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Home » Recipe Index » Dinner and Main Course Recipes

Ground Beef and Potatoes

Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight Jessica Randhawa
December 15, 2023
4.88 from 33 votes


Last Updated December 15, 2023 | 12 Comments

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Ground Beef And Potatoes Recipe Pinterest Pin Image
Ground Beef And Potatoes Recipe Pinterest Pin Image

Amazingly simple and SO delicious, this recipe for Ground Beef and Potatoes is guaranteed to impress the whole family. Ready in less than 45 minutes, it’s weeknight comfort food at its finest.

Large skillet filled with cooked ground beef with onion and diced potatoes.

Customizable and budget-friendly, this ground beef and potato skillet is one of my favorite dinner recipes. It’s comforting, cozy, and perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends. Leftovers are some of the best, especially when wrapped in a warm tortilla with gooey melted cheese and extra hot sauce.

Ingredients

  • Ground Beef: I used 90% lean ground beef, but only because that’s what I had in my freezer. Feel free to use whatever you’ve got, from super lean to extra juicy.
  • Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil, including canola oil, has a higher smoke point than olive oil. It’s helpful to use an oil with a higher smoke point when pan-frying potatoes or other veggies for an extended time to prevent them from burning.
  • Potatoes: I highly recommend using waxy potatoes like Idaho, Yukon gold, or baby potatoes. Waxy potatoes hold their shape even after cooking. Starchy potatoes, like Russets, will crumble and fall apart.
  • Onion: Diced onion adds amazing flavor. If you dislike eating onions but like their flavor, try adding one-half to one teaspoon of onion powder.
  • Garlic Cloves: Also crucial to the flavor of this dish.
  • Hot Sauce: The most important part! Favorites include Cholula, Valentina, or Tabasco Sauce.
  • Salt & Black Pepper
Ingredients needed to make ground beef and potatoes in individual measuring cups and ramekins.

How to Make Ground Beef and Potatoes

1. Brown the Ground Beef: Add the ground beef in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Crumble and cook until the meat is browned and cooked (optional: as the beef cooks, season with salt and black pepper for an additional layer of seasoning). Remove the cooked beef from the skillet to a clean plate and set aside.

2. Clean the Skillet: Drain any excess grease from the skillet and wipe clean with paper towels. Note: This is optional. In fact, I usually advise against this since the caramelized drippings mean one thing – flavor! That said, those little specks of cooked ground beef left behind in the skillet can be a bit of a pest to the potatoes, actually causing the potatoes to stick to the pan sooner than you’d like.

Large chunk of saw ground beef in a large skillet.
Fully cooked ground beef in a large skillet.

3. Cook the Potatoes: Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet with oil, then add the diced potatoes. Cook the potatoes, stirring when needed to prevent burning, until tender but still slightly firm – about 12-15 minutes.

4. Sauté the Onions and Cook the Aromatics: Sit in the diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, hot sauce, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Small cubed potatoes cooking in a large ceramic skillet.
Diced onions added to potatoes cooking in a large ceramic skillet.
Fully cooked ground beef added back to a large skillet filled with cooking potatoes and onions.

5. Return the Beef: Return the cooked ground beef to the skillet and gently mix it with the potatoes and onion. Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Let it cook for 5 minutes or until the beef is heated through.

6. Serve: Garnish with minced parsley and extra hot sauce, if desired.

Large skillet filled with cooked ground beef with onion and diced potatoes.

How to Serve Ground Beef and Potatoes

This ground beef and potatoes recipe is perfect straight out of the pan with a dash of hot sauce and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy a more complete meal with a side salad or roasted vegetables like zucchini, butternut squash, or cauliflower.

Serve leftovers with a drippy fried egg or mixed together with scrambled eggs. Wrap in a warm tortilla topped with shredded cheese, hot sauce, and sour cream for easy at-home breakfast burritos.

Can I Make This Recipe With Ground Turkey?

Yes. You can definitely substitute ground beef with ground turkey. Naturally lower in fat than ground beef, ground turkey will be drier and less flavorful. You may need to add a few tablespoons of chicken broth to the mixture as it cooks and season with additional salt and pepper.

Small white bowl filled with ground beef and potatoes on a white table with hot sauce in the background.

Leftovers and Freezing

  • Storage: Allow leftovers to cool before transferring them to an airtight container—place them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freezing: It is possible to freeze leftover ground beef and potatoes; however, the texture of the potatoes may change upon thawing and reheating. To freeze, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator for 2-3 months.
  • Reheating: Reheat leftover ground beef and potatoes in the microwave or a hot pan or skillet until the food reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

More Ground Beef Recipes

  • The Best Chili Recipe
  • Hamburgers Recipe
  • The Best Homemade Hamburger Helper
  • American Goulash Recipe (One-Pot)
  • Swedish Meatballs
  • Beef Empanadas Recipe

If you try making this Ground Beef and Potatoes Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.

Three small white bowls filled with ground beef cooks with diced potatoes and onion and drizzled with hot sauce.

RECIPE CARD

Large skillet filled with cooked ground beef with onion and diced potatoes.

