What to make with ground beef and onions
Ground beef and onions is the engine of weeknight comfort food. Burgers, bolognese, tacos, meatloaf, chili — built from the same starting pile, finished in five different directions. Built by a working chef.
Four ways to cook ground beef and onions tonight
- Quick bolognese. Brown ground beef hard, soften onions and garlic, add tomato paste and wine, simmer with milk for 25 minutes.
- Smash burgers. Press balls of ground beef onto a screaming-hot griddle, salt aggressively, flip once, melt cheese.
- Picadillo over rice. Sauté onions, brown beef with cumin and oregano, add tomato and olives, simmer 15 minutes.
- Sloppy joes, properly seasoned. Brown beef with diced onion, build a sauce with tomato, mustard, brown sugar, and worcestershire.
The one thing chefs do that home cooks skip
always brown the meat first in a dry hot pan, drain off the rendered fat, then add the onions. If you add them together, the onions stew instead of caramelize.
If you've also got…
Add one of these and the dish levels up: lemon, fresh herbs, parmigiano, anchovy paste, chili crisp, soy sauce, butter, or a fried egg. The chef behind NowCook keeps every one of those in the kitchen for exactly this kind of pivot.
Let NowCook build the recipe.
Tell NowCook you have ground beef and onions. Add a few pantry staples. It builds a step-by-step recipe in 12 seconds — with substitutions for whatever you're missing. $9/month or $72/year ($6/mo effective, save $36/yr). 14-day free trial. No credit card required.
See pricing & start free →Frequently asked questions
- Can NowCook build a recipe just from ground beef and onions?
- Yes. Type in any two or more ingredients you have on hand and NowCook builds a real recipe — with substitutions if you're missing common pantry items like salt, oil, or garlic. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
- What if I only have ground beef and onions and nothing else?
- NowCook works with whatever's in your kitchen. The recipe will assume basic pantry staples (salt, pepper, oil, a fat, an acid) — if those aren't on hand, the app will note it and adjust.
- Does NowCook handle dietary restrictions?
- Yes. Set your diet once (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, high-protein, dairy-free) and every recipe respects it.
- How much does NowCook cost?
- $9 per month or $72 per year (a $36 yearly savings — works out to $6 effective per month). 14-day free trial. No credit card required to start.
More combos: eggs + spinach · chicken + rice · pasta + tomatoes · beans + rice · potatoes + onions · garlic + olive oil · All recipes · By cuisine