From spaghetti with meatballs and burgers to aloo keema, ground beef has a case for being the most versatile ingredient you can buy. It’s budget-friendly when compared to other proteins, easy to prepare, and elevates the flavor of countless dishes across dozens of cultures. Best yet, it packs a number of essential nutrients into every bite.
And if you’re a ground beef lover, you may have asked yourself what ground chuck is and how it differs from ground beef. We answer that and many more FAQs in this guide.
Ground Beef vs. Ground Chuck
Ground beef can refer to two things. First, ground beef is used as the overarching term for several specific varieties that come from various primal cuts of the animal. These are called source grinds and include:
- Ground chuck
- Ground round
- Ground sirloin
Second, ground beef can also appear on product labels without any supporting info, such as when you see “ground beef,” with no “sirloin” or “chuck” listed alongside it. That means the grind is made of trimmings from a variety of cuts, versus trimmings originating from a specific primal cut like the sirloin or chuck.
Getting to Know Source Grinds: Ground Chuck, Round, and Sirloin
The most common source grinds, named ground chuck, ground round, and ground sirloin, all have specific taste, texture, and leanness attributes based on where they come from on the animal.
Ground Chuck
Ground chuck is made from the chuck primal, the shoulder area of the animal. It is preferred by many for its rich, beefy flavor and higher fat content.
Nutritional Content of Ground Chuck
Most ground chuck is frequently listed as 80/20, meaning 80% lean meat and 20% fat. In a 4-ounce raw portion, ground chuck has 287 calories and a whopping 19.4 grams of protein. Check out more nutritional info here.
Best Dishes for Ground Chuck
This grind’s higher fat content makes it juicy and flavorful, an ideal choice for dishes that need to maintain moisture at high heat or through reheating, such as leftover burgers and meatballs.
Ground Round
The round primal is home to lean, less expensive cuts from the rump and hind legs. Cuts from the round primal include the eye of round roast and top round roast, and when turned into ground round, the primal creates a beefy grind that balances flavor and leanness.
Nutritional Content of Ground Round
Slightly leaner than ground chuck, ground round is typically sold as 85/15 or 85% lean meat and 15% fat. In a 4-ounce raw portion, ground round has 243 calories and lots of protein—21 grams, to be exact. See additional nutritional info here.
Best Dishes for Ground Round
Lean, beefy ground round is great for ground beef dishes with more robust seasonings and sauces, like taco meat and stuffed veggies.
Ground Sirloin
Located in the mid-back of the animal, the sirloin primal is used to make the leanest type of ground beef, called ground sirloin.
Nutritional Content of Ground Sirloin
Ground sirloin is labeled as 90/10 (90% lean meat and 10% fat) or as even leaner ratios. In a 4-ounce raw portion, 90/10 ground sirloin has 199 calories and an impressive 22.6 grams of protein. Find more nutritional info here.
Best Dishes for Ground Sirloin
Those looking to reduce fat in their diets prize ground sirloin for salads and other nutrient-dense dishes that benefit from a boost of protein and other vital vitamins and minerals. You’ll love ground sirloin in soups and stews, too.
Everything You Need to Know About Ground Beef and Nutrition
Ground beef packs high levels of vitamins and nutrients into every bite. Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. evaluated the nutritional value of a 3-ounce serving of beef, finding that beef efficiently provides high levels of the nutrients your body needs every day.
Here’s what each 3-ounce serving of beef offers in terms of daily value, or DV. DV refers to the amount of a nutrient that is needed for a healthy adult on a 2,000-calorie diet.
1 https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/nutrition/beef-nutrients
2 https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer
3 https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-b6/art-20363468
Our Favorite Crowd-Pleasing Ground Beef Recipes
Treat gameday guests to a build-your-own burger bar with inventive, mouthwatering ingredients. The options are endless, but when building your burger bar, we invite you to start with these restaurant-worthy ideas.
Hot Honey Burger with Coleslaw
Sweet heat, tender beef, and cool, crispy coleslaw make this burger a must for entertaining.
Bacon, Smoked Cheddar, and Caramelized Onion Burger
Elevate the classic cookout burger with extra crispy bacon, smoked cheddar, caramelized onions, and of course, juicy ground beef.
Kimchi Cheeseburger with Chili Mayo
Chili mayo and spicy, crunchy kimchi complement buttery, hearty ground beef in this Korean-inspired burger recipe.
Chili From Scratch
Filling, comforting ground beef chili is taken to the next level with rich cocoa powder and creamy mayo in this recipe.
Ground Beef: Big Flavor and Nutrition in Every Grind
No matter which type of ground beef you pick, this prolific protein will transform any dish to be truly tasty, full of flavor, and packed with nutrients. Aspen Ridge Natural Angus Beef offers wholesome, no antibiotics ever, Certified Humane® ground beef to elevate your everyday menu.
Find Aspen Ridge at a store near you.
