrap. Also, removing some cheese will help decrease the fat.

2. Ground Beef Taco’s: Calories:304kcal,Carbohydrates:19g,Protein:26g,Fat:13g One of the best things about Taco’s is that they are so versatile! You can add whatever you like, to make them your own.
3. Homemade Chili: Calories:216kcal,Carbohydrates:17g,Protein:22g, Fat:7g. Chili is always better with toppings. Those toppings tend to add a bit more fat and calories to your chili. Be sure to watch your proportion sizes and calculating that into what you are consuming!

4. Swedish Meatballs: Calories:220kcal,Carbohydrates:8g,Protein:20g,Fat:11g. Sweedish meatballs are a delicious way to jazz up ground beef. One thing I enjoy doing with my Swedish Meatballs is adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to give it a little kick.
5. Meat Sauce: Calories:248kcal,Carbohydrates:3g,Protein:13g,Fat:20g This is a great quick family recipe that everyone will enjoy. It is a great sauce to pair with a variety of spaghetti squashi, zucchini and spaghetti noodles.

6. Goulash: Calories:313kcal,Carbohydrates:28g,Protein:31g,Fat:9g. Goulash is a delicious meal to eat anytime of the day. it has a great amount of protein and carbohydrates and is low in fat. A great meal to keep you full for hours!
7. Ground Beef Fajita: Calories:192, Fat:4g, Carbohydrates:5g, Protein:10g. Not going to lie, fajitas of all kinds are an absolute favorite at my house. You can pair so many great things with fajitas and add as many vegetables as you’d like. Fajitas are high in protein and low in carbohydrates and fats.
8. Stuffed Bell Peppers: Calories:299kcal,Carbohydrates:30g,Protein:19g, Fat:11g, Saturated Fat:4g There is a variety of ways to cook stuffed bell peppers. One of the most frequent questions I get asked with stuffed bell peppers is how to make them tender. The best advice I have is to precook them so they are just about tender about 20-30 minutes. One suggestion is to substitute rice for quinoa.

9. Shepherds Pie: Calories: 358, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 15g Shepherds pie is a traditional British dish, using diced up lamb. Cottage pie is generally made with ground beef but in the states most people just call it shepherds pie.
10. Taco Salad: Calories:360,Carbohydrates:20g,Protein:19g,Fat:23g Taco salad has a lot variation to it. Once again you can make it yours by alternating it to suite your needs. To decrease some of the fats, eliminate some of the cheese and sour cream.
11. Italian Meatballs: Calories:47kcal,Carbohydrates:1g,Protein:3g,Fat:4gThese Italian meatballs are great to throw in the freezer. They taste good on any rice or Italian dish! Remember the lower fat percentage on the meat the more lean they will be.

12. Burrito Bowl: Calories: 207 Fat: 5g, Protein 22g:, Carbohydrates: 24g. This burrito bowl is a bit unique due to the fact that is uses riced cauliflower. However, it is delicious with so much flavor and easy to make!
13. Meatloaf: Calories:219kcal, Carbohydrates:7g,Protein:20g,Fat:11g. Meatloaf is a great dinner to pair with a delicious side salad and roasted vegetables or mashed potatoes. Keep it light by easing the amount of sauce that covers the top.

14. Quesadillas: Calories: 523kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 25g These quesadillas are so simple and can be used anytime of the day. The calories can drastically change with what kind of cheese and tortilla that is used. remember to pay attention to each item you use when creating something on your own.
15. Beef Stroganoff: Calories: 257, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 16g, Fat:19g This stroganoff is packed with savory, rich textures with a delicious smooth. creamy texture making you want more and more.
16. Ground Beef and Broccoli: Calories: 252, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 13g Beef and Broccoli is a delicious Asian dish. It is quick and full of great nutrients. The sauce is made from garlic, broth and soy sauce as the base and a hint of lime and siracha.
17. Beef Enchiladas: Calories:374kcal,Carbohydrates:22g,Protein:20g,Fat:22gDo you ever need a meal that is tasty even when you have no time? These beef enchiladas are great to freeze and heat up right before dinner. The key to doing this is, rolling the enchiladas and waiting to put the sauce on until right before you cook them. Then they won’t go soggy.

18. Chimichurri: Calories: 340,Fat: 9g,Protein: 18g,Carbohydrates: 47g This chimichurri is very much like jambalaya and can be adjusted to your liking. This is the perfect one pot dinner. It also can pair well with garlic bread or a toast.
19. Quinoa and Beef: Calories:375 Fat:10g, Carbohydrates:38g, Protein:29g If you like dinner with a little bit of a kick this is the perfect week night recipe. The recipe calls for Gochujang, which is a fancy way of saying garlic chili sauce. This sauce is pretty kicky so make sure you monitor how much you put on if you don’t love a ton of spice!

These are some of the best week night easy ground beef dinner recipes. Now it is your turn. Share with me some of your favorite low calorie ground beef meals! Send me some of your favorite meals that are high calorie and I will help you lower the calories in some simple tasty steps!

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