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Home / Recipes
1 hour 20 minutes
4.53 from 191 votes
121 Comments

Easy Beef Lasagna

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 466
by: Joanna Cismaru
11.28.21

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This Easy Beef Lasagna is the easiest lasagna ever! There’s no need to boil noodles or slave away for hours over the stove for this recipe. It’s the perfect meal for a busy weeknight dinner.

beef lasagna in a white casserole dish right out of the oven

If you’re like me, you’re probably scared to make lasagna because of all the work it takes. You have to: boil the noodles, make the sauce, assemble the lasagna and bake it. That may not sound like too crazy of a list but traditional recipes usually focus on a sauce left to simmer so it takes quite a while. Not today! This recipe is a lot simpler and it makes for a fabulous weeknight dinner.

What’s So Special About Lasagna?

This is a classic Italian dish, one that is known nearly all over the world due to its addicting popularity. It’s warm and comforting with a savory rich sauce, ooey gooey cheese, and al dente layers of noodles.

I don’t want my readers to fear attempting this dish because it’s so good, so I’ve made it nice and easy for all of you today. I love the way these leftovers turn out too so it’s perfect the next day as well! What a bonus!

beef lasagna in a white casserole dish cut into slices

Ingredient Notes

  • Beef – Ground is what we’ll use today. Because I used lean there’s no need to drain the oil after its cooked.
  • Onion – A small onion diced up that will cook well like white or yellow.
  • Seasoning – We’re just using dried oregano and salt and pepper today.
  • Sauce – A jar of marinara sauce will do just fine and it’s the key to cutting down on the cook time of this beef lasagna recipe.
  • Cheese – Ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan are needed for richness and a good melty texture.
  • Egg – We’re going to use this as a binder for our ricotta sauce so be sure to pick some up.
  • Noodles – Clearly we need lasagna noodles! Their sheet structure are needed for those definable layers.
a spatula with a piece of beef lasagna held over beef lasagna in a casserole dish

How To Make Beef Lasagna

  1. Preheat the oven: Set to 375 F degrees.
  2. Brown the beef: In a sauce pan or skillet, cook the ground meat until no longer pink. Add chopped onion, 1 tbsp of the oregano, salt, pepper and continue cooking until onion is cooked through and translucent.
  3. Prepare the sauces: Add the marinara sauce to the skillet and the cup of water. Stir and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside. In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, 1 tbsp oregano, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.
  4. Stack the lasagna: In a baking dish that’s about 9×13 inches, start assembling your lasagna. Start with a couple ladles of the sauce at the bottom, this is especially necessary now that the noodles aren’t cooked. Lay 3 lasagna noodles over the meat sauce. Next layer with ricotta mixture and about 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat until you have 4 layers of noodles, and end with ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese.
fork cutting into beef lasagna piece

Tips For Making The Best Lasagna

  1. Believe it or not, it’s not required to boil the noodles first, even though many recipes call for it. There is plenty of sauce in the recipe to cook the noodles while the lasagna is baking. Plus this way you end up with a firmer lasagna and no mushy noodles, but perfectly al dente.
  2. Don’t be afraid to mix your ground meat for the sauce. This time I used ground beef, but if you’re feeling adventures, combine beef with pork or chicken and turkey.
  3. Be sure to use lots of sauce to cook those noodles fully!
  4. Use cottage cheese for even more creaminess.
  5. Crumbled sausage is a nice addition to the ground beef if you want an even meatier sauce.

Leftovers

Properly cool the beef lasagna before storing it, so that it will freeze and store evenly. It will stay fresh for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Frozen lasagna will last for 2 – 3 months, just be sure to allow to thaw fully in the fridge before re heating.

More Great Lasagna Recipes To Try

  • Taco Lasagna
  • Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
  • Chicken Lasagna alla Bolognese
  • Skillet Lasagna
  • Zucchini Lasagna
  • Lasagna Dip
  • Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
  • Lasagna Roll-ups
  • One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna
  • Lasagna Soup

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a spatula taking a portion of lasagna from the dish

Easy Beef Lasagna

4.53 from 191 votes
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 20 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 12
Print Pin Rate
This Easy Beef Lasagna is the easiest lasagna ever! There's no need to boil noodles or slave away for hours over the stove for this recipe. It's the perfect meal for a busy weeknight dinner.

