When you’re out of meal ideas, there’s nothing like a pack of ground beef to spark inspiration. Delicious and versatile, it can be used to make savory tacos or whip up a cozy pasta dish. Although ground beef is typically cooked in a skillet, throwing it in the air fryer is your no-fuss way to better ground beef.
As much as we love all the ground beef recipes we can make with the meat, we don’t love the effort it requires. Don’t get us wrong, it’s not as cumbersome as preparing beef Wellington, but standing over the stove to attend to the ground beef isn’t exactly fun. Thankfully, you can eliminate that step with an air fryer. The best ingredients can be left to cook on their own without constant stirring. When air-frying ground beef you’ll only need to come back once to toss it around, then leave it to its own devices again.
Air-frying also makes cleaning up much easier. Due to the holes at the base of the air fryer, the oil falls through compared to sticking around in a skillet, which requires draining post-cooking. Air fryers also have incredible air circulation from multiple angles, giving your ground beef an even cook. After around eight to 10 minutes in the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, the ground beef should be tender and juicy, with a slightly crisp exterior.
What can you use air-fried ground beef for?
The hands-off method can be used for any meal that uses ground beef, especially the ones that require prep work. With easy ground beef street tacos, you can leave the meat in the air fryer while you work on mincing onions and chopping cilantro. Place the ground beef in the basket and season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin before breaking it up slightly and heating for five minutes. While that’s going, work on the other ingredients and come back to stir when the timer goes off. Break up the beef again and heat it for three more minutes while the tortillas warm up.
Air-fried ground beef is also key to a faster classic lasagna bolognese. With the beef in the air fryer, you can focus on making the bechamel sauce and softening some carrots and celery in a pot. Once the ground beef is done, add it to the pot and make the bolognese.
The beef can also function as meal prep for the week. If you only season it with salt and pepper, you can customize it to fit many different meals. Focus on making meals that are easy to throw together, like some simple spaghetti and pasta sauce or sauteed bell peppers, cucumbers, shaved carrots, and rice. From there, all you’ll need to do is heat it up with some herbs or a savory sauce to match the cuisine you’re eating for the night.
