How Much Does 1 Pound of Ground Beef Cook To?

By: Andrea Lott Haney

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When browning a pound of ground beef, it won't weight the same cooked as it did raw. When a recipe calls for a measure of cooked ground beef instead of raw, knowing how to convert the raw measure to the cooked helps avoid waste or coming up short. Although the exact measure depends on many factors, including the fat content of the beef and how you cook it, approximate measures will get you close. Expect to lose up to 25 percent of the weight when you cook ground beef.

Raw and Cooked Beef Measurements

Because cooking ground beef renders the fat it contains into liquid, and that liquid typically remains in the pan or is drained away and does not stay with the beef, the beef's total volume reduces when cooked. One pound of raw ground beef, 85 percent lean or leaner, yields approximately 3 cups of cooked ground beef crumbles. Ground beef containing a higher percentage of fat yields slightly less because the fat will cook and drain away. One pound of raw ground beef -- 16 ounces -- yields only 12 ounces of cooked ground beef, or 3/4 pound.