15 Healthy Beef Recipes for a Flavorful Meal Under 500 Calories

Beef Taco Pie
Photo: Andy Lyons

Yes, healthy beef recipes do exist! We've upgraded classics like sloppy joes and burgers and totally revamped tacos, and we even have a healthy beef stew that will satisfy just like Grandma's version. 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.

01 of 15

Sheet-Pan Beef and Sweet Potatoes with Gremolata

Sheet Pan Beef and Sweet Potatoes with Gremolata
Jacob Fox

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.

02 of 15

Rotini with Beef and Beans

Rotini with Beef and Beans
Jacob Fox

When you're craving flavors similar to those beloved boxed burger pasta packs, turn to this healthy beef dinner idea. 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.

03 of 15

Beef Taco Pie

Beef Taco Pie
Andy Lyons

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.

04 of 15

Beef and Vegetable Biscuit Bake

Beef vegetable Biscuit Bake
Blaine Moats

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 low-fat beef balance out the decadence of the flaky biscuit topping.

05 of 15

Beef Lettuce Wraps with Miso-Yogurt Sauce

Beef Lettuce Wraps with Miso-Yogurt Sauce
Andy Lyons

Spoiler alert: Your slow cooker is good for more than hearty stews, rich roasts, and cheesy pastas. A hands-off slow cooker supper can also be great for your health, as proved by this low-fat beef recipe. With just 239 calories and 10 grams of carbs in three oh-so-filling lettuce wraps, you'll feel great about how much time you invested in making this recipe (just 30 minutes) and the delicious results (including succulent pot roast and a fresh mango and tomato topping).

06 of 15

Asian Broccoli and Beef

Asian Broccoli and Beef
Jason Donnelly

Why order takeout when you can make this easy, low-cal version of your go-to Asian dish? All this beef-broccoli dinner needs is 20 minutes of prep. From there, your slow cooker can complete the surprisingly healthy beef and broccoli recipe.

07 of 15

Beef Stroganoff Soup

Beef Stroganoff Soup
Jacob Fox

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.

08 of 15

Southwestern Noodle Bowl

Southwestern Noodle Bowl
Andy Lyons

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.

09 of 15

Air-Fried Meatballs and Bell Peppers

Meatballs and Bell Peppers on black plate
Brie Passano

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.

10 of 15

Flank Steak with Antipasto Topper

Flank Steak with Antipasto Topper
Karla Conrad

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

11 of 15

Roast Beef with Beets and Chicories

Roast Beef with Beets and Chicories
Blaine Moats

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.

12 of 15

Panko-Crusted Beef Roast with Hasselback Zucchini

Panko-Crusted Beef Roast Hasselback Zucchini
Jacob Fox

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...

13 of 15

Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Oven-Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Jason Donnelly

Calling all keto diet devotees! Here's a dinner with 0 grams of carbs. This dish certainly doesn't have zero flavor though, 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.

14 of 15

Fork-Tender Pot Roast

Make-It-Mine Fork-Tender Pot Roast
Jacob Fox

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 dinner with what you have on hand.

15 of 15

Chimichurri Kabobs

Chimichurri Kabobs
Carson Downing

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 up with onions, mushrooms, and peppers to create this healthy beef recipe.

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