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The 28 Best Ground Beef Recipes for the Grill

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Best Ground Beef Recipes for The Grill

Looking for some creative ways to use that ground beef in your freezer? There’s nothing wrong with good old-fashioned burgers, but that’s just scratching the surface of what you can do with this versatile ingredient. Check out these grilled, baked, braised, and smoked ground beef recipes to find some delicious dinner inspiration.

From classics like cheeseburgers and Italian meatballs to Shepard’s pie, smoky meatball subs, and stuffed southwestern peppers, we have all the wood-fired ground beef recipes you need to put big flavor on the table tonight.


Shepard's Pie

From small eaters to heaping plates, this memorable meal is packed with rich flavors. It's perfect for a winter night or to feed a crowd. Traeger-baking shepherd's pie makes for one ultra flavorful beef cake.

Full Shepard's Pie Recipe

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Grilled Bacon Cheese Burgers

Make it a triple. All-beef patties are stuffed with three different cheeses and topped with double the bacon for a burger you'll melt for.

Full Grilled Bacon Cheese Burgers Recipe

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Weekend Pasta with Slow Braised Meat Sauce

Have a wood-fired Italian night with this comforting pasta dish. Fresh pasta is loaded with a rich and hearty homemade meat sauce. Just like grandma used to make it, only better.

Full Weekend Pasta with Slow Braised Meat Sauce Recipe

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Baked Cabbage Rolls

This traditional dish is even more delicious made with Traeger wood-fired flavor. Just stuff your leaves with a hearty beef mixture, top with homemade tomato sauce, and bake till tender right on the grill.

Full Baked Cabbage Rolls Recipe

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Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

These homemade Italian meatballs are the perfect recipe to get the kids involved in the kitchen. Our hand-rolled meatballs are packed with herbs & cheese, then cooked with delicious Traeger hardwood smoke.

Full Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs Recipe

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

Start off the New Year strong with this healthy spin on spaghetti. Spaghetti squash is given the mesquite wood-fired treatment and topped with a homemade beef bolognese sauce. You won't miss the noodles on this one.

Full Roasted Spaghetti Squash Bolognese Recipe

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Grilled Italian Meatballs (Polpetti)

It is all about the meatballs. Dish them up at any gathering and your family and friends will give them rave reviews.

Full Grilled Italian Meatballs (Polpetti) Recipe

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BBQ Bacon Meatballs

Make your taste buds happy & devour several smoky bacon-wrapped flavor bombs at your next family get-together.

Full BBQ Bacon Meatballs Recipe

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Smoked Chili Con Carne

Chili, Traegerized. We start by smoking ground beef and chopped onions and peppers for an hour before putting them into a Dutch oven and cooking the chili directly on the grill.

Full Smoked Chili Con Carne Recipe

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Braised 5 Alarm Chili

We’ve got flavor the size of Texas. Thick-cut beef shoulder, jalapeño, poblano, and chipotle peppers are stirred into a tomato and beer-based chili and slow-braised over hickory.

Full Braised 5 Alarm Chili Recipe

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Cincinnati Chili

Enjoy your spaghetti the five-way. Slow-braised, aromatic wood-fired chili loaded atop a plate of spaghetti and topped with beans, onions, and cheese.

Full Cincinnati Chili Recipe

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Traeger Sloppy Joes

Smoked ground beef is stirred into a rich, flavorful tomato sauce right on the Traeger. You’ll never think of the lunch lady again after trying these Traegered Sloppy Joes.

Full Traeger Sloppy Joes Recipe

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Moroccan Ground Meat Kebabs

Savory meat kebabs are known as comfort food in much of the world, so bring some wood-fired comfort to your own backyard. Serve with warmed pita bread and a tomato salad or a garlicky yogurt sauce.

Full Moroccan Ground Meat Kebabs Recipe

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Baked Taco Skillet Dip

Scoop up some bold taco flavor with this sizzlin' dip. Seasoned ground beef meets black beans, rice, and veggies before getting baked on the Traeger and topped with melty cheese.

