The State That Eats The Most Meat Also Produces The Most Beef

It's undeniable that, despite being the most inefficient food to produce, Americans love beef, and the United States produces the most beef worldwide. As the old-school 1990s ad campaign from the Beef Checkoff and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) described beef, "It's what's for dinner." But not every state in the United States is serving up the same quantities of it on dinner plates. In fact, one state comes in as the firm leader of American meat consumption, and it's the same one that's at the head of the herd (pun intended) when it comes to beef production. The state of Texas is number one in both eating meat and producing beef, showing that the "cow" in "cowboy" is more than just a word.

According to World Population Review, in 2023 Texas produced a whopping 6.2 billion tons of beef, valued at $11.35 billion — this amount is over half a billion tons more than what was produced by the number two state, Nebraska. Meanwhile, Texans themselves are the Americans eating the most meat annually, including beef, pork, and poultry, according to data published by Insider Monkey in 2024. Oklahoma, which, per World Population Review, came in fifth place for American beef production at 2 billion tons, came in second place for meat consumption.

One of the major reasons that Texans both produce and eat so much meat comes down to the fact that, as the saying goes, "Everything is bigger in Texas." As one of the largest U.S. states in terms of geographical size, second only to Alaska, with a climate that's well suited to cattle ranching, beef production has been big business in Texas since before it joined the United States. In a state with a large population, easy access to high-quality beef has shaped Texans' dietary preferences and helped build an appetite for beef in particular, as well as meat more generally.

Whether or not you're in Texas yourself, you can still enjoy beef in a traditionally Texan way by making some Texas-style barbecue. While the best BBQ in every state differs, and traditional barbecue in much of the U.S. is made with pork, Texas-style BBQ is known for its beef, especially brisket and ribs. Beyond the type of meat used, this method is also characterized by long cook times. If you're making a classic smoked brisket, be sure to give yourself anywhere from 10 to 18 hours to let it cook. Whip up some traditional spicy-sweet Texas-style barbecue sauce to serve with the dish; it pairs especially well with the rich, smoky flavors of barbecued beef.