How To Cook Ground Beef in A Crock Pot (Make Ahead)
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Learn how to cook ground beef in the crock pot for easy meal prep. Add a few seasonings, and hours later you will have tender, flavorful slow cooker ground beef! This is one of those slow cooker recipes that is a simple way to cook a pound of ground beef.
This is a great recipe with minimal effort. It’s my favorite way to cook several pounds of ground beef so that I have extra for family dinner throughout the week.
You can easily cook a big batch of ground beef the first time, and use it for so many new recipes!
When it comes to cooking found meats, this slow cooker beef is one of my favorites!
Ground Beef in Crock Pot
Save time in the kitchen by making big batches of this slow cooker hamburger recipe to include in future meals!
Just stir together the spices and ground beef in the crock pot, then wait until it’s done!
I also recommend stirring everything occasionally, but make sure the lid isn’t off for too long. Once it’s done, drain off any excess fat and portion out as needed.
Use leftover slow cooker ground beef for this hearty chili recipe or adjust the seasonings to make Maid Rites, a type of loose meat sandwich.
You’ll also find plenty more ground beef recipes at the bottom of the post!
Tips for Cooking Ground Beef in Crock Pot
- Prevent dry meat. If you’re using a leaner blend such as 93%, add about ½ cup of water for moisture.
- Adjust amounts as needed. You can make up to 5 pounds at a time, but the more you make, the longer it will take to cook.
For smaller batches, use a 2 quart crockpot so it can come to temperature quickly. - Change up the spices. If you make a lot of Mexican recipes, make ground beef in the crock pot with taco seasoning instead!
Or, divide the meat once cooked and season each batch based on how you’ll be using it. - Like to meal prep? Set aside some free time to make shredded chicken as well!
Slow Cooker Ground Beef FAQ
Typically, beef or pork can turn out dry or not as tender if they aren’t browned first. However, this applies more to roasts or whole cuts of meat.
While you can certainly brown it partially on the stove first, that defeats the purpose of cooking ground beef in the crock pot!
Leaner blends require more moisture, so make sure to add enough liquid. Water is fine, but beef stock can add extra flavor. Plus, it contains collagen which will keep everything tender.
If you’re using a fattier blend, it will do better on the Low setting for a longer period of time.
Also, make sure you’re using the appropriate size appliance. Small amounts in a larger sized pot will be done faster and tend to come out dry.
Absolutely, which is why you should always adjust times and amounts as needed. Smaller amounts of slow cooker hamburger only need a few hours before they are done.
Only if you are using a pan that isn’t non-stick and browning it on the stove.
When cooking ground beef in the crock pot, moisture builds up in the pot and combines with the natural fats that are released so there is no need to use any oil.
The next time that you cook ground meats in a batch, freeze it for freezer meals. It’s an easy way to prepare and one of my favorite prep-ahead tips. Once the meat mixture cools a bit to room temperature, store it in a freezer-safe container.
This way, you can use it for a delicious dinner in the future like a hamburger stew, to add to spaghetti sauce, and it make a hearty meal with other simple ingredients. Dice up a few bell peppers and top with sour cream. I promise you that anyway is a great way to enjoy ground beef crockpot recipes!
Cooked beef can be stored in freezer-safe containers and still retain so much flavor. Once you brown ground beef, just know that storing it for freezer cooking is always an option!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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More Easy Ground Beef Recipes
How To Cook Ground Beef in A Crock Pot (Make Ahead)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, I use 85% lean
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a crock pot. Stir and combine. Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain if necessary.
- Divide into portions, place in freezer safe resealable zip top bags. Freeze for several months.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published March 2015, updated and republished March 2024
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You have listed garlic powder twice. Should there have been a different spice there? I just bought 2 pounds beef to do this very thing.
Oops. I corrected that Kim. Thanks for the heads up. It should just be listed once.
Thank you Donna!
What is the baking temperature for the flautas, please?
Hi Lee. The Flautas should be baked at 425F. You can also make taquitos the same way (just use corn tortillas – warm them before rolling).
Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
Not to be picky, but why not just say 2 tsp. garlic powder nstead of listing it twice? Or was that a mistake?
Hi Nancy, I corrected that. Thanks for the heads up. It should just be listed once.
Hi Donna, the garlic powder is listed twice. I am going to try this but thought I'd better check on this.
Thank you and have a great day.
Carrie
Hi Cfrosty,
It was an error in the recipe that has been corrected. Thank you so much for letting me know. Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
What happens to any grease that is in the crockpot? Does it just cook away?
Thank you for sharing you hint/tip on doing ground beef ahead — I had been boiling, then put into freezer bags — but this was so much easier. 🙂
Can you do it from frozen
Oh, how very clever. Browning the meat in the crockpot makes it much easier instead of standing over the stove and stirring when I could be doing something else.
I have 5 different size crockpots so I could really brown A lot of meat.
Thanks for your great tip as well as the recipes.
I COOK IT THIS WAY. TAKE A LARGE CLASS BOWL A PLASTIC COLANDER TO FIT IN IT.BREAK UP HAMBURGER, PUT IN COLANDER, MICROWAVE FOR 10 MIN. BREAK THE MEAT UP AGAIN. BACK TO MICRO UNTIL DONE. FAT IS IN BOTTOM OF BOWL.REFIRIG THE BOWL UNTIL HARD , SKIM OFF FAT, DISCARD AND USE THE REST FOR SOUP STOCK.FREEZE HAMBURGER TO USE LATER. I HAVE DONE IT THIS WAY FOR MANY YEARS.
Thanks for sharing! What great tips!!!!
This is an easy way to pre cook for meal prep! So awesome! Thank you!
I do this often and it’s a game changer. I always mix in some baking soda into the beef broth. It makes it super tender.
Hi Terry!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn