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    Homemade Hamburger Helper

    30-Minute Meals Beef Recipes Dairy-Free Recipes Kid Friendly Main Courses July 24, 2023 | By Kristen Chidsey | 72 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe
    Ditch the boxed mix and make Homemade Hamburger Helper! 
This recipe for hamburger helper comes together with pantry staples, in one pot and in less than 30 minutes--not to mention it tastes much better than the original.

    You will permanently say goodbye to boxed Hamburger Helper after trying this easy recipe for Homemade Hamburger Helper! Not only does it taste better than the storebought version, it is nearly as easy to make!

    Made with lean ground beef, a richly spiced tomato sauce, and tender noodles, this recipe for Hamburger Helper is one of our favorite easy 30-minute dinner recipes.

    Bowl filled with homemade hamburger helper.


    Boxed Hamburger Helper is an affordable meal helper that is extremely popular in many families' households. I get it. Hamburger Helper is a simple meal that comes together in one pan using minimal ingredients and is loved by picky eaters.

    But what if I told you that is it JUST as easy to make a homemade version of hamburger helper that is better for you AND better tasting?

    It seems too good to be true, but thanks to this easy recipe it is not!

    Why You Will Love Homemade Hamburger Helper

    • One Pot Recipe. Just like the boxed version, Homemade Hamburger Helper comes together in one pot in less than 30 minutes.
    • Quality Control. Unlike boxed Hamburger Helper, this homemade version is much lower in sodium and has no added MSG, preservatives, or food coloring.
    • Cheap Dinner Recipe. Homemade Hamburger Helper uses basic, pantry staples and often costs less than purchasing the boxed version. Grab ground meat on sale, and you have an affordable family-favorite dinner recipe.
    • Picky Eater Approved. This easy recipe is approved by the pickiest of eaters. It is made without raw onions, peppers, or chunks of tomatoes, which picky eaters often turn their noses up at!

    Notes Ingredients Needed

    Ingredients for Hamburger Helper on counter labeled.

    The number one reason I opt to make homemade hamburger helper rather than relying on the boxed mix is that I get to control the quality of ingredients. But that does not mean those ingredients are expensive or hard to find. This recipe for hamburger helper uses simple pantry staples and ground meat.

    • Ground Meat: I recommend using lean ground meat, such as ground sirloin, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
    • Beef Broth: It is best to use low-sodium broth to control the level of sodium in the recipe.
    • Tomato Paste: The tomato paste will give the dish a rich tomato taste and make the dish taste as if it has simmered for hours, versus minutes.
    • Elbow Macaroni: You want to use a small noodle that has surface edges to grab hold of the sauce. While elbow noodles are traditional, corkscrew or rotini noodles will work as well. Either whole wheat or regular noodles work.
    • Worcestershire Sauce: Adding a bit of Worcestershire sauce will help to enhance the flavors of this simple dish.
    • Seasonings: To keep this recipe kid-friendly, I season the pasta with garlic powder and onion powder, rather than using minced garlic and chopped onions.

    How To Make Homemade Hamburger Helper

    You may be surprised to find that the step-by-step process for making hamburger helper from scratch is nearly identical to using a boxed mix. The only difference is that you have to measure the ingredients yourself. This extra bit of effort is well worth the results.

    Step One: Brown Meat. Saute the meat in a large, deep skillet or saucepan until it is well cooked through, being sure to break the meat into small pieces as it browns. If needed, drain off any grease before proceeding with the recipe. I find when using lean ground meat, that is rarely needed.

    Ground beef in large nontick skillet.

    Step Two: Toast Spices. A secret to developing flavor fast is to toast your spices, and in this case, your tomato paste, for a minute or two. This will help to develop the flavor of the spices and tomato paste, making your final dish taste so much richer, and like it took much longer than 30 minutes to make!

    Ground beef with tomato paste and spices in a skillet.

    Step Three: Cook Noodles. Add the noodles, broth, and tomato sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally until the noodles are al dente. If you notice the liquid is evaporating before the noodles are fully cooked, you can add in a bit more broth or water as needed.

    Pan with homemade hamburger helper cooked in it.
    • Turn off the heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce.
    Hamburger helper in skillet with noodles that have absorbed the sauce.

    Step Four: Serve. Dish up this easy Homemade Hamburger Helper and watch your family enjoy! I love pairing it with a kid-friendly mandarin orange salad or green beans almondine for a balanced meal.

    Homemade Hamburger helper in white bowl.

    Storage Instructions

    Leftover cooled Homemade Hamburger Helper should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

    If needed, allow the hamburger helper to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat in a heat-safe dish, adding a bit of water to help add moisture back into the noodles, in 1-minute intervals until heated through.

    recipe modifications

    • Gluten-Free Hamburger Helper: It is best to use Barilla Gluten-Free Noodles to keep as they are the only brand I have consistently had success with. Other gluten-free noodles brands give off too much starch as they cook in the sauce. You will also want to check to be sure your beef stock/broth and Worcestershire Sauce are gluten-free. 
    • Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper: If you would like a cheesy version of Hamburger Helper, stir 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese after simmering. The residual heat should be enough to melt the cheese.
    • Instant Pot Hamburger Helper: If you would like to prepare this recipe using an electric pressure cooker, follow my recipe for Instant Pot Hamburger Helper.
    • Taco-Flavored Hamburger Helper: Add a Tex-Mex Spin to your hamburger helper with this easy recipe for One Pot Taco Pasta.

