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How to Cook Ground Beef in a Crockpot

There are many methods for cooking ground beef. You can brown ground beef on the stove or in the oven, but have you ever cooked ground beef in a crockpot? Watch how easy it is to meal prep several pounds of ground beef at a time here:

https://youtu.be/EUkmfcjed9k

Because we know a lot goes into keeping families moving, MOMables is always sharing ways to simplify things on the “feeding your family” front. Just as you will find prep-ahead tips in the weekly plans, today we’re sharing a prep-ahead tip for how you can cook ground beef in a crock-pot, for all of your meals for the week, at once.

image: square bowl of cooked ground beef.

How cooking ground beef in the Crockpot saves time

Cook once and eliminate a step later on in the week when you’re making meals. If you can eliminate one of the more time-consuming steps like this, your dinner prep moves a lot faster, which gets dinner on the table faster and leaves more time for you to cross other things off that never-ending mommy list.

Don’t have a crockpot yet, or need a new one? Here’s the one I use for cooking ground beef. 

image: overhead view of raw ground beef in a crockpot with a lid.

All you do is add up to 3 pounds of ground beef to your crock-pot (I have done as many as 5 lbs. at one time). Break up the beef and add ¼ cup water (per pound of beef). Turn your crock-pot on and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or LOW for 4-6 hours. Cooking time will vary depending on how many pounds of beef you are cooking.

During the cooking process, I stir the meat mixture occasionally to help the meat cook evenly. Once your meat has fully cooked, drain off the grease. I then divide the meat out and store in plastic bags in the refrigerator. Then later on in the week, when I need to add it to a casserole, sauce, etc., I just pull it out of the refrigerator and add it along with the other ingredients. It is a huge time saver. Not to mention, it means dirtying one less pan that night!

How to Drain Ground Beef

Draining the fat from ground beef is simple when you are talking about a small pan, but when it comes to a crockpot full of 5 pounds of meat it’s a little bit more daunting.

Pour out the liquid from the top of your crockpot, and if needed you can use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the crockpot without getting any excess grease in your freezer containers.

What to make with ground beef

There are so many delicious lunch and dinner ideas to make with ground beef.

A few of our family’s favorites:

  • Bell Pepper Healthy Nachos
  • Cheesy Beef Goulash
  • Taco Pizza
  • Homemade Nachos

Looking for more? Check out this post for dinner ideas for kids.

How to Freeze Ground Beef After Cooking

I don’t exactly know what it is about the onset of colder weather that makes me feel compelled to start stocking my freezer with meals, but it happens every year around this time. If this happens to you as well, this method for cooking ground beef in a crockpot is also great to do and instead of using the beef right away, you can stock your freezer with the cooked beef.

I use this method to cook up a bunch of ground beef and then freeze the cooked meat in a freezer safe plastic bag. Then on days when I am in need of a quick meal, I can pull out the beef, let it thaw, and add it to any dish (spaghetti sauce, taco meat, etc).

A quick and easy way to cook ground beef that requires very little work…count me in!

Print Recipe| Pin Recipe

How to Cook Ground Beef in a Crockpot

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Thanks to the slow cooker we can cook ground beef without grease splatters or watching the stove. Once cooked the beef it’s perfect for tacos, nachos, spaghetti, and other family favorite recipes.

  • Author: MOMables
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 hours – 6 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours – 6 hours + 10 minutes
  • Yield: 12 – 16 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 lbs ground beef
  • ¾ cup water

Instructions

  1. Place the ground beef into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Break up the meat with a large spoon and add the water. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 4 to 6 hours.
  2. Once the beef is cooked through, carefully pour the excess grease and liquid from the slow cooker dish. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat into airtight containers.
  3. Keep the cooked beef refrigerated and use within 3 days. To freeze, seal the desired amount in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months.