Equipment

  • 9×13-inch Casserole Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 tablespoon oregano dried
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 24 ounce marinara sauce (1 jar/680 g)
  • 1 cup water
  • 15 ounce ricotta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
  • In a sauce pan or skillet, cook the ground meat until no longer pink. Add chopped onion, 1 tbsp of the oregano, salt, pepper and continue cooking until onion is cooked through and translucent.
  • Add the marinara sauce to the skillet and the cup of water. Stir and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a small bowl combine the ricotta cheese, 1 tbsp oregano, eggs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.
  • In a baking dish that’s about 9×13 inches, start assembling your lasagna. I usually start with a couple ladles of the sauce at the bottom, this is especially necessary now that the noodles aren’t cooked. Lay 3 lasagna noodles over the meat sauce. Next layer with ricotta mixture and about 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add another 3 lasagna noodles, meat mixture, ricotta mixture, mozzarella. Repeat until you have 4 layers of noodles, and end with ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake in the oven for about an hour. It will take the entire hour for the noodles to cook. You may try with a fork to ensure noodles are cooked.

Recipe Notes

  1. Be sure this dish is properly cooled before being stored so that it will freeze and store evenly. It will stay fresh for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Frozen lasagna will last for 2 – 3 months, just be sure to allow to thaw fully in the fridge before re heating.
  2. Believe it or not, it’s not required to boil the noodles first, even though many recipes call for it. There is plenty of sauce in the recipe to cook the noodles while the lasagna is baking. Plus this way you end up with a firmer lasagna and no mushy noodles, but perfectly al dente.
  3. Don’t be afraid to mix your ground meat for the sauce. This time I used ground beef, but if you’re feeling adventures, combine beef with pork or chicken and turkey.
  4. Be sure to use lots of sauce to cook those noodles fully!
  5. Use cottage cheese for even more creaminess.
  6. Crumbled sausage is a nice addition to the ground beef if you want an even meatier sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1pieceCalories: 333kcal (17%)Carbohydrates: 26g (9%)Protein: 22g (44%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Cholesterol: 87mg (29%)Sodium: 646mg (28%)Potassium: 455mg (13%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 615IU (12%)Vitamin C: 4.4mg (5%)Calcium: 254mg (25%)Iron: 2.5mg (14%)
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Italian
Keyword:beef lasagna, how to make lasagna, lasagna recipe
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 466
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Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Kelsey says

    April 23, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    Uncovered? I baked mine at 375 uncovered and the cheese was brown/burned after 30 minutes 🙁

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      April 23, 2021 at 6:13 pm

      Yep, if you notice it starts to brown early you can cover it with foil and finish cooking it.

      Reply
  2. Maria Garcia says

    February 10, 2021 at 11:55 am

    5 stars
    The best receipt, excellent!!!!!

    Reply
  3. N M says

    January 1, 2021 at 10:26 pm

    5 stars
    This was my first time making lasagna and it happened to be for a large group of people. It was so simple to make and it turned out amazing! Even my lactose intolerant friend went for seconds!

    Reply
  4. Kristin says

    December 26, 2020 at 2:07 pm

    5 stars
    This really is the best recipe! I do not cook — ever — but was able to follow this and it turned out fantastic! We used 1/2 cup of water and a little more marinara. We also added a little more beef. Did three layers of pasta instead of four since our dish was a little larger. Delicious! And tons of leftovers!

    Reply
  5. Arianna Ali says

    December 8, 2020 at 5:21 am

    5 stars
    I did this for my family it was Excellent

    Reply
  6. Jami Greathouse says

    October 25, 2020 at 6:29 pm

    This was my whole Families favorite lasagna, the only thing is, nobody in my family likes al dente pasta, so I did boil my noodles for five minutes before assembling, and that caused it to be really runny since the noodle didn’t absorb as much liquid. Do you think next time I do it I should completely omit the water or maybe just use less?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      October 25, 2020 at 7:50 pm

      Oh yeah if you cook your noodles first, it will be runny, so yeah I think I’d omit the water from the sauce.

