By Mason WoodruffUpdated Oct 14, 2026, Published Nov 15, 2019
A roundup of macro friendly ground beef recipes ranging from high protein stir fries and pasta to burger bites and crispy baked tacos.
What’s not to love about ground beef? It’s super easy to prepare, has very lean cuts like 96/4, reheats great for meal prep, and can be used for thousands of recipes. Some might even say it’s the beef’s knees. Or is it the bee’s knees? Either way, you’ll find 30 of my favorite macro friendly, high protein ground beef recipes below.
But First, What Does Macro Friendly Mean?
Similar to using healthy as a recipe descriptor, macro friendly can be a bit ambiguous and mean different things from person to person. So before you jump in, I’ll clear the air and say that macro friendly in my eyes typically means a recipe that’s high in one or two macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) and low in the other(s).
I lean more towards the high protein, moderate carb, low fat side with my recipes, but you’ll see a few low carb ground beef meal prep recipes on this list.
Use each macro friendly recipe accordingly. If you’re short on carbs, go with a low carb recipe like the cheeseburger skillet. And if you’re short on protein and have a snack attack, go with a recipe like the healthy cheeseburger bites. Macro friendly can mean whatever you want it to.
Burger bites? I’m getting hungry. Let’s get to the recipes!
5 from 4 votes
Thai Basil Beef Bowls
Extra lean ground beef with stir fried peppers and onion, Thai basil, and an umami sauce served over rice with a chopped peanut garnish.
Crispy Ground Beef and Rice with Creamy Gochujang Broth
Extra lean ground beef caramelized in a sweet and umami sesame sauce served over steamed jasmine rice and a high protein gochujang and blended cottage cheese broth.
Lean ground beef, black and pinto beans, golden corn, and tons of vegetables come together to make soup that's the perfect solution for high protein meal prep in a hurry.
Extra lean ground beef with zucchini, mushrooms, and a low calorie teriyaki sauce paired with a low carb rice blend and yum yum sauce to make meal prep bowls.
A mash-up of white lasagna and lasagna soup combining an Italian seasoned lean beef, mushroom, and onion soup base with broken lasagna noodles and chicken bone broth. The soup is finished with a blend of creamy white beans and ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, lemon, and your choice of herbs or leafy greens.
Crispy oniony beef with roasted butternut squash fries, burger sauce, and all your favorite burger toppings in two massive protein bowls. A kinda healthy "burger and fries" fix.
I’m Mason Woodruff, and I’ve been writing about fitness and food since finishing a nutrition degree in 2014. After working as a strength and nutrition coach, I realized cooking is a skill most fitness enthusiasts could use some help with. I’ve been creating recipes for home cooks ever since.
I made the bacon cheeseburger hamburger helper and it was AWESOME! I had to substitute the cream cheese for milk since I was out but the flavor was still amazing! I always love Mason’s recipes because usually if I don’t have the ingredient, I can substitute it. And in his cookbook, he even explains how to substitute somethings which has been very helpful!
We make the ground beef baked tacos all the time! I use green enchilada sauce. They are so so good! I prep them for the week on Sundays and reheat them in the oven or toaster oven. Serve them with salsa and a little sour cream! Yum!
This is one of my favorite recipes from Mason. It’s so simple and easy. I had never used Gochujang before this and it is now one of my go-tos! We add fresh sautéed peppers and broccoli, or even stir fry veggie mix. Tastes great re-heated as well so feel free to make extra for meal prep!
My family makes the oven baked ground beef tacos almost weekly! Put some lettuce, Greek yogurt and salsa on top! Or service with recited beans and some taco soup!
I made the bacon cheeseburger hamburger helper and it was AWESOME! I had to substitute the cream cheese for milk since I was out but the flavor was still amazing! I always love Mason’s recipes because usually if I don’t have the ingredient, I can substitute it. And in his cookbook, he even explains how to substitute somethings which has been very helpful!
We make the ground beef baked tacos all the time! I use green enchilada sauce. They are so so good! I prep them for the week on Sundays and reheat them in the oven or toaster oven. Serve them with salsa and a little sour cream! Yum!
This is one of my favorite recipes from Mason. It’s so simple and easy. I had never used Gochujang before this and it is now one of my go-tos! We add fresh sautéed peppers and broccoli, or even stir fry veggie mix. Tastes great re-heated as well so feel free to make extra for meal prep!
My family makes the oven baked ground beef tacos almost weekly! Put some lettuce, Greek yogurt and salsa on top! Or service with recited beans and some taco soup!