Full Baked Taco Skillet Dip Recipe

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Grilled Beef Sliders

Don’t let the size of these sliders fool you, they are packed with wood fired flavor. High quality 80/20 ground chuck and caramelized onions make this simple recipe the perfect changeup to your burger routine.

Full Grilled Beef Sliders Recipe

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Burly Grilled Beef Wellington

Roll your Traeger to the front yard, and toss some pellets into your wood-fired grill for this massive hunk of manly meat. Pork-infused slab of beefy goodness.

Full Burly Grilled Beef Wellington Recipe

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Grilled Beer Can Burger

These patties get seasoned with Traeger Beef Rub, smashed down with a beer can, wrapped with bacon, and stuffed with your toppings of your choice.

Full Grilled Beer Can Burger Recipe

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Smoked Carolina Burger

Carolina BBQ piled high on a burger. This smoky burger is topped with homemade chili and coleslaw for a meal you'll need to pull out the fork and knife for.

Full Smoked Carolina Burger Recipe

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BBQ Meatball Onion Bombs

These BBQ Meatball Onion Bombs taste ridiculously good - no wonder it's one of our most downloaded recipes. Make these bad boys for your next get together, pair with your favorite beer, and watch them get devoured.

Full BBQ Meatball Onion Bombs Recipe

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Meatball Breakfast Sub

Start your day the hearty way with these Traeger-roasted meatball subs. Topped with melted cheese and eggs, they're perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even lunch.

Full Meatball Breakfast Sub Recipe

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Grilled Long Island Patty Melt

Crispy rye bread on the outside, and melty cheese, caramelized onions & a juicy patty on the inside. Consider tonight's dinner plans made.

Full Grilled Long Island Patty Melt Recipe

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Grilled Hot Hawaiian Burger

If you like heat and sweet, then this burger has your name written all over it. Load your buns with a juicy, grilled beef patty, pineapple, swiss cheese and none other than spam, for a burger that'll take you to paradise.

Full Grilled Hot Hawaiian Burger Recipe

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Traeger Sloppy Joes

by Traeger Kitchen

Prep Time

20 Min

Cook Time

1 Hr

Serves

4

Pellets

Mesquite

Smoked ground beef is stirred into a rich, flavorful tomato sauce right on the Traeger. You’ll never think of the lunch lady again after trying these Traegered Sloppy Joes.

Ingredients
main
2 Poundground beef
1 TablespoonCanola oil
1 Mediumcarrot, chopped
1 Mediumyellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 Clovegarlic, minced
1/4 Teaspoonancho chili powder, or chili powder
1/4 Teaspoonchipotle powder, or hot sauce
1/4 Teaspoonkosher salt
1/4 TeaspoonGround black pepper
1/2 CupTraeger Texas Spicy BBQ Sauce
1 1/2 TeaspoonWorcestershire sauce
5 rolls, for serving
    Steps
  • 1

    When ready to cook, set the Traeger temperature to 180˚F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke, if available.

  • 2

    Form the ground beef into 1/2-inch-thick hamburger patties. Place the patties directly on the grill grates, close the lid and cook for 30 minutes. This will add a smoky flavor, but not cook them all the way through.

  • 3

    Remove the burger patties from the grill and set aside. Increase the grill temperature to 450˚F and place a cast iron skillet directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and allow to preheat for 15 minutes.

  • 4

    In the skillet on the grill, add the oil, onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Close the lid and sauté until the onions are translucent, 5-10 minutes.

  • 5

    Add the garlic, ancho powder, chipotle powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir, close the lid, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the barbecue sauce and Worcestershire and let it thicken.

  • 6

    Add the smoked meat, and stir using a wooden spoon to break up any larger pieces, close the lid, and cook for about 15 minutes. The meat should be cooked through and coated with the sauce.

  • 7

    Check for seasoning and adjust any of the ingredients to your preference. If desired, place the buns on the grill grates cut-side-down and toast for 2-3 minutes.

  • 8

    Remove the buns and Sloppy Joe skillet from the grill. Spoon the mixture onto the buns and serve with your favorite sides. Enjoy!

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