What Is 90/10 Ground Beef Good For? A Guide to Lean Cooking

October 29, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the USDA, 90/10 ground beef contains 90% lean meat and 10% fat by weight, making it one of the leanest ground beef options available at most grocery stores. This lean profile makes it an excellent choice for a variety of dishes where you want a rich beef flavor without the excess grease and fat associated with fattier grinds.

Quick Summary

This guide covers the best culinary applications for 90/10 ground beef, from savory sauces and chilis to lean meatloaves and tacos. It details its nutritional benefits and provides practical cooking tips to prevent dryness.

Key Points

Low Fat Content: 90/10 ground beef has a lower fat and calorie count, making it a healthier option for a balanced diet.
Ideal for Sauces and Stews: Its leanness prevents an oily residue, making it perfect for chilis, bolognese, and soups.
Great for Stuffed Dishes: It works well in stuffed peppers and casseroles where a firmer, less greasy meat mixture is desired.
Nutrient-Dense Protein: This cut provides high-quality protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins essential for muscle health and energy.
Requires Careful Cooking: To prevent dryness, add moisture-retaining ingredients and avoid overcooking due to its low fat content.
Better for Healthier Meatballs: When prepared with binders, it produces lighter, flavorful meatballs and meatloaf that hold their shape well.
Versatile and Flavorful: Despite being lean, it offers a rich beef flavor that pairs well with various seasonings and recipes.

The Benefits of Using 90/10 Ground Beef

Choosing 90/10 ground beef offers several advantages for both health-conscious cooks and those who prefer a cleaner, less greasy finished dish. This lean blend, typically sourced from the sirloin primal cut, is a versatile and flavorful protein option.

Healthier Nutritional Profile

With its low fat content, 90/10 beef is a more heart-healthy choice than fattier counterparts like 80/20 or 70/30 blends. A typical 3-ounce cooked serving contains approximately 170-190 calories, 22-24 grams of complete protein, and a significantly lower amount of saturated fat. The high protein content supports muscle growth and helps increase satiety, which can be beneficial for weight management.

Rich in Essential Micronutrients

Lean ground beef is a nutrient-dense food, providing important vitamins and minerals. It is a fantastic source of highly absorbable heme iron, which is crucial for oxygen transport and preventing iron-deficiency anemia. Additionally, it's rich in zinc, which supports immune function, and essential B vitamins, such as B12 and niacin, which play key roles in energy metabolism and overall cellular function.

Cleaner Flavor and Texture

Since there is less fat to render and drain, dishes made with 90/10 ground beef have a cleaner, more pronounced beef flavor. This makes it an ideal canvas for seasonings and sauces, allowing other ingredients to shine through without being masked by excess grease. The resulting texture is a finer, more crumbly consistency, which works well in applications where fat is not needed for binding or moisture.

Culinary Applications: What 90/10 Ground Beef is Good For

The versatility of 90/10 ground beef makes it suitable for a wide range of recipes, particularly those that benefit from a lower fat content.

Sauces and Soups

Chili and Bolognese: The low fat content of 90/10 beef is perfect for simmering in sauces and chilis. It prevents the final dish from becoming oily and heavy, allowing the spices and other ingredients to develop rich, complex flavors. The lean meat can be browned and then simmered in broth, absorbing moisture and remaining tender without becoming greasy.
Soups and Stews: When making beef-based soups or stews, using a leaner blend ensures a cleaner, lighter broth. It provides a hearty, meaty flavor without an oily residue floating on the surface.

Stuffed Vegetables and Casseroles

Stuffed Peppers and Cabbage Rolls: The leaner meat holds its shape well and won't render too much fat into the filling, resulting in a firm, flavorful stuffed vegetable dish.
Lasagna and Shepherd's Pie: In layered dishes and casseroles, 90/10 ground beef prevents a greasy texture. The meat mixture will be solid and robust, integrating perfectly with the sauces and cheese.

Leaner Meatballs and Meatloaf

Meatballs: While fattier blends are often used for extra moisture, 90/10 can produce delicious, firm meatballs. To prevent them from becoming dry, incorporate moisture-adding binders like breadcrumbs soaked in milk, finely grated onion, or beaten eggs. This creates a lighter, healthier meatball that holds its shape beautifully.
Meatloaf: For a lighter, less greasy meatloaf, 90/10 is an excellent choice. Combining it with binders and flavorful vegetables, like onions and mushrooms, ensures a moist and delicious result without a pool of rendered fat at the bottom of the pan.

