What is the Best Ground Beef?

To say which is the best ground beef, it depends upon what will be done with the meat. Let’s look at the different grinds and see what they bring to the table while suggesting some best uses for each of the different grinds.

80% – Best option for burgers!

This grind consists of 80 percent lean ground meat and 20 percent fat. This option is usually the cheapest grind that one can find. Since fat brings flavor to most foods, especially meats, this option is a good choice for making a juicy burger on the grill. If you’re looking to make a nice meat sauce, you should probably avoid this option as the saucepan will contain a large puddle of oil along with the cooked meat.

85% – Best option for meaty recipes!

This option is sort of an all-purpose middle blend. There is enough fat to keep the cooked meat tasty, yet not so much as to make is greasy. Use this grind to make things like meat loaf and chili.

93% – Best option for hand held recipes with added spices!

This is lean ground beef that contains only 7 percent fat in the mix. It’s the reverse of the 80% grind in that less fat means less flavor for this meat. Caution must be taken when using this grind in that overcooking will dry out the meat. This blend is best for things like tacos and lettuce wraps where you don’t want any oil dripping down your arms while eating.

Although local stores or butchers may offer slightly different grinds, these percentages should provide a guideline into the best choice of ground beef for the intended purpose.

Remember to cook all meats to the proper temperature for safety reasons.

What is the Best Ground Beef?

Additional Info

If a package of ground beef is brown in the middle there may be no need for alarm, but further inspection is wise. Find out all about brown meat.

To find out how long ground beef lasts, see one of our hamburg page.