Dutch Oven Ground Beef Curry

Do you have a picky eater in your family? My picky eater is a 23-year-old male – no surprise there. This easy ground beef curry is my picky eater’s go-to meal because we know those picky eaters will not eat a square of beef…

Let your family enjoy the delicious flavors of ground beef and the full flavors of a mild curry made in the Dutch oven with a rich spicy smell that will make them think it’s their favorite dish. The best part is, you’re sneaking in a few veggies right under their nose!

This recipe is great because you can add any vegetables you want and you can actually hide them.

Grate carrots if they won’t eat them chopped.

Blend zucchini, squash, or sweet potato and replace some of the liquid in the recipe with it. It not only hides the vegetable but thickens and fills out the dish to be more hearty.

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Dutch Oven Ground Beef Curry

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 tbsps Olive Oil – or oil of choice
• 1 lb or 500 grams of ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 1 carrot – grated
• 1/2 cup frozen or canned peas
• 1/2 cup frozen or canned corn kernels
• 1 cup of water
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder – or more if you like a bit of heat
• 1 beef stock cube or 2 teaspoons of powdered beef stock
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt (iodized)

Gravy

• 1 1/2 tablespoons of gravy powder
• 1 cup of water – add this at the end

Instructions

Heat Dutch oven to about 350 degrees for frying

Add ground beef, break or chop it down and stir until well browned

Add diced onion, celery, and carrot, and add to browned beef

Simmer for approximately 5 minutes – stir

Add water, beef stock cube or powder, curry powder, salt, and pepper

Combine well before adding peas and corn

Bring back to the simmer

Cover, and reduce heat to low to keep simmering

Simmer for about 30 minutes stirring every 15 minutes

Gravy

Reduce or turn off the heat

Mix cold water and gravy together until smooth

Add to the beef and stir until the gravy thickens

I do not usually add heat at this time – because the Dutch oven keeps the beef hot.

Serving Suggestions

• Mashed Potato
• Potato bake
• Steamed Vegetables
• Baked vegetables
• Dutch Oven Steamed Rice

Best Ingredients Available

My mantra is ingredients that are the least touched by man. In an effort to steer clear of modified food.

I try to prepare all my meals with grass-fed meat, grass-fed chicken products including dairy products.

Continuing in the vein of the least touched by man products I will always try to find the purest form I can.

I wash and re-wash fresh produce to ensure chemicals and sprays are removed. 

I read the package religiously in an effort to avoid added non-necessary ingredients such as sugars, sweeteners, sodium, and other nasties.

As always just work with the best available and try to buy fresh and prepare any basics you might require.

F.A.Q’s

What is the best way to cook ground beef?

Ground beef should be browned off while fresh to seal in the flavors.

You can also use this method before freezing and it will be ready to use in any recipe when defrosted.

Using a Dutch oven, instant pot, crock pot, or any pan heat up your oil of choice over medium heat. I like pure cold-pressed olive oil.

While the meat is browning continually chop at it to break it up until it is red no longer – it should take about 5 minutes.

When finished drain beef while still warm to hot – when it cools either continue with a recipe or freezer for another day.

If you are freezing ensure you label the packet correctly. To be used within four months of the freezing date.

What spices are good with ground beef?

I believe that almost all spices complement ground beef. It really depends on what flavors you feel like on a particular day.

Here are a few starting with the staples that infuse into the beef and then adding other flavors;

Onion, garlic, salt, and pepper (add at the end of the recipe so the salt does not dry your beef out), mustard, curry, cayenne pepper, chili, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, tarragon, cilantro, bay leaves, Mexican spice mix, Italian spice even Morrocan spice mix.

How do you make beef curry from scratch?

Follow this recipe for easy Dutch oven ground beef.

How can I make ground beef taste better?

Infusing basic flavors while the beef is fresh. Do this by frying or browning the ground beef in olive oil with crushed garlic, finely chopped onions, salt, and pepper. Then choose the type of meal you would like for example Italian flavors, Mexican or Moroccan. You can use a blend of spices you have in your pantry or buy a spice blend already pre-prepared.

Best Dutch Ovens – My Top 5 Picks

• Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven, 5.5 qt.
• Staub Cast Iron Round Cocotte, 5.5-quart
• Lodge Color Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 6-Quart
• Bruntmor, Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven Casserole Dish 5 quart
• Crock-Pot Artisan Round Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 7-Quart

Final Thoughts – Dutch Oven Beef Curry

We have all had to prepare meals for picky eaters. This recipe is perfect because the ingredients are easy to keep on hand. Everyone enjoys the meal and if there are leftovers it is a meal that tastes just as good when reheated.

If you have picky eaters or just want a great tasting and easy-to-prepare Dutch oven meal you need to check out my recipes for;

• Dutch Oven Porcupine Meatballs
• Dutch Oven Curried Sausages
• Dutch Oven Beef Stroganoff: One-Pot Recipe
• Dutch Oven Beef Pasta Bake

At Ovenspot I am committed to bringing you quick and easy recipe ideas, using fresh ingredients, that are prepared “all-in-one-pot.

One-Pot Cooking Rocks!