Ground beef is the first meat we think of when preparing things like tacos and chili, but you’ve probably noticed that beef prices are higher these days. We have 8 children in our family and are always looking for ways to save money, and that means substituting other ingredients. But you don’t have to sacrifice flavor!
Chili: Instead of ground beef, try bulk sausage (whatever is on sale). Pork adds a more savory flavor and pairs well with all the ingredients that you would normally use in chili. I started using half beef and half pork last year, but the pork was such a big hit that I use it almost all the time now. Ground turkey is another alternative, but it can’t compete with the richness of pork, so you might consider amping up the spices. Think outside the box and don’t limit yourself to just ground meat, either. There’s also vegetarian chili, chicken chili, and yes – even seafood chili!
Spaghetti: Bulk Italian sausage may be cheaper than beef, or you can substitute any other bulk sausage that may be on sale. To save even more money, use only half of the meat than you normally would, and add more of the other traditional spaghetti ingredients (tomatoes, mushrooms, marinara, etc.).
Manicotti: Substitute a package of frozen spinach for beef in your favorite manicotti recipe. Less cost, more fiber, and it’s still loaded with Italian flavor.
Tacos: We can’t get enough of tacos, so I always make a big batch of the meat. But since beef is more expensive, once again I do half beef and half bulk sausage. It’s delicious! You can also do half beef and half canned beans for taco filling, or just go all veggie. Ground turkey is another good substitute, but it will benefit from being spiced up since it’s a bit bland.
Hamburgers: Use ground turkey and a mix of veggies for a summer burger that’s tasty but moist.
Burritos and Enchiladas: Opt for chicken, turkey, shredded pork, beans or cheese instead of beef for these Mexican favorites. Veggies and rice also go well together for filling.
Shepherd’s Pie: Early versions of this meat and potato pie were made with lamb, but Americans adapted it for beef. How about adapting it again? Try bulk sausage (the sage variety is good), shredded chicken or ground turkey. You can also cook and chop up cuts of meat that are on sale like boneless chops. Or chop up and use leftover meat from a previous meal.
Meatloaf: I’ve seen some real show-stoppers on Pinterest, slathered in gourmet cheeses and bacon, but at its heart the great American meatloaf is a budget-friendly way for mama to stretch a meal and feed more mouths. Try cutting back on the meat and bulking up your loaf with grains (oatmeal, rice, quinoa, Stove Top stuffing mix) and vegetables. You can also make it with half beef and half ground pork, or with ground chicken and turkey.
Do you have any tasty ground beef alternatives to share?
These are great alternatives that we will have to try!
I am so glad I read your post. Beef has just gone thru the roof price-wise so I rarely buy it. I never thought about bulk sausage or even just ground pork. The family is getting mighty tired of chicken so this will be a good go-to option for their spagetti, lasagna, & meatballs!
Thanks for the helpful ideas!
These are helpful tips to save money and still cook something delicious. My kids are big meat eaters so it is nice to have an alternative they would like to eat. Beef is definitely expensive these days.
We moved to vegetarian eating about 3 years ago and our grocery bill is way less with no meat. We use a lot of beans in meals that we used to use meat. Some favorites are black bean burgers!
Love black beans – the burgers sound great!
Great ideas. I had never thought to use ground sausage. But when doing tacos I do less meat and black beans. Normally can’t tell there is less meat.
We add in cooked smashed lentils to a lot of dishes, like sloppy joes, spaghetti, etc. So it’s roughly half ground beef, half smashed lentils. It’s a slightly different texture, but my family doesn’t mind. Having a neighbor or friend who hunts can be a blessing as well. We were gifted some ground elk meat, and we love it even more than expensive grass fed beef.
Lentils are a great idea and so nutritious (fiber, protein and folate)! ~Anne
Lately my store has been having sales on ground turkey and I get SO excited!! I love it as a replacement for ground beef!! Less fat and still delish!! Its amazing how pricey beef is getting!! I do love the grassfed beef at our local Aldis though!! $6/lb and amazing!! I pretty much pay that for regular ground beef at the suprmarket!
Wow, that’s a great price on grassfed, Amber!
Thank you for sharing. I am always wanting to cut corners on food.
These are some great tips. We rarely buy any meat unless it’s on sale, but when I find a good sale on ground beef, I buy quite a bit and portion it out into individual bags to freeze it. We’ll pre-make burger patties with it too and freeze them in individual plastic bags for later. It’s saved us quite a bit of money over the years.
I like the idea of having smaller portions pre-frozen. Thanks for passing that tip on, Marcella! ~Anne
We have tacos at least once a week..we like them so much..but this recipe (especially the ground pork, just hit my bucket list…and we save money
Let me know if you end up liking this variation, Ronald! ~Anne
I will be keeping this list handy in my meal planning notebook. Feeding a family of 7!can get tricky sometimes.
This is such an informative post, thank you so much for sharing! My husband has an aversion to pork, so I have a hard time with this most of the time. If it were up to me though, I would definitely use it more often! I love the bold flavor it gives.
Some really super ideas here ,Great way to save money
I never considered the usage of bulk sausage, or ground pork as a substitute…they are delicious themselves…but thank you for these excellent suggestions
good idea! I have thought of it before.. must try it though
These are excellent alternatives. Thank you for sharing.
I love saving money on beef!