Not only is ground beef an amazing meat to have for dozens of meals, but it’s also great for leftovers. It’s so great, in fact, that many people prepare extra cooked ground beef, or as many people call it, “taco meat,” in advance.
You can do so much with it, and it’s an excellent source of protein!
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Can You Use Leftover Ground Beef
Yes, yes, yes! You can use leftover ground beef.
Not only can you, but you should.
You better!
The truth is, you can reheat any food that has been refrigerated or frozen. It’s all about using the right approach with the right appliance.
For foods that have been breaded or fried, you’re usually going to be best off reheating them in the air fryer or the oven. For foods that have been baked or grilled, you’ll probably get the best results using the oven or the grill.
For ground beef, you’re usually going to get the best results reheating with the stovetop, but the approach will depend on which dish you’re making.
Should You Use Leftover Ground Beef
Why not?
If you’re worried about food safety, don’t be. In general, if you didn’t get sick the first time you made the ground beef, and you stored the food properly, it’s unlikely you’ll get sick from reheating the food.
In general, food safety guidelines say to reheat all leftovers to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which should not be a problem when you reheat ground beef on the stovetop.
Still, you should always do your own research. To get you started on that research, check out eatright.org.
Tacos
Tacos are the best. They’re better than most meals. They can be a snack, a lunch, or a dinner. You can’t go wrong!
- Reheat your ground beef.
- Add ½ cup of tomato sauce.
- Flavor it with cumin, paprika, chili powder, and a dash of cayenne. Bam! You’ve got taco meat!
- Add it to tortillas with guacamole, salsa, shredded lettuce, and cheese and enjoy!
Enchiladas
Perhaps even easier than tacos, enchiladas are an amazing dish to serve on a weeknight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare the taco meat as described above and roll the meat up in warm tortillas, placing each one in a casserole dish.
- You can use a canned red enchilada sauce or make your own with California or guajillo chile peppers.
- Ladle the red sauce liberally over the tortillas and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.
- Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20-30 minutes.
- Serve the enchiladas with beans on the side and enjoy!
Nachos
Nachos are basically just tacos you eat with chips instead of tortillas!
- Prepare the taco meat as described above.
- Preheat your oven to broil.
- Place a layer of tortilla chips on a baking sheet and sprinkle the chips liberally with cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle the taco meat over the top and add a can of pinto beans as well.
- Cook under the broiler just until the cheese is fully melted.
- Add guacamole, salsa, and sour cream if you like it.
- Serve and enjoy!
Taco Salad
If you’re looking for a super healthy option, taco salad is the way to go.
- Prepare your taco meat as described above and add it to a bed of greens.
- You can also add refried beans, guacamole, salsa, and cheese.
- Serve with dressing (or not!) and enjoy!
Stuffed Peppers
Finally, to get away from the taco and enchilada concept a bit, you can make stuffed peppers.
- Prepare the taco meat as described above.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare a Spanish rice to your liking.
- Combine the rice and the taco meat and add a can of crushed tomatoes. Mix everything together.
- Cut the tops off six large bell peppers.
- Fill the bell peppers with the mixture and sprinkle cheese over the tops of the peppers.
- Place the peppers into a casserole dish, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
What’s your favorite dish to make with leftover ground beef? Let me know in the comments. I love to hear from my readers!
