How to Boil Ground Beef: 4 Steps (with Pictures)

Ground beef is a delight that goes perfectly with many dishes, including pasta and lasagna. You can even eat ground beef without preparing an elaborate dish, and it tastes fantastic with rice and a portion of salad. Depending on the part of the meat, you can find very healthy sources of ground beef without a high percentage of fat, and it is a fantastic choice if you want to vary your high-protein meal.

If you thought that cooking ground beef was only possible using a pan, we are presenting in this guide an even healthier way. In this boiling guide, we will describe step-by-step instructions on how to boil ground beef. You can apply the same knowledge to other types of ground meat, and we will recommend a few spices to enhance the taste to achieve a perfect dish.

How to boil ground beef, step by step

Ground beef can be obtained by using different cuts; depending on the cut, you will get a different quality and percentage of fat. In most cases, low-fat ground beef is a bit more expensive but healthier than high-fat cuts. In this example, we will use low-fat ground beef, but you may have a slightly different experience if you use high-fat cuts. The only thing that changes is that you will see an oily or fatty foam lurking around, and it will go away in the last step when you dry your ground beef.

Without any further due, you can begin by pouring some water in your pot and turning on the oven to let it boil. Around 500 milliliters of water is usually enough for 400 grams of ground beef.

As you let it boil, prepare the rest of the ingredients, including your ground beef (which should be ideally defrosted before boiling), salt, chili pepper, oregano, rosemary, and garlic powder. This is only a recommendation, and you can use others, depending on your taste.

After doing so, complete the following steps in order:

Step 1: After boiling, add chili pepper and other spices to the water

After the water has started to boil, you can add your spices to the pot. We recommend adding 1 tablespoon of chili pepper, 1 tablespoon of rosemary, 1 tablespoon of oregano, and 1 tablespoon of garlic powder. There are many others you can try, and in this step, you can also include other vegetables if you’re planning to prepare ground meat with potatoes, carrots, and any other ingredient.

Step 2: Add your ground beef to the boiling water

You should now add your portion of ground beef. Be sure to do so when the water has already boiled, and the salt and the rest of the spices have dissolved evenly in the water.

Step 3: Stir and continue boiling

Next, you should stir the ground beef until it is completely shredded and there are no big clusters of meat. After doing so, cover the pot and continue boiling for at least 10 minutes to let the meat cook properly and to blend with the taste of the rest of the ingredients.

Step 4: Drain and serve

After 10 minutes, your ground beef will be ready to drain and serve. We recommend using a deep bowl and placing a sieve on top to pour out the contents of the pot. Shake gently, and you will be ready to serve your ground beef as a part of your dish.

How long to boil ground beef

If you have never used a cooking pot to prepare this type of meal, you will naturally wonder how long to boil ground beef. That will depend on how many ingredients you are cooking besides ground beef. The estimated time to boil ground beef is 10 minutes, but in most cases, you will be preparing a stew or sauce for your pasta. Sometimes, you may decide to brown your ground beef before adding it to a stew. So, those 10 minutes may be narrowed down or increased, depending on each case.

For example, if you decide to boil ground beef with potatoes and carrots, it will be a good idea to include these ingredients 10 minutes before adding the ground beef. The total cooking time will be increased from 10 minutes to 20 or 25 minutes. In any case, it is recommended to try the texture of the food you’re cooking.

In the following chart, we will give you a short recommendation to guide you with boiling times, depending on each case.

Preparation	Boiling time	Recommendation
Only ground beef	10 minutes	As mentioned throughout the article
Small potatoes	10 minutes	Boiling time is the same as ground beef, or very similar. We can add both ingredients at the same time
Large potatoes	20 minutes	Boiling time is slightly longer, and it is recommended to add potatoes before ground beef or cook in different pots
Carrots	20 minutes	Boiling time is slightly longer, and it is recommended to add carrots before ground beef or to cook in different pots