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

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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.

how to boil ground beef

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.

Contents

  • How to boil ground beef, step by step
    • Step 1: After boiling, add chili pepper and other spices to the water
    • Step 2: Add your ground beef to the boiling water
    • Step 3: Stir and continue boiling
    • Step 4: Drain and serve
  • How long to boil ground beef
  • How to Boil Ground Beef (Summary)
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients  
    • Instructions 
    • Notes

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.

pouring some water in the pot

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.

add ground beef to the boiling 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.

stir the ground beef

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.

drain and serve

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.

PreparationBoiling timeRecommendation
Only ground beef10 minutesAs mentioned throughout the article
Small potatoes10 minutesBoiling time is the same as ground beef, or very similar. We can add both ingredients at the same time
Large potatoes20 minutesBoiling time is slightly longer, and it is recommended to add potatoes before ground beef or cook in different pots
Carrots20 minutesBoiling time is slightly longer, and it is recommended to add carrots before ground beef or to cook in different pots
ground beef

How to Boil Ground Beef (Summary)

Vera Stetsenko
In short, we can name many different benefits to boiling ground beef instead of browning the beef in a skillet.First off, it is much easier to clean up and it is not messy. More important still, if you boil ground beef, you will be able to separate the meat from the fatty portions of the ground cut. You won’t need any oil, and your dish will be healthier and leaner.
Boiling ground beef is easy, but usually it is not chosen as a preparation method because the meat has a different texture and taste. What we can do to counter that is to select the right ingredients and spices, as mentioned throughout this article.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine all
Servings 28 grams
Calories 24 kcal

Equipment

  • Kitchen ladle
  • Teaspoon
  • plate
  • sieve
  • Tablespoon

Ingredients
  

  • Ground beef
  • Chili pepper
  • Rosemary
  • Oregano
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt

Instructions
 

  • After boiling, add chili pepper and other spices to the water
  • Add your ground beef to the boiling water
  • Stir and continue boiling
  • Drain and serve

Notes

Useful Tips:
  • If you’re serving as a part of a stew, you can include the rest of the ingredients along with the ground beef.
  • Increase boiling time depending on the extra ingredients.
  • Use boiling instead of frying if you want to avoid saturated fats.
Keyword boil ground beef, ground beef

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VeraHi! I’m Vera Stetsenko. Easy-to-prepare and time-saving, how-to-boil recipes will rediscover taste in boiled food that will upgrade your daily meals or special dinners.
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