Ground Beef Alfredo
Ground beef Alfredo combines seasoned browned ground beef with homemade creamy Alfredo sauce tossed with fettuccine for a hearty pasta dinner. The sauce is made from scratch with butter, flour, milk, cream, and freshly grated Parmesan for a rich, creamy texture. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners or a fancy dinner without leaving the house. Ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients, it feeds 4 people and costs under $20.
introThis ground beef Alfredo is comfort food at its finest. Seasoned ground beef gets folded into silky homemade Alfredo sauce made with butter, cream, and freshly grated Parmesan, then tossed with fettuccine until every strand is coated and glossy. The whole thing comes together in 30 minutes.
The homemade Alfredo sauce is the key here. It’s not jarred sauce doctored up. You make a real roux with butter and flour, add milk and cream, then stir in Parmesan until it’s smooth and silky. The ground beef adds savory richness without overwhelming the creamy sauce.
Serve it with a chopped Italian salad, some garlic knots or garlic bread to get all that sauce, and these Italian green beans for a full meal.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Baked Spaghetti – creamy, cheesy pasta
- Ham Tetrazzini – creamy skillet meal
- Cafeteria Noodles – old school egg noodles
- Mexican Spaghetti – cheesy, Tex-Mex flavors
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef – Use lean ground beef because it doesn’t release as much grease in the pan. If you only have very lean beef, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Substitute ground turkey or sausage if you prefer.
- Spices – I like to use homemade Italian seasoning but if you don’t have it use a mixture of rosemary, oregano, thyme, and basil.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt. And real butter is better than margarine which has a bunch of water in it.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works best. I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour or flour substitutes.
- Milk – Use whole milk if you have it. It makes the sauce even more creamy. I have even used evaporated milk too. Bring it close to room temperature so it mixes better with the cheese and cream.
- Heavy Cream – This is what makes the sauce so rich and creamy. Swap it out for half & half if you don’t have it.
- Parmesan – Be sure to get a block and grate it yourself or get the freshly grated stuff. The pre-shredded stuff in the bag has power on it to keep it from sticking and this keeps it from melting and makes the sauce grainy.
- Fettuccine – Use fresh or your favorite brand and any long pasta like linguine, pappardelle, or spaghetti will work too.
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How To Make Ground Beef Alfredo
- Boil fettuccine in a large pot of salted water until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pink is all gone, add the garlic and spices, and cook for 1 minute. Drain excess fat if there’s more than a tablespoon. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in milk, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.
- Add cream and stir to combine. Simmer gently for 3 minutes until thickened. Lower the heat and stir in the Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until smooth and silky. If it’s too thick, add a splash of saved pasta water.
- Add the beef and the drained pasta to the sauce.
- Stir to coat everything and adjust the sauce with any pasta water if it’s too thick.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce thickens as it sits so you’ll need to add some liquid when reheating.
Reheating: The best way to reheat this is in a pan on the stove. Do it over low or medium low heat and add a little milk, cream, or broth to bring the sauce back to it’s original creamy texture. You can microwave it but be sure to stir it a few times so the cheese doesn’t scorch.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this. When you thaw it, the pasta can be a little mushy and the sauce can get grainy.
Variations
- Chicken Alfredo: Use diced cooked chicken instead of ground beef for classic chicken Alfredo.
- Italian Sausage Alfredo: Replace ground beef with Italian sausage, use the hot if you want a kick.
- Add Vegetables: Stir in steamed broccoli florets, sautéed mushrooms, or wilted spinach for extra veggies and color. I love using roasted red peppers.
- Cajun Alfredo: Add Cajun seasoning when I cook the ground beef and a pinch of cayenne to the sauce for spicy kick.
- Bacon Alfredo: Use crumbled crispy bacon instead of ground beef for smoky flavor. Just stir it in at the end so it stays crispy.
- Different Pasta: Try penne, rigatoni, or bow tie pasta if you don’t have fettuccine. Any pasta will work!
- Extra Garlic: Double the garlic for extra flavor. Roasted garlic is even better!
