This 4-ingredient easy ground beef and noodles recipe takes simple ingredients and makes a total comfort meal out of them. Crispy browned ground beef, caramelized onions, and your choice of noodles with a simple seasoning of salt and pepper makes a nourishing, family-friendly dinner with the best texture and flavor.
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💡Recipe Overview
- Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes to prep and 25 minutes to cook
- Cooking Method: Stove-top
- Tools Needed: large skillet
- Skill Level: easy
What is an ancestral diet? Read my post on what nourishing foods are based on the traditional dietary principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Ground Beef & Noodles Skillet - Simple Doesn't Mean Foolproof
I’ve been making this dish for over 20 years, which probably explains why it eventually earned its place on the blog. It’s simple, yes - but there’s absolutely a right way and a wrong way to make it.
When a recipe only has a handful of ingredients, you can’t hide behind sauces or extra seasonings. Every little detail matters.
I make this when dinner needs to happen quickly, when the pantry looks bare, or when I just don’t feel like overcomplicating my life. And no matter how many times it appears on the table, it still gets eaten without debate.
In our house, this usually lands next to something fresh and crunchy like a house salad or a cucumber tomato salad. If I’m trying to round things out a bit more, I’ll add roasted vegetables or sautéed greens. It's such an easy recipe that I find myself making far more often than originally planned.
Ingredients for Ground Beef and Noodles
- Noodles of choice make up the base of the dish. Egg noodles, rotini, penne, or any pasta you already have will work. If you prefer traditional grains, einkorn pasta is a good option and is now widely available in many grocery stores and online. Gluten-free pasta can also be used if needed, but I find that it can get quite gummy really fast.
- Onion - Yellow onions are ideal but white onions work just as well. Pre-diced onions can be used for convenience.
- Butter - There's no much going on in this dish but butter makes everything better so make sure you have plenty of good butter to add to this. It'll be the main fat and also the ingredient to coat the noodles.
- Ground beef - Standard grocery store blends like 80/20 or 85/15 work well. An ancestral-style ground meat blend (which may include small amounts of organ meat) can be used the same way. Ground turkey or chicken are possible substitutes but if using a leaner grind, I recommend adding more salt and butter.
- Salt and pepper are the only seasonings. Add both to taste.
How to Make Ground Beef & Noodles
The complete printable recipe is below in the recipe card for your convenience. Follow these simple step-by-step instructions for the best results.
Step 1.
Cook noodles al dente according to package directions. When done cooking, drain but do not rinse. Set aside.
Step 2.
In a large cast-iron skillet, melt some butter. Add diced onion and saute until soft and golden brown.
Step 3.
Push the onions to the edges of the skillet and add ground beef to the center. Spread it out evenly and cook without stirring until the bottom browns and crisps. Then flip the beef, breaking it up, and continue cooking until fully browned.
Step 4.
Season with salt and pepper, then add the remaining butter. Stir everything together and let the butter melt into the mixture. Add the cooked noodles and toss everything until well combined.
Helpful Tips
- Cook onions thoroughly - Saute the diced onions until they are soft and golden brown before adding the beef to create a deeper, richer flavor in the dish and allows the onions to disintegrate into the meat.
- Brown beef without stirring - Let the ground beef cook undisturbed for a few minutes so the bottom crisps up before flipping and breaking it apart. This creates a nice texture and adds flavor to the dish.
- Coat noodles with butter - Add the remaining butter after the beef is cooked and toss the noodles in it. This keeps the noodles moist, rich, and evenly coated with flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Ground beef and noodles is typically served as a simple, all-in-one meal, often straight from the skillet for an easy, no-fuss dinner.
For everyday meals, pair it with something fresh and crisp like a cabbage carrot slaw, cucumber tomato salad, or any quick green house salad. Roasted or steamed vegetables such as roasted broccolini, or a simple roasted green beans side to round out the plate.
The skillet dish is flexible, which makes it easy to adapt based on what you already have available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These glass snap containers are perfect for leftovers. To reheat, transfer the ground beef and noodles to a small saucepan and warm over medium-high heat, stirring often. Add a few more tablespoons of butter if needed to add some flavor and moisture.
Yes! Absolutely! Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 2 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Add a small amount of liquid, such as Instant Pot bone broth chicken or water, along with a bit of butter. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. This helps loosen the noodles and prevents the dish from drying out.
Looking for more skillet recipes? Here are some ideas:
Did you make this ground beef and noodles skillet? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ recipe rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚
Printable Recipe
Ground Beef and Noodles Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound noodles of choice
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook 1 pound noodles of choice al dente according to package directions. When done cooking, drain but do not rinse. Set aside.
- In a large cast iron skillet, melt 2 of the 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add diced 1 large yellow onion and sautee until soft and golden brown.
- Push the onions to the edges of the skillet and add 1 pound ground beef to the center. Spread it out evenly and cook without stirring until the bottom browns and crisps. Then flip the beef, breaking it up, and continue cooking until fully browned.
- Season with salt and pepper, then add the remaining butter. Stir everything together and let the butter melt into the mixture.
- Add the cooked noodles and toss everything until well combined.
Notes
- Cook onions thoroughly - Saute the diced onions until they are soft and golden brown before adding the beef to create a deeper, richer flavor in the dish and allows the onions to disintegrate into the meat.
- Brown beef without stirring - Let the ground beef cook undisturbed for a few minutes so the bottom crisps up before flipping and breaking it apart. This creates a nice texture and adds flavor to the dish.
- Coat noodles with butter - Add the remaining butter after the beef is cooked and toss the noodles in it. This keeps the noodles moist, rich, and evenly coated with flavor.
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