Ground Beef and Potatoes Recipe

4.88 from 33 votes
AuthorAuthor: Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa
Amazingly simple and SO delicious, this recipe for Ground Beef and Potatoes is guaranteed to impress the whole family. Ready in less than 45 minutes, it's weeknight comfort food at its finest.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 455 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 pound potatoes - (Idaho or Yukon gold) peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 large onion - diced
  • 4 cloves garlic - minced
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce - like Cholula
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
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Instructions
 

  • Brown the ground beef in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until the meat is cooked (optional: season the ground beef with salt and black pepper as it cooks for an additional layer of seasoning). Remove the cooked beef from the skillet to a clean plate and set aside.
  • Optional -Drain any excess grease from the skillet and wipe clean with paper towels.
  • Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the vegetable oil. Swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet with oil, then add the diced potatoes. Cook the potatoes, stirring when needed to prevent burning, until tender, but still slightly firm – about 12-15 minutes (note: avoid over-stirring as the potatoes may turn mushy).
  • Add the diced onion and cook until softening and turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic, hot sauce, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Return the cooked ground beef to the skillet and gently mix with the potatoes and onion. Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Let it cook for 5 minutes or until the beef is heated through
  • Garnish with minced parsley and extra hot sauce, if desired.

Jessica’s Notes

  • Delicious additions: frozen & thawed peas and carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, green onions, and shredded cheese (cheddar cheese and Pepper Jack are the winners at my house).

Nutritional Information

Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 273mg | Potassium: 1394mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 4mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)

Did You Make This Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @theforkedspoon or tag #theforkedspoon and please leave your star rating in the comment section below.

About Jessica

Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight

Chef Jessica Randhawa leads The Forked Spoon. A world traveler, Jessica developed her passion for culinary arts while adventuring. With her recipes making their way onto renowned platforms such as Women's Health, Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, and Fox News, she's marked her presence in the culinary world. Jessica's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.

171 shares
Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight

About Jessica Randhawa

Chef Jessica Randhawa leads The Forked Spoon. A world traveler, Jessica developed her passion for culinary arts while adventuring. With her recipes making their way onto renowned platforms such as Women's Health, Daily Mail, Al Jazeera, and Fox News, she's marked her presence in the culinary world. Jessica's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science from the University of California.

Comments

  1. Carrie H says

    February 26, 2025 at 10:41 pm

    5 stars
    Great, easy recipe! The amount of potatoes called for in this recipes helps stretch family food budgets each month. I think it’ll be perfect for our future foster children. Do I plan on stretching my dollars even more with this recipe Yes I do by adding corn and cheese maybe. But, is this recipe perfect as/is? Yes it is! Thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      February 27, 2025 at 7:52 am

      I’m so glad to hear that you found the recipe both great and budget-friendly! Your idea to add corn and cheese sounds like a delicious way to stretch it further and add some variety. It’s wonderful that this recipe will be a part of your meals, especially as you look forward to welcoming foster children. Thank you for sharing your plans and feedback, and happy cooking!

      Reply
  2. David Bongiovanni says

    February 24, 2025 at 6:30 pm

    5 stars
    I actually love this recipe. It was really good. I couldn’t use hot sauce, but I tried it with ketchup and it taste so delicious. I give this recipe a double thumbs up.

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      February 24, 2025 at 7:55 pm

      I’m thrilled to hear that you loved the ground beef and potatoes recipe! It’s fantastic that you adapted it with ketchup instead of hot sauce and still found it delicious. Thank you for giving the recipe a double thumbs up! Your feedback and creativity with the substitution are much appreciated. Keep enjoying and experimenting with the recipes!

      Reply
  3. Ashley says

    January 6, 2025 at 6:14 pm

    5 stars
    I never knew about ground beef & potatoes, but I made this with ground turkey with tablespoons of chicken broth by following this recipe. Plus, I add Colby cheese sauce and canned corn in it. Yummy 😋, it was delicious by adding shredded colby cheese on top of this meal. My mom & I couldn’t stop eating it because it was gooodd. Thank you for this recipe!!

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      January 7, 2025 at 8:27 am

      I’m so glad to hear that you and your mom enjoyed the recipe! It sounds like you made some fantastic adaptations with the ground turkey, chicken broth, and especially the Colby cheese sauce and corn—what a delicious twist! It’s always exciting when a recipe not only works out but also inspires some creative flair in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing your modifications; it’s great to know that the dish was a hit. Keep enjoying those yummy meals, and keep the great feedback coming!

      Reply
  4. Sharon says

    September 11, 2024 at 7:35 pm

    5 stars
    Sitting in the onions was the hardest part! Lol. Delicious!

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      September 12, 2024 at 8:48 am

      I appreciate your delicious feedback and rating, Sharon 😀

      Reply
  5. Misty says

    September 7, 2024 at 12:19 am

    5 stars
    I made a buttery pie dough made hand pies with this. Came out so good. Also added peas and carrots then did a butter garlic on the crust huge hit with my kids.

    Reply
  6. Mark webb says

    June 12, 2024 at 2:09 pm

    5 stars
    I have made this delicious recipe tonight for dinner and it was easy to make and I couldn’t stop eating it.

    Reply
    • Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlightJessica Randhawa says

      June 12, 2024 at 2:24 pm

      Thanks for the delicious feedback and rating, Mark 🙂

      Reply
  7. Sharron says

    March 6, 2024 at 8:39 pm

    5 stars
    Quite tasty. I added chopped carrots with the onions & potatoes and then when almost done I added some gristmill mixed veggies. Complete meal. Protein, carbs and veggies.

    Reply

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Recipe Rating




4.88 from 33 votes (26 ratings without comment)

Close up photo of Chef Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon in a blue spotted dress, in the sunlight

Welcome to The Forked Spoon! I’m Chef Jessica Randhawa, and for over 14 years, I’ve been crafting and sharing more than 1200 recipes, blending delicious flavors with practical kitchen tips and expert culinary advice to elevate your everyday cooking. Learn more about me→

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