    More Easy Family-Favorite Dinner Recipes

    • Stovetop Mac and Cheese
    • Easy Homemade Beef Stroganoff
    • Tex-Mex Chicken Skillet
    • Taco Salad
    • Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
    • Tater Tot Casserole

    Need more inspiration for planning meals that your family will love? Sign up for my FREE Meal Plans and each week you will get a meal plan with a shopping list.

    If you enjoyed this simple, wholesome recipe for Hamburger Helper, please leave a comment and review below.

    Bowl of homeamde hamburger helper.

    Homemade Hamburger Helper

    This simple recipe for Homemade Hamburger Helper is made with ground beef, a rich tomato sauce, and tender noodles, yet still comes together in one pan and in less than 30 minutes.
    4.68 from 37 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 22 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 358kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • 1 pound lean ground meat (beef, chicken, or turkey)
    • 6 ounces tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 8 ounces tomato sauce
    • 3 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth
    • 2 cups dried macaroni noodles
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • Heat a large nonstick deep skillet or dutch oven pan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated, add in the ground meat and brown, while breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Once the meat is browned, drain off any fat and return the pan to heat.
    • Add tomato paste and seasonings. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes to develop flavor. Add in tomato sauce and beef broth, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a boil.
    • Once the mixture is boiling, stir the noodles into the mixture and turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until noodles cooked through and sauce is absorbed. If needed, add in a bit of additional water or broth if you see the liquid is evaporating before the noodles are fully cooked.
    • Once the noodles are tender, turn off the heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Storage: Homemade Hamburger Helper will last in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days and can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. 
    Meat: Feel free to use ground turkey, pork, or chicken for the ground beef. 
    For a Gluten-Free Version of Hamburger Helper, it is best to use Barilla Gluten-Free Noodles--most gluten-free noodles brands give off too much starch to cook in the sauce. I have used the Barilla brand many times with great success. You will also want to check to be sure your beef stock/broth and Worcestershire Sauce are gluten-free. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 920mg | Potassium: 761mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2.7mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!

    This recipe was originally published in 2017 but was updated in 2021 with new step-by-step pictures.

    « Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
    Pineapple Mango Salsa »

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

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    1. John Van de Pol

      August 16, 2023 at 6:01 pm

      5 stars
      I made this dish exactly as the recipe except I put in red and green peppers and some celery, and used tri colored noodles and marinara sauce instead of tomato paste and sauce because that was all I had. I didn't use any beef broth because I didn't have any, and boiled the pasta first. I also threw in three slices of leftover bacon.It was delicious.

      Reply
    2. jess

      September 26, 2022 at 11:57 am

      5 stars
      who knew that making this recipe from scratch would be this easy!? thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe! I love it

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        September 27, 2022 at 7:25 am

        Absolutely! I love hearing you enjoyed the Hamburger Helper, Jess!

        Reply
    3. Liz

      September 26, 2022 at 1:34 am

      5 stars
      Another simple recipe is added to our regular menu item! This homemade hamburger helper is indeed highly recommended for picky eaters. Moms should try this!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        September 27, 2022 at 7:30 am

        My picky eaters LOVE this as well, Liz! I am glad to hear it will be a regular meal.

        Reply
    4. Jessica

      September 24, 2022 at 10:41 pm

      5 stars
      Mmmm!! This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Adding it to our list of favorites, thank you!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        September 25, 2022 at 6:14 am

        So happy to hear you enjoyed Jessica!

        Reply
    5. Suzanne C. Reiter

      September 06, 2022 at 11:45 pm

      2 stars
      I followed the instructions and the sauce was too runny. I cooked it for a while longer, and it was still too runny! Not happy with the results. The flavor was okay.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        September 08, 2022 at 6:46 am

        Hi Suzanne. I hate hearing you didn't have great results with this recipe. Did you use uncooked noodles? The noodles should absorb the liquid as they cook. Also, remember to simmer uncovered, that will allow some of that liquid to evaporate.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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    Ditch the boxed mix and make Homemade Hamburger Helper! 
This recipe for hamburger helper comes together with pantry staples, in one pot and in less than 30 minutes--not to mention it tastes much better than the original.

    Meet a Mind "Full" Mom

    A Picture of A Mind"Full"Mom

    Hi! I'm Kristen. I want to welcome you into my kitchen and my REAL, imperfect life. Let me share with you tips and tricks to help you make healthy eating a reality for your family in the chaos of life and on the constraints of a budget. Read more

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    Ditch the boxed mix and make Homemade Hamburger Helper! 
This recipe for hamburger helper comes together with pantry staples, in one pot and in less than 30 minutes--not to mention it tastes much better than the original.

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