In this study, the antibacterial properties of Pimpinella anisum essential oil (PAO) were evaluated against six food‐related bacteria. Afterward, the effects of different concentrations of PAO on microbial, chemical, and organoleptic properties of minced beef were evaluated during refrigerated storage. Based on the findings, PAO was effective against all of the tested strains, where minimum inhibitory concentration of Listeria monocytogenes was 0.015% (v/v) and this value was 0.12% (v/v) for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Salmonella typhimurium. At the end of storage time, the microbial population of samples treated with 0.5% v/w PAO was decreased approximately 1–2 log CFU/g compared to control (p < 0.05). The evolution pattern of total volatile basic nitrogen and peroxide value during storage revealed that the best results were related to the samples treated with higher percentages of PAO (0.3 and 0.5%v/w). The findings of this study suggest significant potential of PAO in improving the shelf life of meat products.

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