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    Home » Recipes » Gluten Free

    The Best Gluten Free Hamburger Helper

    Author: Rachel Rivera | Published: May 9, 2023 | Last Modified: Oct 6, 2025

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    This one skillet, gluten free hamburger helper is insanely cheesy and delicious, you'll be wishing for leftovers-but there won't be any left!

    gluten free hamburger helper

    Looking for more one pot, gluten free dinners? Check out this roundup of One Pot Gluten Free Dinners that are all protein focused!

    Needed Ingredients

    ingredients needed for gluten free hamburger helper
    • Oil
    • Ground Beef
    • Onion
    • Garlic
    • Tomato Sauce
    • Tomato Paste
    • Broth
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Chili Pepper
    • Italian Seasoning
    • Paprika
    • Pasta
    • Cheddar Cheese

    See recipe post for quantitates. When you do, you'll notice it calls for 16 oz. of gluten free pasta. I got mine at Trader Joe's!

    It always frustrated me that regular pasta all comes in 16 oz., but then switch to gluten free and you find 12 or 10 oz. I was so happy to find that Trader Joe's sells gluten free pasta in a normal size!

    How to Make Gluten Free Hamburger Helper

    Start by heating the oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat and cooking the ground beef. Break it up as it cooks.

    Halfway through cooking the beef, add in the chopped onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

    cooking the beef and onion

    When the beef is almost finished but not quite, add in the broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly.

    adding ingredients

    Add the pasta and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to just below medium to a simmer and put the lid on. Cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally until the pasta is finished cooking.

    adding the pasta

    When it's finished, turn off the heat and add in the cheese and mix thoroughly. Enjoy!

    Substitutions

    • You can swap the ground beef out for ground turkey if you'd like!
    • Use dairy free cheese to make this a gluten free dairy free hamburger helper!
    • Use vegetable, beef, or bone broth instead of chicken broth!

    Variations

    • At the same time you add in the cheese, add in some fresh chopped tomatoes!
    • Get more greens! Wilt in some spinach at the end, or add some celery in with the onion and garlic.
    • Add in some sliced red peppers with the onion and garlic.

    Serving Suggestions

    This is best served with a side salad! It's a great meal to serve some veggies with.

    For dressings check out this dairy free ranch dressing or this sugar free honey mustard for dressing options!

    Storing and Reheating

    If you happen to have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

    To reheat, you have some options. My favorite way to reheat this is to place it in the oven on an oven safe dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until heated through.

    You can also use the microwave but it can change the texture a bit.

    Top Tip

    Be sure to use sharp yellow cheddar cheese! Or even better, extra sharp! It really does help with the flavor.

    More Gluten Free Dinners to Try

    • Gluten Free Shepherd's Pie
    • Gluten Free Meatloaf
    • Gluten Free Creamy Chicken Soup
    gluten free hamburger helper

    Gluten Free Hamburger Helper

    Rachel Rivera
    This one skillet, gluten free hamburger helper is insanely cheesy and delicious, you'll be wishing for leftovers-but there won't be any left!
    4.34 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 3 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 23 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 people

    Equipment

    • 1 large skillet or pan
    • 1 Knife
    • 1 Cutting Board
    • 1 Mixing Spoon
    • Measuring spoons

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tablespoon olive oil or butter or other cooking fat
    • 1 lb. ground beef
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 5 cloves of garlic diced
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • 16 oz. pasta
    • 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
    • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon chili pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika
    • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook.
    • When the beef is halfway done, add in the onion and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
    • Add in the broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and spices. Mix thoroughly.
    • Add the pasta and mix. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to just below medium to a simmer and put the lid on. Cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally or until the pasta is finished.
    • Shut the heat and add the cheese. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!
    Keyword gluten free hamburger helper

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments below how it came out, and how you served it!

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    « Gluten Free Meatballs
    Gluten Free Shepherd's Pie »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Louis says

      December 13, 2024 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe for my family this week and we all loved it! I followed it as is, no substitutions. It’s super cheesy and my 6 year old was asking for more so that’s a win for us!

      Reply
      • Rachel Rivera says

        December 16, 2024 at 4:09 pm

        Thank you so much Louis! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
    2. Emily says

      November 11, 2024 at 6:52 pm

      3 stars
      This recipe is Okay.. A good base, but a little bland. Next time I make it I think I would cook onions with the meat the whole time, a little more seasoning, beef broth instead of chicken, and velveeta instead of shredded cheese.

      Reply
      • Rachel Rivera says

        November 13, 2024 at 3:45 pm

        Hi Emily! Thanks for stopping by and trying my recipe! A note on velveeta cheese-why it's insanely tasty and I'm sure would make this recipe extra tasty, as a blogger of healthy recipes I don't use it in any of my recipes! It's extremely processed, high in saturated fat, and can't even legally be labeled as cheese 🙁 Of course you're more than welcome to try it, and I hope you enjoy it and like some other recipes I have!

        Reply
    3. Kevin Blanchard says

      October 29, 2023 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      This is the best recipe that I’ve found that is delicious. Others I’ve tried are bland. Not this one!

      Reply
      • Rachel Rivera says

        November 01, 2023 at 6:27 pm

        Thanks so much for trying it out, glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Aimee says

      September 27, 2023 at 1:55 pm

      Also, I am not seeing the cheese on the ingredients! Just noticed that 🙂

      Reply
    5. Aimee says

      September 27, 2023 at 1:53 pm

      Is the tomato sauce only 1oz? It seems like a small amount and wanted to clarify that it isn’t more! I am excited to make this recipe. We are big beef Mac fans over here!

      Reply
      • Rachel Rivera says

        September 28, 2023 at 8:19 pm

        Oh my, thank you for catching these! I kept forgetting to go back and add the cheese but totally missed the tomato sauce typo! lol The post is now updated and should read correctly! It's 1 8oz. can of tomato sauce, and 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese! You can do white or yellow cheese 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Rachel! I'm a health food blogger who's currently obtaining a nutrition certification! My health journey started with hormonal issues and gut health, which eventually led to this blog!

    Here you'll find recipes that are practically all gluten free and soy free! Many are paleo and grain free also, but all are healthy and delicious!

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