The 1-Ingredient Trick for Juicier Ground Beef Is Already in Your Pantry

Ground beef is beloved for its convenience and versatility. When I’m making a ground beef dinner for my family, I always start by searing the meat: I preheat a cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat until a drop of water beads and dances on the skillet, then pour in a small splash of high-heat oil and add the beef in small clumps. This method produces beef that is pretty juicy and well browned — perfect for taco bowls, a quick Bolognese, or a base for chili. 

I would say this technique is a solid eight out of 10, but what if there were a way to turn the dial all the way up to 11 with very little effort? I recently came across a one-ingredient trick that yields juicier, browner ground meat: adding a bit of baking soda. The same sodium bicarbonate that helps deodorize your smelly laundry and give your muffins a light, airy lift can also improve your meat, helping it develop a deep brown color while also retaining natural moisture. 

This works by altering the pH, making it harder for proteins to form bonds, which effectively makes the meat hold onto its moisture despite getting seared. It’s the same idea behind velveting, a technique that is often used in Chinese cooking to tenderize proteins. You only need a small amount, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda mixed into 1 tablespoon of water per 1 pound of ground beef. 

To evaluate the effectiveness of this technique I ran a side-by-side test, searing untreated ground beef in a hot skillet and another batch with the baking soda. Read on for the results ahead of your next taco or chili night.

My baking soda and ground beef experiment

For each test, I followed my basic searing method, cooking over moderately high temperature with 1 teaspoon of a high-heat oil (canola), and breaking up the beef into smaller pieces to let it sear. I used a large stainless steel skillet and an induction cooktop. For the untreated beef test, I cooked the beef undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stirred and let it cook undisturbed another 2 minutes. At this point I started breaking the chunks down into smaller pieces using a wooden spoon, and let the beef cook until it was no longer pink in the center, another 2 minutes.

For the baking soda test, I stirred 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into 1 tablespoon of water and gently tossed the beef with the mixture, trying hard to incorporate it throughout the beef. I then let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking. For the untreated beef, I simply left it in a mixing bowl at room temperature for 10 minutes and then cooked it. At no point did I season the beef with salt and pepper.

My goal was to see if the baking soda made any difference, but I also wanted to test if the cooking process was at all different. I tasted each batch hot out of the skillet and then again after it sat on the counter for 10 minutes. I then asked my wife to set me up with a blind taste test so I could judge if the baking soda batch genuinely retained moisture better. 

The test results

The test made clear that baking soda helps ground beef retain moisture and encourages browning. But what surprised me most was how the ground beef treated with baking soda was noticeably less greasy. That’s likely because the untreated beef released more of its fat, which then coated the outside of the meat and left a greasier mouthfeel. On the other hand, the beef treated with baking soda absorbed more of the fat, so it came across as juicy rather than fatty. 

Something else I noticed during the cooking process was how the treated ground beef foamed a bit when searing, perhaps just a natural reaction. Regardless, this beef was considerably browner after 6 minutes of cooking compared to the untreated ground beef. The biggest difference was the texture: The baking soda ground beef was noticeably more tender and a bit juicier than the untreated ground beef. This was most distinct when I tasted the samples after they sat on the counter for 10 minutes. The baking soda meat retained its luscious, soft texture even at room temperature.

Since I almost never eat plain seared ground beef, I turned each sample into taco meat for dinner, adding warm spices like paprika and cumin, some crushed tomatoes, a bit of olive oil, salt, fresh herbs, and a big splash of leftover vegetable broth. I covered the mixture and simmered it briefly, then I tasted the two side by side again. (Unlike the previous test where I seared off the beef on its own, for this test I knew which batch was which.) Both were delicious and my family loved them, but the baking soda beef tasted only slightly more tender than the untreated version. To be honest, I’m not sure I would have noticed any difference between the two the way I did when the beef was simply seared.

My takeaway: The baking soda trick likely works best when you want a solid sear on your ground beef, especially for juicy burgers or add-ins for lettuce wraps. The benefit seems to get lost a little once the beef is cooked in something saucy, as with a taco filling. You will still get a good browning and tender bits of meat, but it’s most noticeable when the beef is served on its own instead of surrounded by a rich sauce.

Final takeaways

Adding a small amount of baking soda to ground beef encourages browning and helps the meat retain moisture. You only need about 1/2 teaspoon per 1 pound of ground beef to help lock in the natural moisture of ground beef. This trick works especially well if you plan to use the seared ground beef right away, but it also helps keep the beef tender as it sits at room temperature. It’s not strictly necessary, especially if you’re making a saucier dish like taco meat or Bolognese, but if you have a little extra time on your hands and baking soda in your pantry, it’s well worth the effort.