It is probably the best way to grind meat with a regular meat grinder.
But what if you don’t own one? Can you grind meat in a blender instead?
The answer is yes, you can grind meat in a blender before or after you cook it. However, the quality of the ground meat will mostly depend on the blender and how powerful it is.Â
Follow on to know how to grind meat with a blender!
Can You Grind Meat In A Blender?
Yes, you can use your blender to get the job done unless you’re intending to regularly grind meat.
Yet, it still depends on how powerful your blender is. Lower-powered motors may struggle to grind the meat and they might take ages to grind.
The more powerful your blender is, the better the ground meat quality you will get.
The best way to not overload the blender is to grind the meat in small batches.
Try chopping the meat into small pieces in the grinder, that way you will grind them faster and you will not overload your blender.
Before you decide to grind chicken in your blender, there are a lot of factors to consider besides the power of the motor, such as:
- How sharp are the blades? The blades need to be new or at least sharpened before you start grinding the meat.
- How strong is the glass? The blender’s glass or plastic might break once you start grinding the meat if it is poor-quality.
- What kind of meat do you commonly blend? Chicken and turkey can be easily ground with most blenders. However, beef needs a more powerful blender.
Why Grind Meat At Home?
If you have a high-powered blender, then it should be able to grind meat easily.
This is because the appliance works well with any solid food item that you’d prefer, which includes other ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, and spices.
It’s also better because ground beef from your own kitchen tastes fresher due to the lack of preservatives compared to store-bought ones.
Plus, you can add different spices and seasonings to suit your taste preferences too!
What Type Of Meat To Grind?
You can use any type of meat to grind – beef, pork, lamb, etc.
The key is to make sure that it’s fresh before processing.
Remember that browning the meat first isn’t necessary at all unless you plan on cooking it again later!
Just make sure everything is properly arranged inside the blender before turning it on to get better results each time you do this.
How to Grind Meat in a Blender
If you want to grind meat with a blender, then follow these steps carefully:
Step 1 – Turn The Blender On
Before anything else, make sure that your blender is turned on.
It should be set on low or medium even if it’s a high-powered one.
Remember that good results don’t always come immediately so give everything some time instead of getting impatient.
Step 2 – Add Solid Cubes Of Beef Only!
Next up, place solid cubes of beef inside the blender only.
It doesn’t matter whether they are small or large because it will depend mostly on what dish you’re making and how much ground beef you’ll need for each one.
Just keep in mind that you don’t have to fill the entire thing.
Leave some space in between each cube for better results and easier blending later on.
Step 3 – Ensure Proximity Of Ingredients
Once you’ve added all the beef cubes in, make sure everything is properly arranged.
The closer they are, the more efficient it will be when it comes to processing them into minced beef or ground meat.
Step 4 – Add Water Only if Necessary
If your mixture is too thick, add water only to thin it out a bit.
Otherwise, leave the area untouched because liquids tend to reduce the blender’s ability to turn solid chunks of meat into minced ones. This means that you should only add water if necessary before closing the lid securely and turning the blender on.
Step 5 – Process Until Done
Now, all you have to do is let your blender run until it’s finished processing the beef cubes.
Don’t stop in between or you might end up with a lumpy mixture once everything is done which will ruin your dish.
Just continue blending until the meat has become minced; then remove them from inside the container to prevent further cooking.
Step 6 – Season And Serve!
Once everything is done, add any spices or seasonings that you like before serving up your dish.
You can put this ground beef anywhere including pasta sauce, tacos, spaghetti sauce, lasagna , etc. Voila! It’s as simple as that!
Now you know how to grind meat in a blender, which makes it easier for you to make your own ground beef from scratch.
Can You Grind Meat In A Ninja Blender?
Ninja blenders are powerful enough to handle grinding meat efficiently. You can use a Ninja blender to crush any type of meat and create high-quality ground meat seamlessly.
However, for grinding meat with a Ninja blender, make sure you cube the meat or cut them into small pieces before you place them into the blender to ensure efficiency. This will also help the motor not exert unneeded excessive power that might damage it in the long run.
After you put the cubed meat inside the grinder, pull some long pulses 3 to 5 times until the meat is crushed. If you are grinding beef to make burger patties, give the meat more pulses to make it as soft as possible.
Can You Grind Meat In A Vitamix?
The Vitamix blender is such a powerful unit that it has replaced a lot of specialized kitchen devices and even displaced them in some cases.