How to Cook 90/10 Ground Beef Without Drying It Out

To get the best results with 90/10 ground beef, it's important to adjust your cooking methods to account for the lower fat content. Here are some key tips:

Don't Overcrowd the Pan: For proper browning, cook the meat in batches if necessary. Overcrowding will cause the beef to steam rather than brown, leading to a gray, crumbly texture.
Season Generously: Leaner meat benefits from aggressive seasoning with herbs and spices, as there is less fat to carry the flavor. Don't be afraid to add extra garlic, onions, or your favorite spice blend.
Add Moisture: If using it for burgers or meatballs, mix in ingredients that retain moisture. This can include grated vegetables, breadcrumbs soaked in liquid, or a few tablespoons of broth.
Avoid Overcooking: Since there is little fat to protect the meat from drying out, cook 90/10 just until it loses its pink color. Using a meat thermometer is recommended to ensure it reaches a safe internal temperature of 160°F.
Boil for Fine Crumble: For dishes like tacos where a fine, evenly-cooked crumble is desired, you can boil the ground beef in a skillet with a bit of broth. This method cooks it through and allows you to easily drain off all the fat for a very lean result.

Comparison of Ground Beef Ratios


Feature	90/10 (Ground Sirloin)	85/15 (Ground Round)	80/20 (Ground Chuck)
Fat Content	Leanest (10% fat)	Moderate (15% fat)	Fattiest (20% fat)
Best For	Sauces, chilis, stuffed vegetables, casseroles	Versatile for many dishes, including tacos and sauces	Best for juicy burgers, rich meatloaf, and meatballs
Flavor	Cleaner, more intense beef flavor	Balanced flavor profile	Rich and beefy, due to higher fat
Texture	Finer, can become dry if overcooked	Holds moisture and shape well	Tender and juicy, holds shape very well
Health Impact	Lowest in calories and saturated fat	Moderate in calories and saturated fat	Highest in calories and saturated fat

Conclusion

What is 90/10 ground beef good for? Ultimately, it is the ideal choice for any recipe that benefits from a cleaner, leaner, and healthier beef profile. By adjusting your cooking methods to account for its low fat content—such as adding moisture and avoiding overcooking—you can create incredibly flavorful and satisfying meals. Whether you're making a hearty chili, flavorful tacos, or a lighter meatloaf, 90/10 ground beef offers a versatile and nutritious foundation for countless culinary creations. For cooks prioritizing both taste and health, it is a perfect balance of flavor and lean protein that earns its place in any kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions

While it can be used for burgers, 90/10 ground beef is very lean and can become dry if not cooked carefully. Many prefer fattier blends like 80/20 for juicy burgers, but if you prefer a leaner option, adding moisture with binders like grated onion or breadcrumbs can help.

90/10 ground beef, often labeled as ground sirloin, comes from leaner, more expensive cuts of the cow's mid-back region. The lower fat content means less trimmings, which typically increases the price compared to fattier blends made from different cuts.

To prevent 90/10 ground beef from drying out, avoid overcooking it and consider adding moisture-rich ingredients. For recipes like meatballs or meatloaf, use binders such as breadcrumbs and eggs. For skillet cooking, don't overcrowd the pan and add a splash of broth or sauce.

No, it is usually not necessary to drain the fat from 90/10 ground beef as there is very little rendered fat during cooking. This is a key advantage for recipes like tacos or sauces, where you want to avoid a greasy end product.

The main difference is the fat and calorie content. 90/10 beef has 10% fat and is significantly leaner, with fewer calories and less saturated fat than 80/20, which contains 20% fat and is richer and juicier.

Yes, 90/10 ground beef is great for meal prep. Its lean profile makes it an excellent, low-calorie protein source for batch-cooked meals. Just be mindful of proper cooking to maintain moisture, especially if reheating.

Since 90/10 beef has less inherent flavor from fat, it benefits from generous seasoning. Sautéing with aromatics like onions, garlic, and mushrooms, or simmering it in a rich sauce, are excellent ways to boost the flavor.