15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (2024)

Yes, healthy beef recipes do exist! Try our revamped beef taco pie, air-fried meatballs, or classic beef tenderloin for a delicious, good-for-you dinner that will satisfy those meat cravings. Plus, each healthy meat recipe is under 500 calories, which means you can score loads of flavor and protein without using up your entire daily quota of calories.

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Sheet-Pan Beef and Sweet Potatoes with Gremolata

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (1)

Meat and potatoes get a weeknight- and waistline-friendly makeover! This healthy beef recipe is lower in fat and higher in fiber than the usual steak and spud entrée. The key ingredients to make this meal magic possible: lean beef shoulder petite tenders and fiber-rich, vitamin-packed sweet potatoes. We're also fans of the mere 15 minutes of prep time, making this showy dinner totally doable any day of the week.

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Rotini with Beef and Beans

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (2)

When craving flavors similar to those beloved boxed burger pasta packs, turn to this healthy beef recipe. The easy meat-and-pasta dish pairs with kidney beans in this recipe that packs protein, fiber, and flavor—all brought to you by your favorite skillet. And all with much fewer additives and a lot less sodium.

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Beef Taco Pie

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Tacos meet their match (a pie plate) in this tortilla-crusted twist on a Mexican classic. Ready in under an hour, this savory pie is about to become one of your favorite healthy ground beef recipes for easy weeknight cooking.

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Beef and Vegetable Biscuit Bake

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (4)

Who knew pot pie could be a perfectly well-balanced addition to your diet? Thanks to this healthy ground beef casserole, with just 309 calories per serving, it can be. A boatload (OK, a baking dish) full of veggies—including Brussels sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, and onion—plus lean beef, balance out the decadence of the flaky biscuit topping.

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Beef Stroganoff Soup

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Don't write off beef stew as solely a rib-sticking option for winter. Soups are the perfect way to meld tons of nutrients (and delicious flavor) into one dish. This healthy beef stroganoff, made with lean sirloin and piles of fresh mushrooms, does just that.

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Southwestern Noodle Bowl

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (6)

At under 300 calories and only 9 grams of fat, this is our kind of noodle bowl! How is this healthy beef recipe still the complete opposite of bland? Garlic, cumin, bell peppers, and homemade pico de gallo do the trick.

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Air-Fried Meatballs and Bell Peppers

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (7)

This healthy beef recipe will be on your table in just 30 minutes, thanks to your air-fryer. Cook the homemade beef meatballs with sliced bell peppers right in the air-fryer basket. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of green onions.

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Roast Beef with Beets and Chicories

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (8)

Pair slow-roasted beef with a fresh chicory salad to create this colorful dinner idea. The bitterness of the chicories (think endive, escarole, and radicchio) balance the juicy, succulent roast. Finish the salad and the roast with plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.

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Flank Steak with Antipasto Topper

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (9)

All this dinner takes is seven ingredients and a skillet (or a grill, if the weather cooperates). Even better news? You can marinate and do much of the prep for this healthy beef meal up to 24 hours ahead of time.

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Panko-Crusted Beef Roast with Hasselback Zucchini

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (10)

While it looks like a pricey and splurge-worthy spread, you might order at a chic steakhouse; this crunchy-coated roast and squash meal is only 322 calories per serving. With a nice balance of tender roast meat, buttery-textured Dutch potatoes, and stuffed zucchini, this healthy beef dinner idea needs nothing else to be a complete, party-worthy feast. Well, except for maybe a bottle of bold red wine.

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Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (11)

This dish isn't short on flavor, as we call for seasoning the healthy beef tenderloin recipe with fresh parsley and coating it in just the right amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper. An herbed wild rice would make a fiber-rich accompaniment.

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Fork-Tender Pot Roast

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (12)

Veggies, spices, and your slow cooker make this a super-tasty, super-easy dinner. Missing one of the ingredients? We've got tons of substitutions to customize this healthy beef recipe with what you have on hand.

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Chimichurri Kabobs

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15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (13)

You'll want to start marinating the chicken and beef for these easy kabobs the morning before serving. Once you're ready to grill, skewer them with onions, mushrooms, and peppers to create this healthy beef recipe.

15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories (2024)

FAQs

How to make beef healthier? ›

To get the nutritional impact of beef with less cholesterol and saturated fat, choose leaner cuts. Look for cuts labeled “extra lean” or “lean,” and always choose pieces with the least visible fat. Cut off as much visible fat as you can before you cook beef.

