How to Choose the Best Quality Ground Meat at the Grocery Store

The meat case is a wall of near-identical packages. Some say ground beef, some say hamburger, others name a cut, and the prices don’t always follow any obvious logic.

A few details on the label and the package say more about quality than the picture on the front. Knowing where to look makes the choice quick.

Start With the Lean Percentage

The most useful number on the package is the ratio, such as 80/20 or 90/10. The first figure is the percentage of lean meat and the second is fat, by weight.

Studies of shoppers found people judge lean content far better from a percent-lean label than from a cut name.

By law, ground beef can contain no more than 30 percent fat, so 70/30 is the fattiest package you’ll see. If a package has no percentage at all, redder meat generally means more lean.

Know What the Names Mean

“Ground beef” and “hamburger” are close but not the same. Hamburger can include added fat trimmings, while ground beef has to come from the beef itself. Neither may include water, binders, or phosphates unless the label says so.

Named cuts must come from that part of the animal.

Ground chuck, ground round, and ground sirloin each come only from their own cut. Typical ratios run around 80/20 for chuck, 90/10 for round, and 92 to 95 percent lean for sirloin, though the rules don’t set exact numbers.

Check the Package Type

Beef sold in a foam tray with plastic overwrap usually looks bright red, because oxygen turns the pigment myoglobin red. Meat in a plastic tube, called a chub, keeps oxygen out and looks darker and slightly purple.

Both are normal and not a sign of lower quality.

Chub packages are made under USDA inspection, and their lean and fat percentages are documented at the plant. Open a chub and leave it in the air for 15 to 20 minutes, and the color will brighten.

Look at the Color the Right Way

Color tells you something, but less than most people think. A dark spot at the center of a tray is often just a lack of oxygen and doesn’t mean the meat has spoiled.

More fat also gives the meat a pinker look.

For a closer look at what gray or brown beef means once it’s at home, see the related article below. At the store, aim for meat that looks evenly fresh and avoid packages that appear slimy or smell off.

Inspect the Package

Skip trays that are torn, leaking, or have a lot of liquid pooled in the bottom. Some pink liquid is common and is called purge. It’s mostly water colored by myoglobin, not blood, and no dye is added to fresh meat.

Packages should feel cold, not cool or soft.

Check the sell-by date and choose the freshest one you can. A later date gives you more time to use it or freeze it.

Buy It Last and Get It Home Cold

Ground meat is among the most perishable items in the cart. Pick it up near the end of your shopping trip so it spends as little time as possible in a warm cart.

Bag it separately from produce and ready-to-eat foods.

On hot days, bring a cooler or an insulated bag for the ride home. Food shouldn’t sit at room temperature for more than two hours, and only one hour when it’s above 90°F.

Plan to Cook or Freeze Quickly

Raw ground beef keeps only a day or two in the refrigerator, so decide when you buy it. If it isn’t going to be used within a couple of days, freeze it.

Rewrap the store packaging tightly in foil, freezer paper, or a freezer bag.

Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter, and cook right away if you thaw in a microwave. Freezing doesn’t kill bacteria, so cooking still matters.

Cook It to the Right Temperature

Quality starts at the store but safety finishes at the stove. Ground beef should reach an internal temperature of 160°F, measured with an accurate thermometer.

Juice color alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s done.

Grinding spreads bacteria from the surface through the meat, which is why ground beef needs more cooking than a steak. A thermometer takes the guesswork out of it.