Equipment

Crockpot

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Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 137
  • Sugar: 0g
  • Sodium: 75.2mg
  • Fat: 3.4g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.7g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 0 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 24.8g
  • Cholesterol: 67.8mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. pichunter

    November 21, 2019 at 1:06 pm

    Dump all the ground beef into your slow cooker. Mix it up, so it s not just in a big hunk in the middle of the slow cooker. I love my Pampered Chef Mix n Chop for this job. Here s another one that s similar.

    Reply
    • June

      October 20, 2021 at 10:48 pm

      Omg mix n chop for life

      Reply
    • Gilly Setterfield

      February 20, 2022 at 7:16 am

      Love using my slow cooker, I use it for joints and mince

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  2. Debbie Kope

    October 29, 2019 at 5:36 pm

    Hi,
    How do you measure once cooked if putting in the freezer? I cooked 5 lb of fresh ground beef, once cooked and drained, i used my scale to weigh it out in one pound packs but only had a little bit over 2 lb of meat. So i put that up, but I don’t understand why there was only that small amount out of 5 lb. I cooked 80/20 ground beef.

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      November 19, 2019 at 10:06 am

      Raw weight vs. cooked weight is different because you are cooking off the water weight. 1lb of raw beef will weight between 10 and 12 ounces cooked. I hope this helps.

      Reply
    • Donna Brown

      April 26, 2021 at 3:13 pm

      I measure 1-1-1/2 c per pound of meat.

      Reply
  3. alissa

    July 24, 2019 at 12:19 pm

    I wanted to make a crockpot chilli for supper. Most recipes require browning the meat in a frying pan first. If I only want to use the crockpot-should I add all the chilli ingredients when I put in the meat, or let the meat cook for a while and then add in the beans and peppers and tomato sauce…

    Reply
    • Tara

      March 08, 2022 at 9:13 pm

      I imagine you’ll want to wait before adding other ingredients so you can drain the fat.

      Reply
  4. Lindsay

    July 23, 2019 at 11:24 am

    How long does it typically take you to cook 5 lbs of ground beef?

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      August 21, 2019 at 3:42 pm

      about 8 hours but you’ll need a crockpot large enough and also stir throughout for even cooking.

      Reply
  5. m

    May 24, 2019 at 10:33 am

    YAY! thank you very much

    Reply
  6. Virginia

    December 17, 2018 at 12:55 pm

    Can you do ground sausage the same way??
    I’ve done the ground beef & LOVE doing it this way soooooo much!!!

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      December 21, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      You absolutely can, Virginia!

      Reply
  7. Miriam

    August 18, 2017 at 11:41 am

    What if I was using 5lbs of refrigerated beef, how long would I cook it if I was using low?

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      August 19, 2017 at 6:48 am

      5lbs will take about 12 hours on low, stirring throughout.

      Reply
      • Codie Morehead

        February 10, 2021 at 9:56 pm

        I love this. It is simple, easy, and straight forward. Thanks for the help, it is highle appreciated. Crockpot ground beef, here I come.

        ★★★★★

        Reply
  8. Eris

    February 21, 2017 at 8:37 pm

    This is a huge help! I’m in college and only have my itty bitty (1.5 qt) crock pot and a crock pot book. I love to cook and not having anyway to has really made it hard on me but a little knowledge can go a long way

    Reply
  9. Becky

    November 23, 2016 at 4:32 pm

    Thank you for this tip! I’m living in a hotel for work for a few months and trying to get creative with cooking is a challenge.

    Reply
    • Stephanie Schneller

      December 05, 2016 at 12:03 pm

      wow. Good luck!

      Reply
    • Ashley

      January 26, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      I understand it is a challenge cuz all I have is my crockpot and I have been trying to figure out what I can cook and I have been trying creative ways to cook everything.

      Reply
  10. Sue

    September 06, 2016 at 7:59 am

    Thanks for this tip! I don’t always want to heat up the kitchen in the summer, and in the winter, I get tired of standing over the stove for so long! But I love to cook up a big batch of ground beef seasoned with salt pepper and pepper and some chopped onions. It is so handy right out of the fridge or freezer!

