I Asked 4 Chefs the Best Way To Cook Ground Beef, and They All Said the Same Thing

Cooking ground beef is a weekly occurrence in many households—mine included. And while this culinary task seems pretty straightforward, there are actually a few places where it can go wrong, particularly if you're aiming for a nicely browned result. In fact, I’ve found it really challenging to achieve a final product that hasn’t stuck to the pan or burned, or ended up tepid and watery.

I decided to ask a handful of chefs about the best way to achieve perfectly browned ground beef, and they all said the same thing: spread the meat into a thin, even layer in the sauté pan.

The Ground Beef Gourmands

• Kat Marris: Adjunct chef instructor at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
• Amy Kimoto-Kahn: Creator behind Japanese food blog, Easypeasyjapanesey, personal chef, and cookbook author
• Kristyn Granahan: Private chef, owner of No More Sad Salads, and adjunct chef instructor at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
• Aliya LeeKong: Chef, cookbook author, television personality, and creator of Issa's Edible Adventures
  

How These Chefs Cook Ground Beef

Pressing the meat into a thin, even layer in the pan—before breaking up the meat— is key, declares Kimoto-Kahn. "That crust gives you so much flavor,” she says. It does take patience, LeeKong, admits: “You want to leave the beef alone once it's in the pan and let the heat do its thing—it will take a few minutes for the beef to brown, and you want it to maintain contact with the pan."

This technique is a departure from the common habit of frequently stirring ground beef while it cooks. “I find so many people want to constantly stir it, but you miss [out on] the crispy brown bits," warns Granahan. Both she and Marris agree that the meat can be broken up once a crust forms.

Other key tenets to perfectly browned ground beef, according to these chefs:

• Always start with a hot pan for the best sear
• Use oil with a high smoke point, like canola or avocado
• Avoid overcrowding. There shouldn’t be more than a thin layer—about 1/2 inch or so—of raw ground beef spread evenly across the pan to start
• Use a hearty kitchen utensil. A stainless steel or wooden spatula is a good choice. This will also help you to scrape those browned bits from the bottom of the pan to prevent burning

The culinary pros note that the caramelized ground beef adds so much nuance and depth to dishes compared to meat that is pale gray, including texture, savoriness, and visual attractiveness.

A Few Ideas for Using Ground Beef in Recipes

The pros agree that perfectly browned ground beef is made even more delicious when used in the right applications. “I love it in Japanese comfort food, like curry rice, soy-ginger udon, or quick miso lettuce wraps," shares Kimoto-Kahn, praising the protein's versatility. Meanwhile, stuffing it into cabbage rolls—with a mixture of shredded carrots, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, and soy—is Marris’ go-to recipe.

Granahan adds ground beef to Thai-style lettuce wraps and bowl-style meals, while LeeKong loves cooking her mom's kheema, a South Asian dish with cumin, coriander, garam masala, garlic, ginger, and chiles. "This is such comfort food for me and for my girls,” LeeKong adds.