One pound of ground beef weighs 16 ounces, or exactly 453.59237 grams using the standard avoirdupois pound. For everyday use, that is about 454 grams.
The pound figure describes weight, not one fixed shape or volume. A package of ground beef can be a flat tray, a compact block, or a loose mass, while still weighing one pound. A raw pound can also weigh less after cooking as fat and moisture leave; cooked weight varies.
| Portion by weight | Ounces | Grams, approximately |
|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 1 oz | 28.35 g |
| 4 oz | 4 oz | 113.40 g |
| 8 oz | 8 oz | 226.80 g |
| 1 lb | 16 oz | 453.59 g |
The ounce and pound values use the standard U.S. avoirdupois system. NIST's conversion factors define one pound as 0.45359237 kg. The gram figures above are calculated from that exact conversion and rounded for readability.
A simple way to picture one pound is to divide it by weight into 16 equal one-ounce portions:
1 pound = 16 ounces
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 1 oz | 1 oz | 1 oz | 1 oz |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 1 oz | 1 oz | 1 oz | 1 oz |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 1 oz | 1 oz | 1 oz | 1 oz |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| 1 oz | 1 oz | 1 oz | 1 oz |
+--------+--------+--------+--------+
Concept diagram of equal weights; it does not show actual patty dimensions or how ground beef naturally divides.
The same pound can be portioned as two 8-ounce servings or four 4-ounce servings. Each arrangement totals 16 ounces. The width, thickness and shape of each portion depend on how the meat is formed.
One ounce is a weight: 28.35 grams. It does not have one guaranteed length, width or height.
A loose mound of ground beef and a tightly pressed one-ounce piece can look quite different. Fat content, grind, temperature and packing all change the space it occupies. For an accurate portion, weigh it on a kitchen scale; for an approximate visual comparison, divide a weighed pound into equal portions.
The diagram above is an arithmetic aid, not a scale drawing of a one-ounce piece.
An 8-ounce burger patty weighs half a pound before cooking: 8 oz = ½ lb, or about 226.80 grams.
That tells you the patty's starting weight, not its exact diameter or thickness. A wide, thin patty and a narrow, thick patty can both weigh 8 ounces. Cooking changes the patty's size and weight, so a cooked burger may not still weigh 8 ounces.
From a one-pound package, two equal half-pound portions each start at 8 ounces. Form them to the shape you want and use a scale if the portion weight needs to be accurate.
There is no single exact cup conversion that works for every ground-beef measurement. A cup is volume; a pound is weight. The amount of space depends on whether the beef is raw or cooked, loose or packed, and how large the crumbles are.
If a recipe gives a weight, use a scale for the closest match. If it gives cups, check whether it means cooked or uncooked beef and follow that recipe's own method. Do not treat a cup estimate as interchangeable with a weighed one-pound package.
There are 16 ounces in one pound.
One avoirdupois pound equals 453.59237 grams, usually rounded to 454 grams.
You can make two equal 8-ounce portions before cooking, because 16 ounces divided by 8 is 2.
No. One ounce weighs 28.35 grams, but its visible size depends on how loosely or tightly it is packed.
Not necessarily. Cooking changes moisture and fat content, so the cooked weight can differ from its raw starting weight.
NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C provides the exact customary-mass conversion: 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. From that, 1 oz = 1/16 lb = 28.349523125 g, and 8 oz = 226.796185 g.
Portion diagrams are conceptual and do not claim a standard patty diameter, thickness or volume. Raw-to-cooked yield and cup volume vary with preparation; this guide does not give a fixed yield or a current retail price.