When I want a quick, easy dish on the table that everyone will be excited about and that uses up my ground beef in the fridge, I make this! It’s my Iraqi-style one pot ground beef and potato curry. The flavour is amped up because its seasoned with warm spices (and my favourite Iraqi trio: curry powder, cumin and coriander) and the beef gets cooked first until browned and actually caramelized. Serve it with bread or over rice. Let’s walk through the steps!

A skillet filled with ground meat, potatoes, peas, and spices sits on a blue tiled surface, with a wooden spoon resting inside. Nearby are a bowl of rice and a small dish of chopped herbs.

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A quick “kari” was always an option for dinner if my dad was cooking. In fact, his signature Iraqi-style curry is with chicken and mushrooms. But this version is the one I go to more often, because my kids love ground beef.

And ground beef is always in my fridge, so when we are bored of their favourite one pot kofta stew, or my Turkish pasta (which is hard to be bored of), then I make this ground beef curry. It’s one I usually don’t have to think about because I always have a bag of potatoes, and frozen peas in my freezer, too.

The one game-changing step you need to pay attention to is the browning of the beef. When I was testing this curry, I took my time actually caramelizing the beef. That means after its browned and broken up into pieces, I spread out in one layer.

And I leave it alone for a few minutes on medium high heat. Once I see that the beef is crisping up, I stir so the other side can also crisp up. This step adds so much flavour! When I skipped it the next testing round (I was in a rush), while it was still delicious, it lacked more depth that I knew I could achieve.

How To Make This Ground Beef Curry

You’ll need 900g of lean ground beef, or you can use medium ground beef and slightly reduce the olive oil in this recipe. The extra fat will help the beef caramelize and add flavour.

I prefer yellow potatoes in this dish (I find they cook quite fast and have a creamy texture), peeled and chopped into roughly 1/2 inch chunks, but you don’t need to be perfect.

Finally – a bag of frozen peas, or even a mix of peas and carrots, or frozen green beans. Choose the option that your family loves the most!

Diced potatoes and minced garlic are on a wooden cutting board, with a large kitchen knife placed below them on a marble surface.
Chop the potatoes and dice the garlic.
Ground beef cooking in a white skillet on a stove, topped with various colorful spices. A wooden spatula rests on the side of the pan, and a tiled backsplash is visible in the background.
Start browning the meat until caramelized, then add all the spices.
Ground meat is being sautéed with chopped onions, garlic, and tomato paste in a large white pan on a stove. A wooden spatula rests to the side, and a gray tile backsplash is visible in the background.
Make space in the skillet and cook the garlic until fragrant, then the tomato paste until its darker.
A sauté pan filled with cooked, seasoned ground beef being stirred with a wooden spatula on a stove, with a tile backsplash in the background.
Incorporate the garlic and tomato paste into the ground beef.
A skillet filled with browned ground beef and cubed potatoes, seasoned and cooking on a stovetop, with a wooden spatula resting on the side. Gray subway tile backsplash is visible in the background.
Add the potato cubes, season with salt and mix through.
A pot filled with a stew of ground meat, diced potatoes, and a red-orange broth is cooking on a stovetop. A wooden spatula rests on the side of the pot.
Add the water, then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
A pan filled with ground meat, diced potatoes, and a pile of frozen green peas, with a gray tile backsplash in the background.
Add the frozen peas and the cornstarch slurry.
A skillet filled with cooked ground meat, diced potatoes, and green peas in a savory sauce sits on a stovetop, ready to serve.
Cover and cook until the peas are soft.

My favourite way to serve it is over vermicelli rice, or saffron rice, along with a dollop of yogurt. I also usually make a quick Arabic salad or cabbage slaw.

A bowl containing white rice, ground meat with potatoes and peas in sauce, and a side of fresh green salad, on a blue tiled surface.

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A skillet filled with ground meat, potatoes, peas, and spices sits on a blue tiled surface, with a wooden spoon resting inside. Nearby are a bowl of rice and a small dish of chopped herbs.
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Quick Ground Beef Curry with Potatoes (Iraqi Style)

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
This one pot stove top dinner is a quick take on my family's Iraqi style curry. Hearty ground beef is cooked until caramelized, seasoned with warm spices, and simmered with potato chunks and peas. Perfect scooped over white rice.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 900 g lean ground beef, or medium ground beef
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, mild
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

For the Potatoes & Peas

  • 4 yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups frozen green peas
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Place a large 2-inch deep skillet with a lid on medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Heat for a few seconds.
  • Add the 900 g lean ground beef and break it up into small pieces using a wooden spoon. Cook the beef until its fully browned and starting to caramelize. Leave it in layers for a few minutes at a time to ensure you get that caramelization. This should take about 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric. Mix well.
  • Add the chopped 4 yellow potatoes and the 1/4 teaspoon salt, mixing well to incorporate with the beef.
  • Add 3 1/2 cups water. Place on high heat, cover, and bring to a boil.
  • After 20 to 25 minutes, check that the potatoes are soft and taste for seasoning.
  • Add the 3 cups frozen green peas. Whisk the 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 additional cup of water and pour into the skillet. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes, until the peas are cooked through but still a little crisp.

Notes

  • This curry will taste infinitely better if you take the time to caramelize the ground beef in the first step, instead of cooking it until browned but still watery. 
  • If the curry powder you’re using is spicy and not mild, you need to add less and increase it gradually as you taste and adjust in step 6.
  • The cornstarch slurry at the end helps to thicken the sauce and make it more luxurious in texture. You can skip it though.
  • Serve this dish over rice, with a dollop of yogurt and a side salad.
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 400kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 800mg, Potassium: 1325mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 597IU, Vitamin C: 58mg, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 6mg
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