Curried Ground Beef

A good curry is a beautiful thing. When you want more flavor on your plate for dinner, this Curried Ground Beef is the perfect choice. Using traditional curry spices with ground beef keeps the meal cost-effective and easy, yet it’s also crazy good.

One of the beautiful things about recipes like this is that you can stock up on ground beef, canned goods, and frozen peas when they are on sale and make dozens of very inexpensive meals to enjoy over the next six months.

I love how this recipe elevates ground beef and brings in new flavors. It’s not just for tacos anymore! Though, we do love a good taco. I don’t know how it is in your neck of the woods, but budget-friendly meals are important for so many right now!

Curried Ground Beef Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef, browned and cooled
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Madras curry paste
• ¾ tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Turmeric
• 1 tsp. Ginger, minced
• 28 oz. diced tomatoes
• ½ cup carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Curried Ground Beef for your Freezer Stash

Assembly Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag.
2. Squish to mix it up and get all the spices spread around in the beef.
3. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.

Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Heat until bubbling in a large skillet on the stovetop, or cook in slow cooker for 3-4 hours on low.
3. Serve with rice or Naan.

Can I freeze the leftovers?

Once food has been cooked and frozen, it cannot be reheated and re-frozen. Since the ground beef was cooked at the beginning, leftovers of this meal should not be frozen after it has been cooked (the ground beef is reheated) and served. This is for food safety reasons.

Can I use frozen carrots?

You can, but the carrots will get mushy after twenty minutes in the skillet. If you have a bag of mixed frozen carrots and peas, it would be better to save that and just add it to the pot on the day of cooking for the last five minutes. Raw carrots will also add more flavor to the dish.

It’s ready to eat and now I realize it is too spicy. What can I do?

If you realize it is too much, dampen the spicy heat with a little bit of brown sugar or a couple of tablespoons of butter. You can also serve it with a dairy-based sauce to help tamp that down. Tzatziki, lemon herb tahini, or plain unsweetened yogurt all fit the flavor profile. Conversely, if you need to bump up the heat, add red pepper flakes cautiously.

Curried Ground Beef Recipe Ideas

I tend to have most of the ingredients for this meal on hand at all times. If you have everything but the peas, just plan to add them on the day of cooking. They only need about three or four minutes in the pan.

One really important aspect of freezer meal cooking is using good quality spices and real minced garlic as much as possible. Replace your spices every six months, and buy the best quality you can afford. There is no comparison between certain generic spices and high-quality spices. Store spices in a dry, cool location and not in the cabinet directly over or next to your hot stovetop.

Buying frozen rice (it’s cheap!) to keep on hand means that this meal can be done in twenty minutes or less when you have a crazy schedule. That’s gold.

You can add diced potatoes on the day of cooking. You’ll need a little extra liquid to allow the potatoes time to cook. Start with a cup of diced potatoes and a half cup of beef broth. Add liquid as needed.

Make it a soup! If you prefer to eat this as a soup or want a change of pace for the leftovers, you can add beef broth. To keep the meat from losing all flavor, wait until everything is hot and the carrots are soft, and add beef broth just long enough for it to heat through and bubble a little. You’ll need just enough beef broth to get a soup consistency.

Try it with sausage. While not traditional, sausage would add a flavor variation your family might enjoy.

Brighten up the flavors with a little bit of lemon juice added at the end of the cooking time. It’s a great flavor enhancer when something’s just not quite right and you don’t need more salt.

How do I store Curried Ground Beef

Once cooked, this dish needs to be refrigerated. Place it in airtight containers. It will keep for three or four days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet. I like to put the beef on the bottom and add cooked rice to the top in individual portioned microwaveable containers to take to work. The rice steams as the curried ground beef reheats.

What to Serve with Curried Ground Beef

I like to serve it over rice, and some of my family members like to have it in a piece of naan bread like a sandwich. Either way is yummy! You can also serve it over lentils or quinoa. Add tzatziki or tahini dressing. It’s the perfect one pot meal, but hummus with naan is an excellent side choice.

Print

Curried Ground Beef

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

38 mins

 

Servings: 4

Calories: 379 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef, browned and cooled
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Madras curry paste
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ginger minced
• 28 oz diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Assembly Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into a large resealable freezer bag.

2. Squish to mix it up and get all the spices spread around in the beef.

3. Remove excess air, seal and freeze.

Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw.

2. Heat until bubbling in a large skillet on the stovetop, or cook in a slow cooker for 3-4 hours on low.

3. Serve with rice or Naan.