So, in case you are wondering if your Vitamix blender can grind meat or not, then the answer is yes. It most certainly can grind all types of meat such as turkey, chicken, pork, and even beef.
You can give up purchasing a professional meat grinder and use your Vitamix blender for grinding meat instead. It is a high-end product that can get the job done easily.
However, similar to the Ninja blender and every other blender, you need to cube your meat into small pieces and add them in small batches to get the best results.
Blenders are not technically built to grind meat. So, adding small amounts and not overloading them will help them work efficiently and increase their longevity.
Can You Mince Meat With A Hand Blender?
You can easily convert your hand blender into a meat grinder using the right attachments. A hand blender can help you create some amazing dishes such as sausage, meatloaf, meatballs, burger patties, and many more.
However, if you do not use the special attachments that are designed for grinding meat, the motor will be at a very high risk of burning out or have some permanent damage.
After you insert the right attachments and make sure that they are securely in place, add your cubed meat in a bowl and start mincing them with the hand blender until they are smooth enough.
Keep in mind that a low-quality hand blender will not be able to get the job done. It simply will not have enough power to mince or cut the meat through, even if you add the right attachments. So, you need to have a high-end hand blender with a powerful motor to mince the meat.
One way to help your hand blender grind the meat more seamlessly is to dice up the meat very fine before you start mincing.
Grinding Meat In Nutribullet Blender
You may have heard about NutriBullet as an excellent brand of food processors and blenders. However, you may wonder if it is good enough for grinding meat like the other blenders?
The answer is yes, Nutribullet can be used for grinding meat. Now, there is only one limitation that is – it doesn’t have the capacity of heavy grinding. Due to this, you cannot overuse it for meat grinding.
When it comes to the blades, then this blender has around two blades, namely the milling blade and extractor blade. Both of them help in the grinding of meat.
Now, how to grind meat with NutriBullet? Here’s how.
First, put the processor on a flat surface. Insert the plug into the power source. Cut the meat into a few smaller pieces for easy blending. Then, add the meat into the respective cup. Make sure that you don’t add a lot and go above the measured line.
Then, make use of the blades, and don’t forget to tighten them properly. Lastly, push the cup into the blender and blend it.
Keep in mind that you don’t over blend the meat as you may not get the proper consistency.
In this way, you can easily grind meat in NutriBullet!
How To Mince Meat Without A Blender?
Now, what if you don’t have a proper blender for grinding the meat? Is it possible to mince meat without a blender?
Again, yes, while you may not get the finely minced meat, you can surely get a usable one.
Given below are the top two ways to do so.
1. Make Use Of Knife
To mince meat, you can easily make use of a knife. Here’s how:
- At a 45-degree position, slice the meat with a knife
- Make sure you don’t cut it fully. Instead, cut about 75% of it and between each slice, there should be ¼ inch gap
- Then, turn to the other side of the meat and repeat the first step
- Here, cut it at the same 45-degree angle but in the opposite direction
- Toss the side of the meat over and then, at 90-degrees cut it again. Again, just cut in 75% and have a ¼ inch distance between the slices
- Flip the meat and follow the 5th step again
- Pile up all the slices and quickly chop from left to right. Repeat it until you get the perfect texture.
This may seem complicated but try it once and you’ll get how to do it!
2. Make Use Of Food Processor
If not a blender, then you can make use of a food processor too. Here’s how:
- Cut the meat into smaller pieces
- Put the meat inside a foil and keep it inside the freezer for about 30-40 minutes
- Add a few pieces inside the food processor
- Turn on the food processor and process it as per your requirements
- Repeat the same process for other pieces
In this way, you can easily grind meat. If not, you can also visit your local butcher to grind meat for you easily and quickly!
Meat Grinder Vs Blender
Meat grinders are primarily used to create ground meat for burgers, sausages, and other dishes.
However, there is no need to purchase a separate appliance because you can accomplish the same goal by using your blender instead.
If you don’t have access to either kitchen device, then go ahead and try asking around. Sometimes, people are willing to lend their tools for free or at least sell them for a very low price.
The main difference between blenders and meat grinders is that the former works best with solid cuts of meat while the latter is primarily designed for processing liquids.
Of course, it’s possible to mix both together but this will take additional time longer than simply utilizing one over the other.
The good news is that most modern blenders have the ability to grind meat as well as puree.
Can You Blend Cooked Meat In A Blender?
You can also grind cooked meat in a blender.
But you have to make sure that the dish is still warm when adding it so that there won’t be any risk of contamination later on.