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the sauce to add a tangy flavor and make it similar to my Marry Me Chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but I don’t recommend it. The pre-shedded, bagged stuff has powder in it to keep it from sticking. This also keeps it from melting smooth and can make your sauce grainy. Always grate or shred it yourself from a block. I do use the “fancy” cheese, already grated, from the deli section but it can get a little pricey. You can freeze cheese so buy the big block and grate as you need it.
Yes! Ground turkey or chicken work too. They have less fat so you might need to add a tablespoon of oil to prevent it from sticking to the pan when you brown it.
You likely used pre-shredded cheese or the heat was too high when adding the cheese. Grate fresh Parmesan and add it on low heat, stirring constantly until melted.
I don’t recommend it. Cream sauces separate and get grainy when frozen and thawed. This is best made fresh and eaten within 3 days.
Add some of the pasta water you saved a tablespoon at a time, stirring until you get the consistency how you like it. The starchy water thins the sauce while helping it cling to pasta.
The sauce is best made fresh, but you can make it a few hours ahead and gently reheat with a splash of milk or cream. Stir constantly over low heat.
Fettuccine is traditional but any long pasta like linguine, pappardelle, or spaghetti works beautifully. Short pasta like penne or rigatoni work too.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use 85-90% lean ground beef for the best balance of flavor. Too lean and it can dry out, too fatty can make the sauce greasy.
- Don’t let the roux brown when cooking the flour. You want it a blonde color, not golden or brown.
- Let the milk come to room temperature before adding to the roux. Cold milk can cause the sauce to “seize up” and get lumpy. Add it slowly and whisk continuously while making the sauce.
- Simmer the sauce gently, not at a rolling boil. High heat can cause the cream to break.
- Grate Parmesan fresh from a block. This is the most important tip for smooth, creamy Alfredo sauce! Add the cheese on low. High heat can make the cheese grainy too.
- Reserve pasta water before draining. You’ll need it to adjust sauce consistency. And don’t rinse the pasta after draining. The starch helps the sauce cling.
- Finish everything in the pan. Toss pasta with sauce over low heat. This helps the sauce coat every strand evenly.
This ground beef Alfredo recipe is a yummy one pan meal that is easy enough for a weekday and fancy enough for a dinner party!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Ground Beef Alfredo Recipe
Ingredients
Ground Beef Mixture
- 1 pound ground beef 85–90% lean
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons black pepper
- ½ teaspoons paprika
- ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Alfredo Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk room temp
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups Parmesan freshly grates, NOT pre-shredded
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch nutmeg
Pasta
- 12 oz fettuccine or any long pasta form
- reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Boil in well-salted water. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef, breaking it up well.
- Once browned, add garlic and spices. Stir for one minute. If very greasy, drain excess fat, leaving a little for flavor. Remove beef from the pan.
- In the same pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook 1 to 2 minutes (do not brown).
- Slowly whisk in milk and stir until it begins to thicken. Add cream and stir to combine. Simmer gently for 3 minutes until thickened.
- Lower the heat and stir in grated parmesan, salt, ground pepper and nutmeg.
- Stir until smooth and silky. If too thick → add a splash of pasta water.
- Add beef back in. Add drained pasta. Toss until coated and glossy.
- Adjust consistency with reserved pasta water until it clings beautifully.
Notes
- Use 85-90% lean ground beef for the best balance of flavor. Too lean and it can dry out, too fatty can make the sauce greasy.
- Don’t let the roux brown when cooking the flour. You want it a blonde color, not golden or brown.
- Let the milk come to room temperature before adding to the roux. Cold milk can cause the sauce to “seize up” and get lumpy. Add it slowly and whisk continuously while making the sauce.
- Simmer the sauce gently, not at a rolling boil. High heat can cause the cream to break.
- Grate Parmesan fresh from a block. This is the most important tip for smooth, creamy Alfredo sauce! Add the cheese on low. High heat can make the cheese grainy too.
- Reserve pasta water before draining. You’ll need it to adjust sauce consistency. And don’t rinse the pasta after draining. The starch helps the sauce cling.
- Finish everything in the pan. Toss pasta with sauce over low heat. This helps the sauce coat every strand evenly.
Nutrition
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