By Chris Kerston, co-founder, Origin Provisions
The numbers on a package of ground beef are the ratio of lean meat to fat, by weight, before cooking. 80/20 means 80% lean and 20% fat. The leaner the beef, the more protein and the fewer calories you get ounce for ounce. If you're choosing for dietary reasons, the answer is simple: go leaner.
What isn't as obvious is that each lean point has jobs it does best. Fat in ground beef isn't only calories. It's what holds a patty together, keeps meat juicy as it cooks, and builds a crust in a hot pan. Picking the right lean point for what you're making is one of the easiest ways to get better results from the same pound of beef.
The quick version
| Lean point | Best for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 90/10 and leaner | Tacos, chili, soups, casseroles, shepherd's pie | Crumbles naturally, little grease to drain |
| 85/15 and 80/20 | Thick burgers, meatballs, meatloaf | Enough fat to bind and stay juicy |
| 70/30 and fattier | Smash burgers, homemade sausage | Fat renders out and fries a crispy crust |
90/10 and leaner: tacos, chili, soups, casseroles, shepherd's pie
With less fat holding it together, lean ground beef breaks apart into crumbles as it cooks. That's exactly what you want when the meat is going into a sauce, a filling, or a pot of chili. There's also very little grease to drain, and the other ingredients (tomatoes, broth, beans, vegetables) supply the moisture the fat would otherwise provide.
Where lean beef struggles is holding a patty. Lean burgers tend to crumble on the grill and dry out fast, because there isn't much fat to keep them moist as the proteins tighten up with heat.
Tips for cooking lean ground beef:
Watch your cook time. Lean beef goes from done to dry quickly. Cook it to a safe 160°F and pull it.
If you want lean meatballs or meatloaf, add a panade (bread soaked in milk) or an egg. It takes over the binding and moisture job the fat usually does.
Add a small amount of oil to the pan to get browning started, since there's not much fat to render out.
85/15 and 80/20: thick burgers, meatballs, meatloaf
This is the all-purpose range. There's enough fat to bind the meat and keep a thick burger juicy all the way through, and enough structure to hold meatballs and meatloaf together without much help.
You can still use it for crumbled dishes. You just have to work a little harder, breaking up lumps with your spatula as it browns so it doesn't cook into clumps. Drain off some of the rendered fat afterward if you want a lighter result.
Tips for burgers, meatballs and meatloaf:
Handle the meat as little as possible. Overworking it makes burgers and meatballs dense and tough.
Use a burger mold, you can buy ones that you can set to the weight you want each patty to be and you’ll have more consistent cooking process and even doneness.
Press a shallow dimple into the center of thick patties. They puff up as they cook, and the dimple keeps them flat.
Season the outside of burger patties right before they hit the heat, rather than mixing salt in ahead of time.
70/30 and fattier: smash burgers
Fat is what makes a smash burger work. When a ball of beef hits a very hot pan and gets pressed thin, the fat renders out and essentially fries the patty in its own juices. That's where the deep brown, crispy, lacy crust comes from. Leaner beef doesn't have enough fat to pull it off.
Fattier blends still work for thicker burgers, meatballs, and meatloaf. Just expect more shrinkage and more grease in the pan. This is also the range you want if you're making homemade beef sausage or hot dogs (which are quite the endeavor).
Tips for smash burgers:
Get a cast iron pan or griddle very hot before the meat goes on.
Smash the ball flat right away, while the meat is still cold, then leave it alone until the crust forms.
Scrape under the patty to flip so you keep the crust attached.
If you only buy one
If you're stocking the freezer and want one lean point that covers most of what you cook, 85/15 is the best all-rounder. It makes a good thick burger, holds meatballs and meatloaf together, and crumbles well enough for tacos and chili if you break it up as it browns.