How To Clean A Blender After Grinding Meat?
Once you’re done processing your beef cubes using your blender, there are only two steps to follow before cleaning up:
1) Off the appliance and remove its lid carefully.
2) Wash everything with mild soap and rinse until the container is squeaky clean.
Finally, let it air-dry before putting everything back together again.
You’re done! Now you know how to grind meat in a blender easily without any hassle at all! Just be sure to follow the steps properly for best results each time.
Where Can I Store The Ground Beef I Made From Blending?
When it comes to storing ground beef or minced meat made from blending, there are three general rules that you should follow:
1) Keep them cold until they’re ready for cooking/eating by keeping them in your fridge.
2) Freeze them in individual packs or portion-sized amounts for up to 3 months.
3) Use them right away when possible.
Of course, these are just guidelines and you can still be flexible with your storage depending on your preferences.
Does Fat Content Make A Difference?
Yes, it does.
Ground beef with a higher fat content will result in a juicier and more flavorful dish compared to those with less fat in them which tend to be dryer and bland.
So make sure you incorporate this factor properly instead of just dumping everything inside your blender without giving it a second thought! In the end, every minute detail matters if you want to make great tasting dishes each time.
Do I Need To Freeze My Meat First?
No, you don’t have to freeze your meat first before putting them inside the blender. You can process them fresh as long as they’re properly arranged – raw side down then raw side up.
This is needed to prevent the meat from being pushed against the blades, which makes it easier for them to be minced.
Doesn’t The Blender Blade Damage My Meat?
No, not at all! As long as you arrange your meat properly inside the container – raw side down then raw side up without any overlapping – you have nothing to worry about.
It’s just that most people are worried that mixing machine blades will damage their meat instead of mincing them properly. But actually, this is impossible since they aren’t designed to grind harder materials such as bones or frozen food.
So don’t let these worries stop you from processing ground beef using a blender because there’s nothing to fear at all! Just make sure everything is ready before turning on the appliance and you’re good to go!
What Kind Of Blender Is Best For This Purpose?
You can use a regular blender or even a food processor for this purpose. As long as it comes with the following features:
1) Speed settings – just in case you need to slow down or speed up the blending process depending on what you’re processing.
2) Sharp blades – which are also durable enough to cut through frozen food if needed, especially meat bones.
3) A heavy base – which prevents your appliance from moving around when it’s on.
This is necessary since sharp blades will require more power for them to work effectively and efficiently, making a sturdy base a must-have feature of a quality blender!
Read: Best Blender To Puree Meat
What If The Meat Is Tough?
If the meat is especially tough (such as bigger animal bones), you may need to grind it first before putting them inside your blender. This can be done using a separate grinder for harder materials.
But if you don’t have this, then it’s best to chop the meat into smaller chunks before blending them.
This will make your blender more effective and less likely to get damaged since it doesn’t need to process such tough materials such as bones directly.
Remember that you can also use a kitchen mallet for this purpose.
And remember: don’t do anything foolish like try to put whole animal bones inside your blender! You’ll only end up damaging your appliance and possibly yourself too in the process… especially if you’re using sharp blades and not a heavy base!
Can I Add Water Or Other Fluids To My Ground Beef Before Processing?
It’s best not to add water or any other fluids when processing your ground beef. This is because you can end up washing away the nutrients and other essential oils found in it while doing so.
But if you need to add some, make sure it’s no more than a tablespoon or two. You can also choose to use a stock or bouillon cube for this purpose instead of water. Â This way, your whole dish will be able to retain its flavor from start until finish!
What Can I Do With The Leftover “Pulp?”
Store them in an airtight container then store them in the fridge for future use.
You can also freeze these moist leftovers if needed then add them into stews, chili, soups, casseroles, curries or risottos.
You can also dehydrate them and turn them into a powder that you can use to season your dishes or add it as a thickening agent instead of cornstarch, arrowroot powder, or other starchy ingredients.
So don’t throw away any leftovers from your ground beef dishes! Simply store these for future use and enjoy doing so while knowing exactly what’s inside them!
Final Thoughts – Can You Grind Meat In A Blender?
Fortunately, there is nothing in your kitchen that you would not be able to do with a high-powered blender.
There is no need to buy a separate meat grinder appliance to grind meat and make your favorite sausage dish!
However, make sure you take all the precautions and add the right attachments to your blender to ensure a seamless grind and not burn the motor out.
Happy cooking!
