Ground Beef Seasoning

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Choosing the best ground beef seasoning doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. Whether you are making tacos, spaghetti, casseroles, or prepping meat for the freezer, this all-purpose ground beef seasoning is perfect for bringing out flavor in your ground beef.

I make a LOT of ground beef recipes around these parts as you may know, and through all of that recipe testing and development, I’ve come up with what I may oh-so-humbly declare the best all-around ground beef seasoning recipe, perfect for adding flavor to whatever dish you are making.

This seasoned ground beef can be used as-is or can be a base for other spices if adding it into other recipes. Regardless of how you use it, you’re going to love it.

Ingredients

• onion powder
• garlic powder
• salt
• black pepper
• cayenne pepper

You can make this recipe in bulk and keep it for whenever you use it or just use it to season your meat in real-time, whichever you prefer.

Variations

This is a good base recipe to make your ground beef flavorful and not bland. You can adjust it for different cuisines with minor variations:

• give a more Mexican flair add in 1/2 teaspoon of cumin per pound
• make it perfect for Italian recipes with 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
• spice it up with 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• add 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika for depth of flavor
• for sweeter Asian dishes like our ground beef Mongolian noodles add brown sugar 1 tablespoon at a time to taste, depending on the dish

As you can see it is very versatile and I always encourage you to try to make it your own and experiment. Just add a little at a time and taste test along the way, that’s how we all learn to be home chefs!

How to season ground beef

If you are making the seasoning ahead of time you can mix up the seasoning in bulk using the recipe scaling tool below on the recipe card and store in an airtight jar, then use it as needed.

1. Brown your hamburger meat over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks.
2. Drain if needed and return to the pan.
3. Add roughly one tablespoon of already mixed spice blend per pound of ground beef along with 1/4-1/2 cup of water and simmer as you stir to coat the meat. Add more to taste.

Serving suggestions

• use as a base for making beef tacos or nachos – add salsa, cheese, beans, cilantro, and all your favorite toppings
• add to your favorite spaghetti, marinara, or tomato sauce
• form into patties for burgers
• use as a base for making meatballs, chili, meatloaf, or prepping meat to use later for our ground beef and rice skillet, hamburger hash brown casserole, taco macaroni, or taco soup

How to Freeze Ground Beef

This seasoning is the perfect all-purpose seasoning for meal prep if you want to cook your meat with a flexible seasoning mix before freezer.

1. Cook, drain, and season the ground beef. Allow to cool completely.
2. Bag the meat in freezer bag. Seal the bag, squeezing all the extra air out as you go.
3. Label the bag with the date and contents.
4. Lay flat to freeze for best freezer organization. Frozen ground beef is best used within 4 months according to the USDA.

I hope you enjoy this simple recipe as much as I do!

If you try it please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

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