Name: Ground Beef and Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
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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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

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.

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

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