This ground beef and kale skillet has all the classic earthy Moroccan flavours. With a hint of sweetness, this dish is sure to change up your usual ground beef routine.
If you enjoy earthy and sweet flavours you are going to love this Moroccan-style ground beef and kale skillet. All of the ingredients go into one skillet for easier cleanup and to maximize all the flavours.
Use frozen butternut squash and packaged precut kale to speed this recipe up even more. These are the only ingredients you have to prep so you can get this recipe down to 25 minutes!
If you have a child who doesn’t like one-pot meals, serve this dish deconstructed. I serve the butternut squash, beef and starch separately simply by picking each ingredient out. I skip the kale altogether because my toddlers are too little to appreciate its goodness.
This is the most flavourful ground beef and kale recipe that you will find.
Let’s get cooking!
Preparing Moroccan-Style Ground Beef and Kale Skillet
Ingredients
Butternut squash: A type of winter squash that grows on a vine, with a bright yellowy-orange flesh that is slightly sweet and similar to pumpkin. It is rich in vitamin A, potassium and fiber making it a very healthy addition to any meal.
Ground beef: Ground beef can come from many parts of the cow so if you have a preference make sure to read the label. It is usually made from the trimmings of other, larger cuts of beef and is then ground. It is the star of this dish so you want to make sure it’s not too fatty. With that said, if you prefer the flavour of fattier ground meat then by all means. Don’t let me take away your joy!
Kale: Kale is a cruciferous vegetable and a member of the cabbage family, though it does not come in a head the way cabbage does. It has large dark green or purple leaves that are almost frilly at the ends. Kale can be eaten raw or cooked, though mature leaves can be a bit tough.
Butter: Unsalted butter adds a delicious flavour base when slightly browned. It adds fat to the glaze and helps coat the squash.
Stock: Stock adds the base for this delicious sauce so the flavour is brings is very important. Make sure you don’t have one that’s too salty. If it is, reduce the amount of sauce you add to the recipe.
Seasoning
Cumin: Cumin is a seed from a plant that is part of the parsley family. Though the plant is native to Asia and the Mediterranean, the spice is used in cuisines all over the world. I would describe the flavour as pungent and earthy. It is definitely a unique taste and as such should be used carefully as it can easily overpower a dish.
Paprika: I use sweet paprika for this recipe. It is not sweet in the sugary sense, but it is definitely the sweetest of them all compared to its spicy and smoked siblings.
Garlic powder: Garlic powder is dehydrated garlic ground to a powder. It’s sweeter than raw garlic so it just adds a hint of garlic flavour without the sharpness.
Nutmeg: Nutmeg is a seed that comes from an evergreen tree. The seed is used as a spice in food however be careful not to use too much for two reasons. One reason is that it’s a very overpowering flavour. The second is that in larger amounts it can be toxic due to its psychoactive effects.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a spice that is actually made out of the inner bark of the tree. You can commonly buy cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon. This recipe calls for ground cinnamon.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar is a mixture of white sugar and molasses. Molasses is responsible for the darker colour. We use dark brown sugar for this recipe but any brown sugar will do.
How to Make Ground Beef and Kale Skillet
Get ready because this is such a simple ground beef and kale recipe.
If you are serving this dish with turmeric rice, start with that recipe first:
While the rice is cooking, make the ground beef and kale skillet. (Note 1)
Cut the squash into ½-inch cubes or smaller. You can use frozen if that’s what you have on hand. This will save you some time too.
Wash and chop the kale. You can use pre-cut packaged kale to skip this step. The stems of the kale can be quite tough so make sure to cut those away and just use the soft parts of the leaves. See the video in the recipe card below on how to do this.
Next, you need to heat the butter in a large pan or cast iron skillet. Once the butter is melted, add the squash and cook for about 10 minutes. Toss halfway to cook evenly on both sides. Remove the squash from the pan and set it aside.
Now, add the ground beef to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until cooked through. You don’t need to add any more butter as the natural fat of the beef will create enough juices. Use a spatula to break up the meat into small pieces.
Can a ground beef and kale skillet be vegetarian?
Yes! Just use tofu instead of ground beef. Mash it, or crumble it into the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, add the spices and sauté for a few minutes. If you want a little extra crunch, add a ¼ cup of breadcrumbs as well. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
Add the spices to the meat, or meat alternative, and sauté for another couple of minutes, then add the liquid, butternut squash and kale into the pan. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the kale is wilted.
Substitutions
Brown Sugar: If you don’t have brown sugar you can use white granulated sugar or honey instead. Start with half the recommended amount, mix in and taste, then add more if its not too sweet.
Butter: You can use oil instead of butter to cook up the butternut squash but I will highlight that there is nothing tastier than butternut squash with butter.
Butternut Squash: If you’re not a fan you can make this dish with sweet potato instead. It will have a sweeter flavour overall but will still be delicious.
Ground Beef: Try ground chicken or turkey for a lighter meal. You can also use tofu! Mash the tofu in the pan and fry with the spices for a few minutes. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe as indicated.
Kale: You can use other leafy greens in this recipe like swiss chard or collard greens. If you prefer a softer and milder leafy addition, try fresh spinach. Note that spinach will wilt much faster than the other options so you don’t need to cook that last bit as long.
Serving
This is a very flavourful meal so you don’t need to add more in terms of flavour. I do love to serve this ground beef and kale skillet over turmeric rice or quinoa for the beautiful colour. The mild flavour also complements this dish very nicely.
You can keep it simple and serve over plain rice or couscous or skip the starches and eat it all on its own.
Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Moroccan Style Ground Beef and Kale Skillet Recipe
Equipment
- Large deep pan ((cast iron skillet or dutch oven))
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash (approx. 11 oz., fresh or frozen)
- 3 cups fresh kale leaves (approx. 3oz)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup of water or stock
Instructions
- If you are serving this dish with turmeric rice, start with that recipe first. While the rice is cooking, make the ground beef and kale skillet. (note 1)
- Cut squash into cubes. You can use frozen if that’s what you have on hand. This will also speed up the recipe2 cups cubed butternut squash
- Wash and chop kale. The stems of the kale can be quite tough so make sure to cut those away and just use the soft parts of the leaves. See the video below on how to do this.3 cups fresh kale leaves
- Heat the butter in a pan. Once the butter is melted, add the squash and cook for about 10 minutes. Toss halfway to cook evenly on both sides. Remove the squash from the pan and set it aside.1 tbsp butter, 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- Next, add the ground beef to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until cooked through. Use a spatula to break up the meat into small pieces.1 lb ground beef
- Add the spices to the meat and sauté for another couple of minutes.1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp brown sugar
- Add water or stock to the pan then add the butternut squash back in. Add the kale and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the kale is wilted.1 cup of water or stock
- Serve on top of turmeric quinoa or rice.
This was great! My kids loved it too. I used chopped dates instead of sugar, and it was perfect. I also only had curry powder instead of turmeric but it made a nice compliment to the beef, kale, squash and dates! Thanks so much for a delicious and FAST recipe!
These are fantastic alternatives. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m so happy your whole family enjoyed it!
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