How Long After You Thaw Ground Beef Should You Cook It
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
The grill's fired upward, the wine is perfectly chilled and you've been dreaming nearly sinking your teeth into a juicy burger all calendar week. Just trouble? You forgot to take the meat out of the freezer. Oops. Relax—you can still save dinner. Here's how to thaw basis beef so information technology's defrosted in time to devour.
RELATED: The 71 Best Basis Beef Recipes the Whole Family unit Will Love
The best way to freeze ground beef
Here's a peachy trick, known as the flat-pack freezing method, that will make adjacent calendar week's taco night so much easier.
ane. Before freezing, divvy up the ground beef into resealable bags. Use a calibration to measure out exactly one-half a pound per handbag, if you're feeling fancy.
2. Using a rolling pin or your mitt, gently flatten the patties and so that they're approximately a ½-inch thick.
three. Printing out any backlog air, seal the bag and that's it—no more than freezer burn, and it will defrost way faster. How fast? Keep reading.
If you lot have 2 hours (or days): Defrost in the fridge
The best way to safely thaw ground beef is in the refrigerator, says the USDA. If y'all use the apartment-pack freezing method, you'll accept ready-to-melt meat in simply a couple of hours, whereas half a pound of ground beef in its original packing tin have up to 12 hours to thaw.
1. Have the meat out of the freezer up to ii days before you plan on cooking it. Put it on a plate and transfer it to the bottom shelf of your fridge.
2. Once defrosted, cook the meat within two days.
If you have 30 minutes: Submerge in common cold water
Ground beef that'due south been frozen flat should thaw in almost ten minutes, while denser hunks of meat volition a piffling take longer, nearly 30 minutes per one-half-pound.
1. Put the frozen meat in a leak-proof resealable handbag (if it isn't already) and identify information technology in a basin of cold water. Make sure it'due south totally submerged.
2. Once thawed, cook immediately.
If you have five minutes: Employ the microwave
It's the speediest way to defrost basis beef and comes in clutch when yous're pressed for time. Just remember that microwave wattages differ, so yous may need more or less time for your beefiness to totally thaw.
1. Place the beefiness a microwave-safe, resealable pocketbook on a plate, leaving a small opening for steam to escape.
2. Use the defrost setting on your microwave to thaw the meat for three to 4 minutes. Turn the meat over halfway through.
3. Cook the ground beef immediately. Some may take started to cook while defrosting.
How long does frozen ground beef last?
Frozen ground beef is safe indefinitely, only loses its quality over time. For the sake of texture and flavor, frozen ground beef should be used within four months of freezing. For best results, freeze ground beef equally soon as you lot bring it home to preserve its freshness. If you're going to use the beef shortly after you lot purchase it, you can go along it in the fridge instead. Use it within a couple days, says the USDA.
Can I refreeze footing beef once it'southward thawed?
And then your beefiness is finally defrosted, but y'all've decided that you don't want to make burgers after all. No problem. You tin safely refreeze basis beef (or any meat, poultry or fish) that'south been thawed in the refrigerator—simply this is the only method where this works. Though this method requires a scrap of foresight since it can take 24 to 48 hours, it'southward the safest there is and the just viable route if you end up wanting to refreeze what y'all defrosted. Once thawed, footing beef or meat, stew meat, poultry and seafood are safe to melt for some other day or ii. Roasts, chops and steaks of beef, pork or lamb will continue a chip longer, nigh three to five days.
According to the USDA, any foods left exterior the fridge for more two hours or for more than than 1 hr in temperatures higher than xc°F shouldn't be refrozen. In other words, raw meat, poultry and fish tin can be refrozen as long as they were thawed safely in the first identify. Raw frozen goods are also safe to cook and refreeze, equally well as previously frozen cooked foods. If you want to skip thawing altogether, meat, poultry or fish can be cooked or reheated from their frozen state. Only know it'll have about one and a half times equally long to cook, and you may notice a difference in quality or texture.
Ready to cook? Here are seven ground beefiness recipes we love.
- Classic Stuffed Peppers
- Beefiness Flatbread with Herb Sauce
- Ravioli Lasagna
- Beef Empanadas
- Cornbread Tamale Pie
- Swedish Meatballs
- Mini Salary-Wrapped Meatloaf
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Source: https://www.purewow.com/food/how-to-thaw-ground-beef
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