Ground Beef Dinner Skillet Recipe: Easy & Healthy - Her Highness, Hungry Me (2024)

FAQs

Do you put anything in the pan before ground beef? ›

Heat the pan and coat with oil.

The oil helps prevent the ground beef from sticking and scorching in the pan, especially if you are using a stainless steel skillet. Use a little extra oil if you're cooking lean beef.

However, by gently tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking, beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better.

A hot pan ensures that the beef browns quickly and seals the juices. Don't stir the meat too often. After adding the ground beef to the pan, let it cook undisturbed to allow the bottom to brown properly. Break up the meat and stir as needed but keep it to a minimum to ensure even browning.

Start by heating your preferred cooking pan, ideally cast iron or another heavy-bottomed pan, and drizzle in the olive oil. As the oil warms up, introduce your ground beef to the pan. As the beef begins to cook, around five minutes in, it's the optimal time to sprinkle in some salt.

For leaner ratios, olive oil is an excellent choice to add richness and flavor, but vegetable oil works well, too, especially for higher-heat cooking. For crispy, juicy beef, use a preheated cast-iron skillet.

When the oil is hot, add the ground beef, breaking it into large pieces with a wooden spoon. Let the beef sear for a few minutes without moving it around. Once the beef has browned, break it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it continues to cook until done.

Break Up the Ground Beef While Cooking: Then start breaking it into smaller pieces with the wooden spoon. Continue to cook, stirring and breaking up the beef into small crumbles, until any moisture from the beef has evaporated and the beef is evenly browned and no longer pink.

Cargill Meat Solutions recalled ground beef packages with an establishment ID of "EST. 86P" produced between April 26 and 27. The packages, which do not have the Cargill brand on its top packaging, had been shipped to Walmart stores in 11 states and Washington D.C., according to Cargil.

When the skillet is hot, place burgers in the pan facing away from you so the oil does not splash. Pan-fry for 6-8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 5°F below your desired doneness. If you're craving a cheeseburger, add the cheese during the last few minutes of pan-searing to allow it to melt.

So for the best burgers, don't do ANYTHING to it before you shape the meat it into patties. Don't dump it in a bowl to add seasoning — not even salt and pepper — and mix it around. That includes adding anything other than salt and pepper, like eggs, onions, or herbs.

Do you spray the pan when cooking ground beef? ›

The spray prevents the ground beef from sticking to itself and the sides of the pan. It makes cooking a lot easier. If you have a nonstick pan, spraying the pan isn't necessary, but it can still be helpful.

Before hitting the skillet, salt and pepper both sides of the burgers generously. Next, grease a skillet lightly with oil. Use your favorite skillet. I'll use either a nonstick or a cast iron skillet.

Sure Fire Tip #2 for cooking red meat to perfection: Oil the meat, not the pan. Instead of oiling the pan, try oiling the meat. That way, you can get the pan really hot without the oil burning. This also stops the meat from sticking.