How to Cook Crockpot Ground Beef

Crockpot ground beef instructions are here. Want to know how to cook hamburger in a slow cooker, it’s possible! Then use it as an ingredient in your recipe, or make taco meat out of it.

How to Cook Ground Beef in a Crockpot

There are just some of those days when you really don’t want to sit next to the stove watching water boil. In this case, watch meat cook down.

We make a lot of ground beef recipes and I just needed to figure this basic step down. You know those days when you really need dinner to be done when you get home. After an exhausting day of kids and sports it is nice to walk into your house and smell all the goodness. This one is always a winner for dinner.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. If you just want to serve a few appetizers you should get this one that sit side by side one another.
3. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

How to cook hamburger in a Crockpot

Ok so the names are synonymous to me. Hamburger or ground beef, you know what I mean by this. It really doesn’t make a huge difference what type you buy. The biggest would be the fat content which just means a bit more grease at the bottom. To be honest, it needs some.

Grease and fat means flavor y’all so don’t go super lean on me. 80/20 is best if you ask me. Bison or ground turkey doesn’t have much and will need a bit more seasonings to amp it up a bit because of it.

• That was the question of the day. It didn’t take too long to figure out how to do it well.
• Then I could add homemade spaghetti sauce and have slow cooker spaghetti and meatballs ready super quick.

Or maybe you just want to set it and forget it. Then toss with a little taco seasonings to make a fast meal for taco Tuesdays?

Can you cook raw hamburger in the Crockpot?

That’s the next question of the day right? If you’re here I guess you’ve been wondering this too. Yes, it’s possible and turns out great. We will show you how to do it with 1-3 pounds of ground beef on hand.

Ground Beef in a Crockpot

Here is the first step….throw it in!! Ok you need to break it up and spread it out on the bottom like you see here.

Makes sense right, because you want it to cook evenly. Add seasonings and/or diced onions or bell peppers now.

Ground beef Slow Cooker Recipe no Browning

It’s really just as if you were to brown ground beef in a pan right?? Whether you’re just making Crockpot taco meat or going to add it into a different recipe, it works the same way.

• Add meat and break it up into thin smaller pieces. Spread out evenly across the bottom of the pot so it cooks evenly. Sprinkle in any seasonings, garlic powder, onions and garlic or bell peppers on top.
• Close lid and slow cook on high for 1.5 – 2 hours for 1 pound. If you are cooking more than that then you’ll need to increase the time. During the duration, stir every 30 minutes.

Once you notice your hamburger is browned, turn off your pot, drain and use as you’d like.

Can I put frozen meat in a slow cooker?

It is NOT recommended to do this. Instead of cooking frozen meat in a slow cooker, allow it to defrost in the fridge first. There’s the risk of harmful bacteria if you don’t.

I have cooked Instant Pot frozen ground beef but it isn’t recommended for this method. Instead, make sure meat is defrosted beforehand.

Yes you can still do the same thing over medium high heat in a pan. I do still from time to time. When I have a busy day of chores scheduled though I can get that done while stirring from time to time.

• I do think that slow cooking also brings out all the flavors you love a bit better.
• It makes sense right? Essentially marinating meat for a few hours in with your onions and maybe some taco seasoning is really going to draw those flavors in.

• This is great if you are batch cooking too!
• If you love adding diced tomatoes and tomato sauce so then you can make a few trays full of lasagna or stuffed peppers, this method is great. We love ground beef egg rolls for a fun meal idea too.
• There are tons of family friendly meals you can make once this is pre cooked and ready to go.
• If you’re in a real big hurry, you can make air fryer ground beef instead.

Of course we have even more Instant Pot ground beef recipes to try as well. We will share a few of our family favorite comfort food meals below.Add cheddar cheese to this slow cooker breakfast casserole and you’re set. Sausage works too, whichever you prefer.

What can ground beef be used for?

• Our hamburger casserole with sour cream is great for a Christmas brunch dish. You could use cream cheese instead for a thicker creamier choice.
• Instant Pot lazy lasagna is a winner with parmesan cheese on top and a really short cooking time. Way easier than the “old fashioned” method.

Another hands off approach is our Instant Pot taco meat recipe. Super quick to do and always a win with kids of all ages (and adults).

I don’t know about you but this is my go to protein. Part of it for us is that we buy 1/2 a cow from a local farmer at the beginning of each year. Then we know it is grass fed, organic meat.

We support the local farms up here while receiving healthy meat that is more inexpensive than buying it in the store. It’s a win win for us. If you’re curious about buying meat in bulk we share our journey and ideas here too.

What is ground beef made of?

• This protein generally consists of the leftover trimmings from steaks, roasts and other beef cuts.
  • There is a wide range of different types though.
  • The cheapest is going to have the highest fat content.
  • Most expensive will be organic, grass fed and low fat.
    • I think the first 2 are most important for us, I think there does need to be some fat for added flavor really.

Print recipe below, or come back when you need it. We love “seeing you”!!