Demystifying Ground Beef Measurements: How Many Grams are in a Cup?

As a home cook and meal prep enthusiast I do a lot of recipes that call for ground beef. Tacos, pasta sauce meatballs – you name it! But when a recipe lists “1 cup ground beef” I used to struggle to visualize exactly how much meat that entailed. Cups seemed like an imprecise way to measure a dense ingredient like ground beef. I wanted to know specifics!

Through plenty of trials, I’ve gotten a solid handle on precisely how many grams are in a cup of ground beef. Here is my guide to ground beef measurements including:

• Why cup measurements for ground beef are unreliable
• The grams and ounces in 1 cup of ground beef
• Weight equivalents for fractional cup amounts
• The difference between raw vs. cooked ground beef
• Tips for accurately measuring ground beef

Let’s get measuring!

The Problem with Cups for Measuring Ground Beef

First, why aren’t cups an ideal way to measure ground beef?

Cups are a volume measurement based on the space an ingredient takes up. The issue is that ground beef compresses and settles into spaces differently depending on how densely you pack it.

For example, if you lightly spoon ground beef into a measuring cup, you’ll fit more than if you firmly press it down. But the weight and actual quantity is the same!

Packing density also varies between raw vs cooked ground beef Raw beef fills more volume than cooked.

For consistency, the far better way to measure ground beef is by weight in grams or ounces. You’ll get a precise quantity every time, regardless of packing.

So exactly how many grams are in a cup of ground beef? Let’s break it down

Grams and Ounces in 1 Cup of Ground Beef

The approximate weight equivalents for 1 cup of ground beef are:

• Raw ground beef – 225 grams | 7.9 ounces

• Cooked ground beef – 150 grams | 5.3 ounces

So when you see “1 cup ground beef” called for in a recipe, you can plan for it to weigh 225 grams if raw or 150 grams if cooked.

Now you know precisely how much ground beef is in a cup, whether your recipe specifies grams, ounces, or good old-fashioned cup measurements.

Ground Beef Weights for Fractions of a Cup

Recipes also often call for fractional cups of ground beef, like 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup. Here are the gram and ounce equivalents for partial cup amounts of both raw and cooked ground beef:

Raw ground beef

• 1⁄4 cup = 55 grams | 2 ounces
• 1⁄3 cup = 75 grams | 2.6 ounces
• 1⁄2 cup = 115 grams | 4 ounces
• 3⁄4 cup = 170 grams | 6 ounces

Cooked ground beef

• 1⁄4 cup = 40 grams | 1.3 ounces
• 1⁄3 cup = 50 grams | 1.8 ounces
• 1⁄2 cup = 75 grams | 2.6 ounces
• 3⁄4 cup = 115 grams | 4 ounces

So now you have a handy reference for any fraction of a cup of ground beef called for in grams, ounces, or volume.

Accounting for Raw vs. Cooked Ground Beef

As the weights above show, raw ground beef is denser and heavier than cooked.

Raw beef compresses down in volume by about 1/3 when cooked. This renders out fat and juices that previously took up space.

So always remember:

• Raw ground beef will weigh approximately 1 1⁄2 times more than cooked per cup
• Adjust quantities accordingly if substituting cooked for raw or vice versa in a recipe

Tips for Accurately Measuring Ground Beef

To get the most precise ground beef measurements in cups:

• Weigh raw ground beef in grams with a food scale for complete accuracy

• Lightly spoon beef into measuring cups without packing down

• Level off the top surface without compressing

• Note weights for future recipes rather than relying on cup sizes

• Adjust for cooking loss if substituting raw for cooked or vice versa