How to Properly Thaw Ground Beef
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
The grill's fired upward, the wine is perfectly chilled and you've been dreaming about sinking your teeth into a juicy burger all week. Merely trouble? Y'all forgot to take the meat out of the freezer. Oops. Relax—you lot tin still save dinner. Here's how to thaw ground beef so it's defrosted in time to devour.
RELATED: The 71 Best Ground Beef Recipes the Whole Family Will Love
The best way to freeze ground beef
Hither's a groovy pull a fast one on, known equally the flat-pack freezing method, that will make next week's taco dark then much easier.
1. Before freezing, divvy up the ground beef into resealable bags. Use a scale to measure exactly half a pound per bag, if you're feeling fancy.
ii. Using a rolling pin or your hand, gently flatten the patties so that they're approximately a ½-inch thick.
3. Press out any backlog air, seal the bag and that'south it—no more freezer burn, and it will defrost way faster. How fast? Go along reading.
If you lot accept 2 hours (or days): Defrost in the fridge
The best way to safely thaw ground beef is in the fridge, says the USDA. If yous use the flat-pack freezing method, yous'll have prepare-to-melt meat in just a couple of hours, whereas half a pound of ground beef in its original packing tin can take up to 12 hours to thaw.
1. Accept the meat out of the freezer upwards to ii days before you plan on cooking it. Put information technology on a plate and transfer it to the bottom shelf of your refrigerator.
two. Once defrosted, cook the meat within ii days.
If you take 30 minutes: Submerge in cold water
Ground beef that's been frozen flat should thaw in about ten minutes, while denser hunks of meat will a little have longer, about 30 minutes per half-pound.
1. Put the frozen meat in a leak-proof resealable pocketbook (if it isn't already) and place it in a basin of cold water. Brand sure it's totally submerged.
2. Once thawed, cook immediately.
If you have five minutes: Use the microwave
It's the speediest way to defrost basis beef and comes in clutch when you lot're pressed for time. Just remember that microwave wattages differ, and then yous may demand more or less time for your beef to totally thaw.
1. Place the beefiness a microwave-rubber, resealable bag on a plate, leaving a small opening for steam to escape.
2. Utilize the defrost setting on your microwave to thaw the meat for iii to four minutes. Plow the meat over halfway through.
three. Cook the ground beef immediately. Some may have started to melt while defrosting.
How long does frozen ground beefiness last?
Frozen ground beef is condom indefinitely, but loses its quality over time. For the sake of texture and flavor, frozen ground beef should be used within 4 months of freezing. For best results, freeze ground beef as soon as you bring it home to preserve its freshness. If you're going to use the beef before long after yous purchase it, you can keep information technology in the refrigerator instead. Utilise it within a couple days, says the USDA.
Can I refreeze basis beef in one case it's thawed?
And so your beef is finally defrosted, simply you lot've decided that you don't want to make burgers later on all. No problem. You lot can safely refreeze ground beefiness (or whatsoever meat, poultry or fish) that'south been thawed in the fridge—just this is the only method where this works. Though this method requires a bit of foresight since it can take 24 to 48 hours, information technology'south the safest there is and the only feasible road if you end up wanting to refreeze what yous defrosted. Once thawed, ground beef or meat, stew meat, poultry and seafood are condom to melt for some other 24-hour interval or two. Roasts, chops and steaks of beef, pork or lamb will keep a flake longer, well-nigh 3 to five days.
According to the USDA, whatsoever foods left outside the refrigerator for more than two hours or for more than one hour in temperatures higher than 90°F shouldn't exist refrozen. In other words, raw meat, poultry and fish can be refrozen as long as they were thawed safely in the starting time place. Raw frozen appurtenances are also rubber to cook and refreeze, as well as previously frozen cooked foods. If you want to skip thawing altogether, meat, poultry or fish tin can exist cooked or reheated from their frozen state. Merely know information technology'll have about i and a half times as long to cook, and you may notice a difference in quality or texture.
Ready to cook? Here are seven footing beef recipes we love.
- Classic Stuffed Peppers
- Beef Flatbread with Herb Sauce
- Ravioli Lasagna
- Beef Empanadas
- Cornbread Tamale Pie
- Swedish Meatballs
- Mini Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
RELATED: *This* Is the All-time Way to Defrost Chicken
Source: https://www.purewow.com/food/how-to-thaw-ground-beef
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