Learn Which Ground Beef to Use When Making Burgers, Chili, and More

There's a lot to like about ground beef: It's versatile, economical, tasty, and readily available. However, shopping for ground beef can be tricky because of all the different types and blends with ratios of fat content. Our comprehensive guide is filled with tips on what type of ground beef is best for the recipe you're making. Learn from an expert about how to read ground beef package labels and choose, cook, and store the meat for the best results.

What Do Ground Beef Labels Mean?

Buying ground beef should be simple enough, but packages are usually labeled ground chuck, ground round, or ground sirloin, and they offer numbers that indicate ratios between lean meat and fat. For example, 80/20 means the beef is 80 percent lean with 20 percent fat. Each blend and ratio is used for different purposes. To start, here's the key to understanding what part of the cow the beef has come from:

• Ground beef that is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat (80/20) comes from chuck primal cuts.
• Ground beef that is 85 percent lean and 15 percent fat (85/15) comes from the round primal cuts.
• Ground beef that is 90 percent lean and 10 percent fat (90/10) and leaner is derived from the sirloin primal cuts.

Which Ground Beef Blend Should You Use?

Your goal should be flavorful and juicy meat, never greasy and bland. "Many people prefer their burgers to be an 80/20 blend, 85/15 blend makes a tasty meatball or meatloaf, and 90 percent or leaner is great for sauces and crumbles," says Nicole Rodriguez, a registered dietician nutritionist and certified personal trainer. "Any of the blends make a delicious chili, lasagna, baked ziti, and ground beef pairs perfectly with a variety of vegetables."

Ground beef is also an excellent source of protein. "You might not think of ground beef as an add-in to pasta, but there's nothing quite like ground beef with some Greek seasoning, feta, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives," says Rodriguez. "Beef really amps up the nutrient density of carb-rich meals and helps stretch them out across more servings. A win-win!"

What Ground Beef Is Best for Burgers?

When it comes to making hamburgers, Rodriguez prefers 80/20. "Any blend, whether 80/20 or on the leaner side, is going to provide the unmistakable flavor and satisfaction of beef," she says. "If I'm being honest, nothing beats the eating experience of a burger made with an 80/20 blend. It's the juiciest, especially when you allow the patties to rest for five minutes before serving."

Buying and Storing Ground Beef

Here are Rodriguez's tips on how to buy and store your ground beef for the best results:

• Select beef with a bright cherry-red color. Lack of oxygen turns the beef brown and can indicate that it is beginning to spoil.
• Choose packages without excessive liquid.
• Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw ground beef and meat juices away from other foods, both in the refrigerator and during preparation.
• Use refrigerated ground beef within one to two days of purchase.
• Store ground beef in the freezer for three to four months before defrosting. Ground beef is more perishable than roasts or steaks.

Ground Beef Cooking Tips

Use a gentle touch when preparing ground beef. Overmixing will result in burgers, meatballs, or meatloaves with a firm, dense texture. And remember that cooking ground beef with high heat can nicely sear the outside, but it can also overcook or char the outside while the interior remains underdone. Always cook ground beef until it has a safe internal temperature of 160°F to 165°F.