How Many Meatballs Can You Get from a Pound of Ground Beef?

Meatballs are a classic crowd-pleasing dish that are easy to make and fun to eat. Whether you’re meal prepping for the week, making an appetizer platter, or just craving some comfort food, meatballs are always a hit. But when making meatballs from scratch, one key question always comes up – how many meatballs can you expect to get from a pound of ground beef?

As an avid home cook and meatball lover, I’ve made more than my fair share of meatballs over the years. And let me tell you, the meatball yield per pound can really vary based on a few important factors. In this article, I’ll break down exactly what impacts the number of meatballs per pound and give you some simple tricks to maximize your meatball output.

What Affects Meatballs Per Pound?

The main things that determine how many meatballs you can get from a pound of ground beef are:

• Meatball size – Smaller meatballs will give you a higher count per pound than larger ones.

• Fat content of the beef – Fattier ground beef may produce fewer meatballs than leaner beef due to grease loss

• Mix-in ratios – More breadcrumbs or other mix-in can increase yield compared to pure beef.

• Cooking method – Pan frying causes more grease loss than baking

With those key factors in mind, let’s look at the typical meatball yield for different meatball sizes and beef fat percentages.

Typical Output for Meatball Sizes

• 1-inch meatballs = 45 to 55 per pound
• 1 1⁄2-inch meatballs = 18 to 22 per pound
• 2-inch meatballs = 12 to 15 per pound
• 3-inch meatballs = 6 to 8 per pound

Output for Different Fat Contents

• 80/20 ground beef = 12 to 20 meatballs per pound
• 85/15 ground beef = 15 to 22 meatballs per pound
• 90/10 extra lean beef = 18 to 25 meatballs per pound

As you can see smaller meatballs and leaner beef will generally increase your yield. Now let’s look at some tips to maximize your meatballs per pound.

Tips for Maximizing Meatballs per Pound

MAKE SMALL MEATBALLS

The smaller you make your meatballs, the more you’ll get per pound. Shoot for 1-inch balls if you want high yield.

USE LEAN GROUND BEEF

Choose 90/10 or higher fat ratio beef so less grease renders out during cooking.

ADD BREADCRUMBS

Mix in some panko or Italian breadcrumbs to bulk up the volume – about 1/4 cup per pound.

USE AN EGG

A single egg helps bind lean beef and lets you form smaller meatballs without crumbling.

COOK IN THE OVEN

Baking meatballs retains more moisture than pan frying.

WEIGH YOUR MEATBALLS

Portion meatballs with a small kitchen scale for perfect 1-ounce portions.

DON’T OVERWORK THE MEAT

Gently mix and form meatballs to avoid dense, heavy balls that cook down.

Meatball Calculator

To make it easy to estimate your meatball yield, here is a handy meatball calculator based on the size:

Hopefully now you have a better understanding of how to calculate meatballs per pound. You can precisely plan for parties, meal prep, or find the best meatball recipe cost ratio. No more uncertainties when it comes to making these tasty crowd-pleasers. Here’s to perfectly portioned meatballs made from ground beef every time!