Burger Meat Calculator
Calculate how much ground beef to buy for any number of burgers.
Results
Planning burgers for a cookout means knowing how much raw ground beef to buy. Ground beef shrinks about 25% during cooking due to fat and moisture loss. A standard restaurant burger uses 6 oz (170g) of raw meat, while a quarter pounder uses 4 oz (113g) pre-cooked weight. Buy 10% extra to account for forming losses.
Explore all our meat yield calculator tools, or browse the full cooking hub.
Frequently asked questions
A standard burger patty is 5-6 oz (142-170g) of raw ground beef. A quarter pounder is 4 oz (113g) raw, named for its pre-cooked weight. For thick pub-style burgers, use 8 oz (227g).
For 20 standard 6 oz burgers, you need 3,400g (7.5 lb) of raw ground beef. Buy 8 lb to have a small buffer for forming.
Ground beef loses about 25% of its weight when cooked. A 6 oz raw patty becomes about 4.5 oz cooked. Higher fat content (80/20) shrinks more than leaner meat (90/10).
80/20 (80% lean, 20% fat) is the classic choice for juicy, flavorful burgers. 85/15 is a good compromise. 90/10 is leaner but can be dry without added moisture.
1 pound (454g) makes about 3 standard 6 oz patties, or 4 quarter-pounder patties. For sliders, you can get 8-10 small patties per pound.