What Does 8 oz of Ground Beef Look Like? A Visual Guide to Serving Sizes

As a busy home cook, I often find myself wondering “what does 8 oz of ground beef look like?” when meal prepping. Ground beef is such a versatile ingredient, used in many of my family’s favorite recipes from tacos to meatloaf But trying to eyeball a proper serving size can be tricky.

That’s why I’ve put together this handy visual guide to help identify what an 8 oz portion of ground beef looks like both raw and cooked. With useful comparisons photos, tips and sample meals, you’ll be a ground beef portion pro in no time!

Why Paying Attention to Portion Sizes Matters

When cooking with ground beef, taking portion sizes into account is important for a few key reasons:

• Weight management – Beef is high in calories and fat, Sticking to reasonable serving sizes helps manage overall calorie intake, An 8 oz serving contains about 500 calories

• Nutrition – Different cuts and types of beef vary in fat content. Knowing your portions allows you to balance leaner and fattier ground beef appropriately.

• Food safety – Ground beef can harbor harmful bacteria. Ensuring proper portion sizes guarantees it cooks thoroughly to a safe internal temperature.

• Budget – Buying and cooking the right amount means you don’t waste extra meat and money.

While using a food scale is ideal, visual cues make portioning more practical on busy weeknights.

What Does 8 Ounces of Raw Ground Beef Look Like?

Now let’s get into the useful photos and comparisons so you can visualize proper 8 oz portions.

Raw Ground Beef

• A hand-packed ball approximately the size of a tennis ball or baseball
• A palm-sized patty around 4 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick
• A stack of 2 hamburger patties about 4 inches wide

A baseball-sized amount of raw ground beef comes close to 8 oz

As you can see, the uncooked meat is molded into a compact ball or patty. Keep this in mind when eyeballing 8 oz of raw ground beef.

What Does 8 Ounces of Cooked Ground Beef Look Like?

After cooking, the ground beef shrinks and changes shape. Here are some common 8 oz cooked comparisons:

Cooked Ground Beef

• A hamburger patty around 3-4 inches wide

A standard burger patty is usually 4 oz cooked

• 2-3 oz of cooked crumbles, similar to a heaping 1/2 cup

2-3 oz of cooked ground beef is roughly a heaping 1/2 cup

• A 3×4 inch portion, like you’d get in a restaurant entree

So an 8 oz raw patty becomes around 4-5 oz cooked. Keeping this shrinkage in mind helps when portioning out ground beef.

Handy 8 oz Serving Size Comparisons

To make it even easier to visualize portions, here are some common 8 oz food and household items:

• 1/2 pound of meat, fish or chicken
• 1 cup of Greek yogurt
• 4 eggs
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 2 cups of ice cream
• 1 medium apple
• 2 cups of blueberries
• 1 can of tuna
• 8 ounces of tofu

Everyday foods like eggs, yogurt and fruit help compare an 8 oz serving

Some other helpful comparisons:

• 1/2 of a 16 oz pound of meat
• 2 chicken leg quarters
• 1 boneless chicken breast
• 2 lamb chops
• Volume of a bar of soap

Tips for Portioning Ground Beef

Here are some handy tips for accurately portioning 8 oz of ground beef every time:

• Invest in a food scale for straightforward weighing
• Use a measuring cup to scoop and lightly pack 1 cup of raw beef (8 oz)
• Separate bulk packages into 8 oz portions before freezing
• Make meatballs or mini patties around golf ball size
• Use a 1/2 cup measure for cooked crumbles
• Compare portions side-by-side to items like a hockey puck
• Box up half of restaurant entrees before eating
• Choose 90/10 or 93/7 lean ground beef to save calories

Sample Meal Plan with 8 oz Ground Beef

To see how an 8 oz serving of ground beef fits into a balanced diet, here is a sample daily meal plan:

Breakfast:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt with berries
• 1 slice whole wheat toast with 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 cup coffee

Lunch:

• Tuna salad sandwich
• 1 oz baked chips
• 1 cup vegetable soup
• 1 nectarine

Dinner:

• 8 oz raw hamburger patty
• 1 cup roasted broccoli
• 1/2 cup rice pilaf
• Side salad

Snacks:

• 1 medium apple with almond butter
• Baby carrots with hummus

This provides around 2000 calories including 8 oz of ground beef at dinner, along with plenty of veggies, fruits, whole grains and lean protein.