Meat and poultry

Ground beef nutrition, by serving and by method.

On USDA figures, 4 oz of raw ground beef works out at 243 calories and carries 21 g of protein. The record behind it is USDA’s “Beef, ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, raw”. The method matters: USDA holds separate records for it, ranging between 215 and 256 calories for the same 100 g. The selector beneath handles other portions, and the nutrient table responds to it.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Source data is USDA FoodData Central (171796, 174035, 174032, 174034). The sums run on your device and nothing leaves it.

Calories in ground beef, serving by serving

4 oz of raw ground beef supplies 243 calories, which scales to 215 per 100 g. Each serving listed underneath was weighed by USDA rather than estimated.

Ground beef and its protein content

Protein in 4 oz of raw ground beef comes to 21 g. Against the 50 g Daily Value, that covers 42 percent. About 35 percent of its calories are protein. That is a useful contribution rather than a protein source you would build a meal around.

Energy-wise, protein contributes 36 percent, fat 64 percent and carbohydrate 0 percent, which makes it mostly a fat.

Does the method change ground beef?

Pan-browned ground beef comes in at 256 calories per 100 g against 215 for raw, a gap of 19 percent. What explains it is moisture lost to the heat, so the same weight holds more food.

Same ground beef, same 113 g, different treatment:

Choosing and cooking ground beef

Ground beef is minced skeletal muscle and fat. Shops sell it by lean and fat ratios, or by specific cuts like chuck, round, and sirloin. Look for a bright red exterior colour and firm texture. Avoid packages with excessive pooling liquid in the tray or those that feel warm to the touch.

High heat browns ground beef, developing a deep savoury flavour. Overworking the raw meat makes patties and meatballs dense and rubbery. The most common mistake is crowding the frying pan. This causes the beef to steam in its own juices and turn grey, rather than achieving a proper brown crust.

Ground beef suits many culinary traditions. In Italian cooking, cooks simmer it slowly with tomatoes and red wine for ragu. In Mexican dishes, warm spices like cumin and chilli season the browned meat for tacos. It pairs well with onions, garlic, sharp cheeses, and root vegetables.

Vitamins and minerals in ground beef

What 4 oz of raw ground beef supplies most of: 102 percent of a day’s vitamin B12, 46 percent of a day’s zinc, 33 percent of a day’s niacin. All rows below respond to the serving you chose.

Where ground beef fits in a day

Budget-wise, 4 oz of raw ground beef costs 12 percent of a 2,000 calorie day and pays back 42 percent of the day’s protein. The TDEE calculator and macro calculator will tell you what those percentages look like against your own targets.

Recipes that start with ground beef

The Calorie Counter Team wrote these. Under every recipe the numbers are added up from the USDA record for each ingredient and split across the servings.

Lunch · Chinese

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

A quick pan-fry of beef mince and broccoli with soy and ginger.

15 min · serves 2

357kcal

27gprotein

24gfat

8.6gcarbs

Ingredients

• ground beef 250 g
• broccoli florets 150 g
• green onions 30 g
• soy sauce 20 g
• sesame oil 10 g
• garlic cloves 10 g
• ginger root 10 g

Method

1. Heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan over high heat.
2. Add the ground beef and cook for five minutes, breaking it up with a spoon.
3. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and broccoli, then cook for three minutes.
4. Pour in the soy sauce and cook for two more minutes.
5. Scatter the green onions over the beef before serving.

Built from 7 USDA ingredient records. A cooked dish never matches its raw sum exactly, but it stays close.

Dinner · Middle Eastern

Grilled Beef Koftas

Spiced beef mince skewers grilled on a high heat.

25 min · serves 2

536kcal

39gprotein

39gfat

7.6gcarbs

Ingredients

• ground beef 400 g
• onion 80 g
• olive oil 15 g
• garlic cloves 10 g
• ground cumin 5 g
• ground coriander 5 g
• salt 4 g

Method

1. Grate the onion and mince the garlic into a large bowl.
2. Add the ground beef, cumin, coriander, and salt to the bowl.
3. Mix the ingredients by hand and shape the mixture into eight portions around wooden skewers.
4. Brush the meat skewers with the olive oil.
5. Grill the skewers under a preheated medium grill for ten minutes, turning twice.

Per serving, from 7 USDA FoodData Central records. Cooking changes weight and some nutrients; treat these as close rather than exact.

Breakfast · British

Beef and Potato Hash

A pan of fried potatoes, onions, and beef mince for a morning meal.

30 min · serves 2

419kcal

22gprotein

23gfat

32gcarbs

Ingredients

• potatoes 300 g
• ground beef 200 g
• onion 100 g
• vegetable oil 15 g
• salt 3 g
• black pepper 2 g

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into one-centimetre cubes.
2. Boil the potato cubes in salted water for five minutes, then drain them.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped onion for three minutes.
4. Add the ground beef and cook for six minutes until browned.
5. Stir in the drained potatoes, salt, and black pepper, then fry for eight minutes.

Built from 6 USDA ingredient records. A cooked dish never matches its raw sum exactly, but it stays close.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

Putting ground beef on a plate

One way to build a meal around ground beef, costed from the same records. Substitute freely; the method carries over.

Meat and poultry: where ground beef sits

Each food is shown per 100 g, in the form named beside it.

Ground beef, asked and answered

How many calories are in 4 oz of raw ground beef?

4 oz of raw ground beef is 243 calories. That comes from the USDA record “Beef, ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, raw” (FDC 171796), which is 215 calories per 100 g.

Is there much protein in ground beef?

19 g per 100 g, so 4 oz of raw ground beef supplies 21 g. Against the Daily Value that is 42 percent.

Is ground beef higher in calories once it is prepared?

Yes. At 113 g, raw is 243 calories and pan-browned is 289. The table above compares each preparation of ground beef covered on this page.

Is ground beef good for weight loss?

That depends on the rest of the day, not on ground beef. For planning: 4 oz of raw ground beef is 243 calories and 21 g of protein, 35 percent protein by energy, which means it needs a protein-rich partner on the plate.

Why is the middle of my ground beef package grey?

The grey colour inside is caused by a lack of oxygen, not spoilage. When beef is packaged, the outer layer exposed to air turns bright red. The interior remains greyish-brown until you open the packet and expose it to air again.

Should you drain the fat after browning ground beef?

Drain the fat if you prefer a lighter dish or are adding the meat to a delicate sauce. However, keeping some fat preserves moisture and flavour. If you choose to drain it, do not pour hot grease down your sink drain.

Sources

• Beef, ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171796
• Beef, ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, loaf, cooked, baked — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174035
• Beef, ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, patty, cooked, broiled — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174032
• Beef, ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174034
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9