What meals can be made from ground beef? ›

This recipe is the perfect solution.
  • Beef Picadillo Tacos.
  • Mexican-style Beef Sausage Nachos.
  • Taco Shepherd's Pie.
  • Beef & Vegetable Fried Rice.
  • Meatloaf.
  • Classic Beef Sloppy Joe.
  • Classic Beef Stuffed Peppers.
  • Texas Juicy Lucy Burger.

What ground beef is best for calorie deficit? ›

90/10 Ground Sirloin

Ground sirloin is 90 to 92 percent lean (8 to 10 percent fat). This is the leanest type of ground beef, often referred to as “extra-lean” and a great option if you are looking for a healthier choice.

How to lose 5 pounds in a week? ›

Losing 5 pounds a week comes to reducing your food intake by 3500 calories over seven days. The value that represents the decrease in calorie intake is known as the calorie deficit. If you want to lose 5 pounds in a week, you will need to reduce your food intake by 17,500 calories, which is a huge calorie deficit.

Will eating 500 calories a day lose weight? ›

The 500-calorie diet is a very low-calorie diet that can help you lose weight. Doctors prescribe this diet pill to overweight and obese patients with a high BMI (over 30) and whose lives are in danger. Remember, this diet is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women.

What brings out beef flavor? ›

Beef tastes great when seasoned with oregano, rosemary, sage, garlic or a combination of these seasonings. Poultry gets an added burst of flavor with spices like paprika, lemongrass and saffron. Fish can be made more flavorful with dry mustard powder, thyme and turmeric.

What is the healthiest meat to eat? ›

While meat can be a part of a healthy diet, not all sources are created equal. The leanest and healthiest meats to eat include poultry, pork, fish, and seafood. Eating a balanced diet is one of the keys to a healthy lifestyle, which means choosing various foods from different food groups, like proteins.

How do you flavor meat healthy? ›

Hot spices and peppers, such as cayenne, jalapenos, and roasted chipotle peppers, are useful. Plain yogurt mixed with seasonings can be used to marinate and tenderize meat. Sesame oil or herb- infused oils can be drizzled on meats, veggies or breads, rice, and/or pasta.

What ingredients go well with beef? ›

Spices like onion and garlic, with their inherent pungency, are some of the first that come to mind when it's time to season beef. They are savory and strong, and also easy to come by! Black Pepper goes wonderfully with beef, with its slightly hot bite and the piney aroma. Cayenne is a terrific spice to use with beef.

What can I add to ground beef for flavor? ›

ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons oregano.
  2. 1 tablespoon chili powder.
  3. 1 teaspoon cumin.
  4. 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  5. 2 teaspoons onion powder.
  6. 12 teaspoon salt.
  7. 1 lb ground beef.
  8. 12 cup water.

Can you eat ground beef when trying to lose weight? ›

To be fair, though, there is some saturated fat and monounsaturated fat in even lean ground beef, whether you're cooking with 80/20, 85/15, or even a lean 90/10. Nevertheless, the high amount of protein that ground beef offers still makes it ideal for your meal plan, even if your goal is to lose weight.

What is the healthiest ground beef option? ›

If you want to create a healthy menu and limit the saturated fat in your dishes, then ground sirloin is the best choice. For the best results, use this beef in dishes that have added liquid, like chili or meat sauce. The low fat content causes ground sirloin to dry out quickly.

How do you make ground beef less fattening? ›

Nutrition researchers found that a simple rinsing process reduced the fat content of cooked ground beef crumbles by as much as 50 percent. Blotting of cooked burgers, meatballs, and meatloaf also helps reduce the fat. advantage of lower priced higher fat ground beef and still enjoy less fat.

Is 500 calories enough for dinner? ›

Most people can lose weight eating 1,500 calories a day and when we break down the calorie totals by meal, 500 calories is a healthy amount to have at dinner to stay satisfied throughout the evening.

What can I eat in a 500 calorie diet? ›

Here is a list of low-calorie foods that pack a lot of nutrients to help you feel satisfied:
  • Clear soups, such as vegetable or miso.
  • Nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt.
  • Nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese.
  • Cauliflower rice.
  • Steamed or raw vegetables.
  • Fish.
  • Lean meats like chicken or turkey breast.
  • Tofu.

What fast food can I eat with 500 calories? ›

McDonald's

Or at 500 calories even, you could have just a McRib. If a burger isn't your thing, try a Chipotle BBQ Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap (250), Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait (150) and an assortment of Cuties (40), apple slices (15) and a side salad (15 with no dressing). You'll even have 30 calories to spare.

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