    Reply
  11. Brezelle Dunn

    August 14, 2016 at 6:26 pm

    can i add my meat and sauce at the same time in thw crockpot..beginning of the process before the meat is browned

    Reply
    • Stephanie Schneller

      August 17, 2016 at 2:26 pm

      you can do that, just make sure you continue to come in to break up the meat pieces throughout. Enjoy.

      Reply
  12. Aracely Gonzales

    March 22, 2016 at 4:01 pm

    how long will the cooked meat be good for in the refrigerator/freezer?

    Reply
    • MOMables

      March 31, 2016 at 11:42 am

      In the freezer, about 1-2 months. I don’t keep it in the fridge for no more than 1 week, preferably around 4-5 days.

      Reply
    • henry

      April 15, 2016 at 1:43 pm

      in the freezer its good for at least 6 to 8 months. the only think happens when longer it starts to loose its flavor

      Reply
  13. Rebecca

    February 28, 2016 at 11:00 am

    How long did the 5lb take and what setting?

    Reply
    • MOMables

      March 22, 2016 at 4:05 pm

      5 pounds took 6 hours on high, stirring a few times every 1-2hours to break up the beef.

      Reply
    • Nicole

      May 31, 2017 at 8:35 am

      I had success with 5 lbs last night – it took 4.5 hours on high (although I had it set for 6 just in case). I stirred every hour or so.

      Reply
      • MOMables

        June 06, 2017 at 9:35 am

        That;s a first, 5lbs! wow. So glad it could help you prep food ahead of time.

        Reply
  14. Shannon

    January 02, 2016 at 5:43 pm

    I want to make tacos from the ground beef. When should I add the seasoning? When I start the beef or after its all cooked?

    Reply
    • MOMables

      January 02, 2016 at 10:57 pm

      Hi Shannon! You can add the seasonings when you start the beef.

      Reply
      • Jacquie

        January 07, 2016 at 9:46 pm

        This might sound weird but I have been cooking 1.3lbs of frozen ground beef on high for 4 hours and If I look really closely it looks as if the meat is still pink but I can’t tell if it’s from the taco seasoning or if it’s not cooked all the way, and idea on how to tell?

        Reply
        • MOMables

          January 11, 2016 at 9:17 pm

          Hi Jacquie! I’d always be safe when it comes to cooking meat, so maybe try breaking it up with a spoon and looking at the inside of the meat. Hope it works out for you!

          Reply
  15. Larry

    October 23, 2015 at 8:43 pm

    Thanks, I tried this immediately with a pound of ground beef and worked great… Being single and sometimes working long late hours this is going to save me from hitting the junk fast food places on the way home…

    Reply
    • Amy

      February 09, 2016 at 9:38 am

      Me too! Just what I was looking for… I’m going to try it right now. The extra mess & cleanup of browning the meat makes me less likely to cook.

      Someone mentioned that the end result might not look as good as browning in a skillet, but after the ground beef is mixed into chili or spaghetti sauce it wouldn’t show.

      Reply
      • Amy

        February 10, 2016 at 5:08 pm

        Happy camper here… It was quick & easy. Tastes great in chili. I didn’t think it looked very different from skillet-browned beef.

        Reply
  16. Becky

    October 20, 2015 at 10:42 am

    I added Jimmy Dean sausage (frozen) to my (frozen) hamburger and it turned out great! I also added onions and peppers. Made chili with some… making Spaghetti tonight and Taco’s another night. Great idea!!

    Reply
  17. Matt Carpenter

    September 24, 2015 at 9:21 am

    So to drain do I just tip the crockpot over and pour the excess liquid into the sink?

    Reply
    • MOMables

      October 01, 2015 at 4:12 pm

      pretty much. Or, use a ladle spoon to remove beef.

      Reply
      • Matt Carpenter

        October 02, 2015 at 11:12 am

        Thanks.

