Grass-Fed Ground Beef, Which Brands Are Worth Ordering Online
Nearly every grocery store sells a "grass-fed" ground beef, but the label rarely tells you the lean ratio, the certification, or the actual sourcing. We picked the three brands worth ordering online, reviewed each one, and built a buying guide for everything else.
What to Look For in Grass-Fed Ground Beef
Lean Ratio
80/20, 85/15, 90/10, and 93/7 are the common ratios, the first number is lean meat, the second is fat, both by weight. More fat means more flavor and juiciness in a burger but also more shrinkage and grease to drain. Leaner ratios cook up firmer and waste less of what you paid for in dishes where you'd drain the fat anyway.
"100% Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished"
"Grass-fed" alone can still mean a grain finish before slaughter. The "and grass-finished" language, or an American Grassfed Association (AGA) certification mark, rules grain out at every stage of the animal's life.
Certifications
USDA Organic verifies feed and land management. AGA verifies the grass-fed/grass-finished claim through third-party audits. Whole30 approval confirms no added sugar or non-compliant ingredients, relevant mainly for pre-seasoned or blended products. Each mark answers a different question, a product can carry one, several, or none.
Shipping and Thawing
Ground beef ordered online ships frozen in an insulated box. Move it to the freezer immediately if you're not using it within a day or two. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, the safest method, or in a sealed package submerged in cold water, changed every 30 minutes, if you're in a hurry.
How They Compare
Frequently Asked Questions
Is grass-fed ground beef worth ordering online vs. buying at the grocery store?
Grocery store grass-fed ground beef is real, but the label rarely tells you much beyond "grass-fed." Ordering from a brand like Verde Farms or Pederson's gets you a documented lean ratio, USDA Organic or AGA certification, and a sourcing story you can verify, worth it if you care about the specifics, less necessary if any grass-fed label satisfies you.
What lean ratio should I buy?
80/20 for burgers, where the fat keeps the patty juicy. 90/10 or higher for chili, tacos, or bolognese, where you're draining fat anyway and want more usable meat. 85/15 is the reasonable one-ratio default if you'd rather not stock two kinds.
Does grass-fed ground beef taste different from grain-fed?
Yes, most people notice a slightly more mineral, "beefier" flavor, and it cooks faster since it carries less fat on average even at the same stated ratio. Reduce your cook time slightly to avoid drying it out.
How should I thaw frozen grass-fed ground beef?
In the refrigerator overnight is the safest method. A cold-water bath (sealed package, changed every 30 minutes) works in a pinch. Avoid room-temperature thawing or the microwave if you can, both unevenly warm the outer layer into the food-safety danger zone before the center is thawed.
Does grass-fed ground beef have more nutrients than grain-fed?
Grass-fed beef carries higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed. The difference is most pronounced in the fat, so a leaner ratio carries a smaller version of that nutritional edge than a fattier one.
Want it fresh from a farm instead of shipped frozen?
Our supplier directory lists 100% grass-fed beef producers who ship nationwide or sell locally, including White Oak Pastures and Seven Sons.
Browse grass-fed beef suppliers →