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Contrary to popular belief, in Greece, you'll rarely see ground lamb used in traditional recipes. Ground beef, or a 50/50 mix of ground beef and ground pork, is the standard for all of the Greek classics ? from moussaka to pastitsio. Allrecipes' community of home cooks has shared loads of Greek ground beef recipes over the years, and in this collection, we've rounded up the best according to hundreds of reviews. Grab a pound of ground beef and choose any one of these crowd-pleasing recipes for a winning Greek dinner!
Greek Stuffed Zucchini
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Photo by Caramela
Zucchini is stuffed with a mix of ground beef, rice, and herbs and then served with a traditional egg-lemon sauce called avgolemono. This is a classic Greek recipe that uses everyday ingredients to create an all-in-one meal that is uniquely delicious.
Greek Meat Pasta (Makaronia me kima)
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Photo by Ginny Hall Plunkett
Makaronia me Kima — which translates to "pasta with meat" — is on regular rotation in practically every Greek home. Ground beef (or a mix of half beef, half pork) is cooked in a rich tomato sauce that is scented with cinnamon. Serve simply over freshly cooked spaghetti (the most common way to serve "kima") or follow the entire recipe and bake in the oven topped with cheese.
Authentic Greek Moussaka
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Photo by Allrecipes
Rich layers of eggplant, ground beef, tomato sauce, b?chamel, and cheese create the perfect slice of moussaka. “Fabulous! I like how the b?chamel sets up nicely when it cooks,” says reviewer Rachel Renee.
Margaret's Keftedes (Greek Meatballs)
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Photo by Kim
Recipe submitter Shandeen Gemanis shared her yiayia’s recipe for these delicious meatballs, called keftedes in Greek. Use all beef in this recipe or even substitute the lamb for pork for a lighter meatball. If you have any leftovers, enjoy these keftedes the next day simmered in a light tomato sauce and served over rice or pasta.
Greek Souzoukaklia
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Photo by lutzflcat
Soutzoukakia are another type of Greek meatball with two key differentiating factors — they are typically shaped into oblong ovals (rather than discs, like keftedes) and they are always spiced with cumin. Cumin is not all that common in Greek cuisine, making soutzoukakia stand apart from other Greek ground beef dishes. This recipe switches up the traditional soutzoukakia by calling for ground coriander and cinnamon instead of the typical cumin; try adding 2 to 3 teaspoons of cumin for an authentic flavor boost.
Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers (Yemista)
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Photo by Denise Phillips Sarigianopoulo
Yemista (also written “gemista”) are stuffed vegetables, always stuffed with rice and herbs, sometimes with the addition of ground beef. In this recipe, recipe creator Denise Phillips Sarigianopoulo stuffs tomatoes and bell peppers with a delicious mix of ground beef, rice, onion, and spices. Try adding a generous handful of chopped fresh parsley and mint for even more flavor.
Pastitsio
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Photo by Lisa Trusty
Pastitsio is sometimes referred to as "Greek lasagna" — a layered casserole of pasta, ground beef in tomato sauce, cheese, and b?chamel. Pastitsio in Greece is made with a special tube pasta, similar to bucatini, but can easily be made with penne or macaroni, as in this recipe. If you find that your family loves pastitsio as most Greek families do, next time try doubling the batch and freezing one for a homecooked meal another day.
More Inspiration
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Photo by Kim's Cooking Now
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