        Reply
    • Liz

      November 02, 2015 at 2:56 am

      I use a spider (a spoon strainer) to ladle a cup or so of the cooked burger into a wire mesh strainer placed over a deep narrow bowl (it’s like a giant Pyrex measuring cup). I then use a potato masher to squeeze the excess fat/water through the strainer and into the bowl. I dump e contents left in the strainer into a giant mixing bowl. I repeat this procedure until most of the burger is removed from the crockpot. Using oven mitts, I then pour the remaining contents of the crock into the strainer and transfer the last little bit to the last bowl. Once the fat/water in my big measuring cup/bowl has cooled, i pour it into a large freezer Baggie and discard in the trash. Do not pour the liquid down your sink, because it can cause the pipes to clog.

      Reply
  18. Raechel

    April 27, 2015 at 4:11 pm

    Can you do this with frozen ground beef or does it have to be defrosted?

    Reply
    • MOMables

      May 03, 2015 at 7:46 pm

      Sure, but it will take longer and you’ll need to break it up once it thaws.

      Reply
  19. Dorothy

    March 16, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    googled this while in the process of trying it for the first time…… But I used chicken broth instead of water. Will that work?

    Reply
    • MOMables

      March 17, 2015 at 11:41 am

      it will work!

      Reply
    • alexis m

      August 04, 2015 at 12:16 pm

      I am doing this right now and i am using chicken broth. I assume it will cook the same but with added flavor. ;)

      Reply
      • MOMables

        August 05, 2015 at 3:49 pm

        absolutely. Enjoy!

        Reply
  20. Marley

    September 30, 2014 at 10:19 am

    Is it possible to use this method for frozen ground beef? I often will throw frozen chicken thighs in the crock pot and it’s the best for casseroles, I can never remember to defrost my meats before the day I need them.

    Reply
  21. AJ

    August 03, 2014 at 7:10 pm

    I love this idea sooooo much! I love using my crockpot since I live in FL and I do anything to keep the heat to a minimum. I just remembered this too. I want to make a casserole tomorrow night but didn’t want to have to cook the meat, then cook the casserole. I’m gonna through the meat in my crock pot to cook tonight before I go to bed. Then tomorrow all I’ll have to do is prep & steam my veggies, throw the meat in with a can of tomatoes and I’m all set! Thanks again!!!!!!

    Reply
    • MOMables

      August 03, 2014 at 9:29 pm

      great way of saving time!!

      Reply
  22. Jess

    December 31, 2013 at 11:18 am

    I used my 7qt crock pot and browned 6.75lbs of ground turkey using this method. There was a lot of liquid, so after it was cooked, I drained it well and put it back in the crock pot and let it cook for a little while longer, this gave it some of that browned/seared look. It worked awesomely well. I used some for sloppy joes, we’ll be having tacos this week and the rest will go into the freezer. Thank you!

    Reply
  23. Joann

    December 12, 2013 at 11:25 am

    But how does it look? I haven’t found that ground beef looks very appetizing if I don’t cook it first before making something that calls for it in the crock pot. I like that browner, seared look.

    Reply
    • MOMables

      December 12, 2013 at 10:56 pm

      It looks like cooked ground beef. Seasoning is key as well.

      Reply
  24. Michelle Smith

    December 12, 2013 at 11:18 am

    Do you think this method would work for ground turkey?

    Reply
    • MOMables

      December 12, 2013 at 10:58 pm

      I’ve never tried it Michelle but my crockpot expert neighbor just texted me: YES! 3-4 hours on medium-low setting stirring a few times with seasoning.

      Reply
      • Michelle Smith

        December 13, 2013 at 7:30 am

        Thank You! I may have to try it.

        Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Family Dinner Ideas For Tonight | Laura Fuentes Easy Dinner Recipes says:
    May 28, 2020 at 4:55 PM

    […] tip – If you’re planning to make a few of these recipes this week, then you can prep a few pounds of ground beef in the slow cooker to save you time in the kitchen each […]

    Reply

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