How Much Is 16 Ounces Of Ground Beef? A Detailed Breakdown

Ground beef is a kitchen staple used in so many classic dishes like burgers, tacos, chili, meatloaf, and more. It’s budget-friendly and versatile – perfect for quick family dinners. But when a recipe calls for 16 ounces of ground beef, do you know exactly how much meat that is?

Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! Here at The Meaty Blog we’ll walk through everything you need to know about 16 ounces of ground beef. We’ll look at the nutrient profile, how to measure it properly how much it cooks down, recipe ideas, storage tips, and more. Let’s get cooking!

Nutrition Facts For 16 Ounces Raw Ground Beef

First, let’s look at the nutrition information for 16 raw ounces (or 1 pound) of 80/20 lean ground beef:

• Calories: 1138
• Fat: 89.6g
• Carbs: 0g
• Protein: 76.92g

As you can see, ground beef is high in protein and fat, with zero carbs. The fat content provides juiciness and flavor, while the protein keeps you full This nutrient profile is for raw beef – cooked beef will have slightly fewer calories and fat due to cooking loss

Visualizing The Portion Size

If you don’t have a food scale handy, here are some easy ways to visualize 16 ounces of ground beef:

• It’s the same as 1 pound of ground beef.
• Form it into 4 equal quarter-pound burger patties.
• Shape it into a brick roughly the size of a 5″ x 4″ index card.
• Picture two 8-ounce packages from the grocery store.
• Imagine 4 snacks/protein bar size portions.

These visual cues can help you estimate 16 ounces when portioning recipes.

Measuring Tips For Ground Beef

To measure ground beef most accurately:

• Use a digital kitchen scale and weigh out 16 ounces or 1 pound.
• Loosely pack into dry measuring cups – it should come to around 2 cups.
• Scoop into tablespoons – 16 ounces equals 32 tablespoons.
• Form into a loaf and slice into 16 even 1-ounce portions.

When scooping into cups or spoons, be gentle and don’t compact it too much. Otherwise you may end up with too much beef for the recipe.

How Much Does 16 Ounces Cook Down?

When you cook ground beef, it reduces in volume and weight quite a bit as the fat cooks off. Here’s how much 16 ounces raw cooks down:

• Cooked weight: Approximately 12 ounces
• Cooked volume: Approximately 1 1/2 cups

So if you need 16 ounces cooked ground beef for a recipe, start with about 20 ounces raw. This allows for about a 25% cooking loss.

For food safety, always cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F. Use a meat thermometer to check doneness.

Tasty Recipes Using 16 Ounces Ground Beef

Here are some mouthwatering recipes that call for 16 ounces (1 pound) of ground beef:

Easy Meatloaf

Mix beef with eggs, breadcrumbs, ketchup, Worcestershire, garlic, and seasonings. Bake in loaf pan at 350°F for 1 hour.

Beefy Chili

Cook beef with onion, chili powder, cumin, tomato sauce, beans, and stock. Simmer until thickened. Top with cheese, sour cream, etc.

Juicy Burgers

Form beef into 4 quarter-pound patties. Grill to desired doneness. Serve on buns with favorite toppings.

Hearty Lasagna

Brown beef with minced onion and garlic. Layer with noodles, tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella. Bake covered at 375°F.

Taco Mac and Cheese

Cook beef with taco seasoning. Add to mac and cheese along with diced tomatoes. Top with tortilla chips.

Get creative with your own recipes using 16 ounces of ground beef as the star ingredient!

Storing Leftover Cooked Ground Beef

Here are some tips for storing cooked ground beef safely:

• Let cool completely, then refrigerate in shallow airtight container for 3-4 days.
• For longer storage, freeze in portion sizes for up to 4 months.
• When reheating, cook to 165°F internal temperature.

With proper storage methods, you can enjoy the flavor and convenience of cooked ground beef all week long.

Ground Beef Handling Tips

When working with raw ground beef:

• Always wash hands, utensils, and surfaces after handling.
• Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw beef separate from other foods.
• Refrigerate promptly in sealed container if not using immediately.
• Cook fully to safe internal temperature when ready to eat.

Following food safety guidelines helps protect you and your loved ones.

So there you have it – everything you need to know about 16 ounces of ground beef! We covered nutrition facts, measuring tips, cooking reduction, recipe ideas, storage methods, and food safety. Feel free to refer back to this handy guide anytime you’re working with ground beef. Let us know if you have any other questions!