OMG. You are so going to love this healthy ground beef recipe, it is spicy, full of flavor and delicious. Like seriously, if you’re eating clean and kinda getting bored with the same old, same old – make this super easy ground beef dinner skillet. It is so good.
Maybe you’re in the same situation as I was a few weeks ago: sitting there wondering: “What can I make with ground beef, other than meatballs?”
Scratch, scratch: “I don’t know.” Well, I did some research and some experimentation and this is it. I found it. This is a healthy dinner idea with ground beef, quinoa and beans that you can make in one pan in 20-30 minutes. You can also easily meal prep this because it makes a lot. Like 3-4 servings, well if you’re the only one eating this.
Lucky for me, my toddler hates, I repeat, HATES anything with rice or quinoa or beef (well except lasagna). My husband is very resistant to the idea of eating anything healthy, even with beef, he likes his pizza. That leaves me. And me, well, I don’t like to share food. This means I could spice this ground beef skillet anyway I want, I can add vegetables to it and actually enjoy it without someone calling mint an evil weed or pretending to be throwing up. No, no. This delicious dinner is only for me and I’m done with making dinner for 3 entire days. Everyone else: Save yourself. Self-care completed.
Meal Prep Option
You don’t need to do anything special to meal prep this for dinner. All you do is cook the ground beef according to the instructions below and then separate everything into 3 containers. Not really that hard.
Options & Substitutions
- I used lean ground beef in this recipe, but you can use any type of ground meat here.
- Another option is to use rice or bulgur instead of quinoa.
- You can use other vegetables as well – maybe zucchini, broccoli, eggplant.
- I used roasted red peppers, but if you don’t have any – use fresh bell peppers or no peppers at all.
Keto? Vegan? Paleo? Well Maybe You Can…
This recipe with ground beef is gluten-free and dairy-free. Good enough for me, but if you’re eating paleo, keto or even vegan you can totally also make this with some adjustments:
- Paleo option: don’t add quinoa and beans, instead you can maybe add broccoli or green beans. Maybe also cauliflower rice or zucchini would work.
- Keto Option: Again, don’t add the beans or quinoa, leave out the carrot and serve with salad, zoodles or cauliflower rice.
- Vegan Option: As I mentioned, you can even leave the meat out and add more beans and quinoa to make this recipe vegan. That’s how I’ve been usually making this in the past.
Serve this healthy ground beef skillet with some salad and garlic sauce like I did here and you’ll be the happiest person you know.
You can make this easy healthy ground beef dinner skillet recipe in less than 30 minutes! This tasty dinner idea is great for meal prep and keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Ingredients
- 10 oz lean ground beef (300g)
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- 1 cup black beans, canned, rinsed & drained
- 2 roasted red peppers
- 1 carrot
- 1/3 cup mint leaves
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dry mint
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 scallions, chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare by chopping all the vegetables, rinsing and draining the beans.
- In a large skillet crumble ground beef, cover with a lid and cook at medium heat until no longer pink. I added a little bit of water since I wasn't using a non-stick pan, but you might not need to do that. Once the meat is no longer pink, take the lid off and add olive oil, 1 garlic clove, cumin, dry mint, coriander and chili powder, add a few good pinches of salt. Stir and let the beef cook like this for 2-3 more minutes.
- Mix in the roasted bell peppers, scallions. Then add the quinoa, black beans and carrots and mix it all together.
- Stir in the tomato paste, add the fresh mint and garlic and let cook like this for 3-4 more minutes. Add salt if needed, turn off the heat, serve like this or with a little salad and enjoy!
- To make this dish even better you can also serve it with a salad and a garlic sauce, simply follow the instructions here.
Notes
Optionally you can cook the quinoa right in the pan. Simply wash a few times, then add it after you've crumbled the ground beef, let cook and proceed as described.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
3Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 478Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 633mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 10gSugar: 7gProtein: 36g