      Reply
  7. loretta G says

    September 18, 2020 at 8:10 pm

    5 stars
    That’s was my first time EVER making lasagna, and trust me, I am no cook ! This recipe was not daunting at all! Super simple to make and didn’t take too much time to prepare.. I will exclusively be using Jo’s recipes when i want to brave the kitchen!! thanks so much for making the reads on this site so fun and friendly. You are so great! Loved the lasagna!!!

    Reply
    • jo says

      September 18, 2020 at 10:35 pm

      Yay! So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  8. Betsy says

    June 11, 2020 at 11:34 pm

    Is there a reason why you add one cup of water to the sauce rather than doubling the amount of jarred marinara?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team 2 says

      June 12, 2020 at 10:38 am

      I find it doesn’t make it too “thick” or overpowering, but if you’d like to add more marinara, you are more than welcome!!

      Reply
  9. Femi says

    April 26, 2020 at 10:14 am

    5 stars
    I just made this yesterday! It was a lot less stressful to put together, and it turned out great too! However I went a little overboard with the cheese, but I still enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe – next time I’ll try to follow it to the T.

    Reply
  10. Holly says

    April 18, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    I’m making it tomorrow, can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese. That is what I have on hand. Thankyou

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      April 20, 2020 at 10:06 am

      Yes cottage cheese works!

      Reply
    • Holly says

      April 23, 2020 at 10:18 pm

      I loved this recipe, will be making it again and so is my daughter. Excellent. Thank you

      Reply
  11. Lindsay says

    March 18, 2020 at 5:26 pm

    5 stars
    My family LOVED this recipe! My fiancé loved it so much, he’s taking it into work tomorrow to share with his buddies. My compliments to you, Jo! It was so easy to make, and I followed the recipe to a tee. Thank you so much for sharing this. This will be going into my recipe binder.

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      March 19, 2020 at 10:02 am

      That’s so great to hear! We’re glad everyone loved it.

      Reply
  12. BRITTANY says

    January 10, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    I don’t have the “no boil” noodles. Can I still put them in uncooked?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      January 10, 2020 at 2:34 pm

      Yes! I’ve made this recipe with regular noodles before.

      Reply
    • Sherry says

      March 30, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      I love this recipe, it’s just like my Mom’s. Delicious and the best ever lasagna. Thank You

      Reply
  13. Holly says

    December 15, 2019 at 2:47 pm

    Is this baked uncovered for an hour? Or covered? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      December 16, 2019 at 10:09 am

      Uncovered! We’ll always specify if you have to cover it.

      Reply
  14. Whitney says

    December 3, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    Is this something that could be put together in the morning, refrigerated, and then baked later that day?

    Reply
    • jo says

      December 3, 2019 at 1:46 pm

      Absolutely! Just wrap it up with foil and refrigerated it until later in the day until you’re ready to bake it.

      Reply
  15. Jenni E says

    August 9, 2019 at 1:46 pm

    5 stars
    “Easy” in relation to a lasagna recipe had me scoffing at first but honestly: it’s bang on. I love making recipes – I scour the internet to try new things. This recipe right here – this is going into “the book”. We have a recipe book that we consult when we want to make something we “know” is good – when we want to impress family and friends. This is going in there. It’s simple, easy and has little room for error. The ricotta WAS worth going out during my lunch break to grab.
    The only thing I would note is: I only got 3 layers. Not a criticism as it worked out perfectly with the dish I used, and all of the supplies I bought/made were perfectly used up. So, perhaps I went for a thicker layer than others but it worked out so: very happy with this staple lasagna recipe.

    Reply
    • jo says

      August 9, 2019 at 3:45 pm

      So glad you liked this!! You’re right, my dish that I used here was pretty deep vs the other lasagna dish I have.

      Reply
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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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