How Long Does It Take Beef to Thaw in the Fridge

May 31, 2022 Post a Comment

How to Thaw Ground Beef So It Defrosts in Time for Dinner

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

The grill's fired upwardly, the wine is perfectly chilled and yous've been dreaming nearly sinking your teeth into a juicy burger all week. Only trouble? Yous forgot to take the meat out of the freezer. Oops. Relax—you lot can notwithstanding save dinner. Here's how to thaw basis 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 footing beefiness

Here'south a nifty trick, known as the apartment-pack freezing method, that volition brand adjacent week'southward taco night then much easier.

i. Before freezing, divvy up the basis beefiness into resealable bags. Use a scale to mensurate exactly half a pound per bag, if yous're feeling fancy.

2. Using a rolling pin or your hand, gently flatten the patties then that they're approximately a ½-inch thick.

3. Press out any excess air, seal the pocketbook and that's it—no more freezer burn down, and it will defrost way faster. How fast? Go on reading.

If you accept 2 hours (or days): Defrost in the fridge

The best manner to safely thaw basis beef is in the refrigerator, says the USDA. If you apply the flat-pack freezing method, you'll have ready-to-cook meat in just a couple of hours, whereas one-half a pound of ground beef in its original packing tin can take upwards to 12 hours to thaw.

one. Take the meat out of the freezer up to 2 days before you plan on cooking it. Put information technology on a plate and transfer information technology to the bottom shelf of your fridge.

2. Once defrosted, cook the meat within ii days.

If you have 30 minutes: Submerge in cold water

Ground beef that's been frozen apartment should thaw in virtually ten minutes, while denser hunks of meat will a little take longer, well-nigh 30 minutes per half-pound.

one. Put the frozen meat in a leak-proof resealable bag (if it isn't already) and place information technology in a bowl of cold water. Brand certain it's totally submerged.

two. One time thawed, cook immediately.

If you accept five minutes: Employ the microwave

It'south the speediest way to defrost ground beef and comes in clutch when you're pressed for time. Just recollect that microwave wattages differ, so you lot may need more or less time for your beef to totally thaw.

one. Place the beef a microwave-safe, resealable bag on a plate, leaving a small opening for steam to escape.

2. Employ the defrost setting on your microwave to thaw the meat for iii to iv minutes. Turn the meat over halfway through.

three. Melt the ground beef immediately. Some may take started to cook while defrosting.

How long does frozen basis beef last?

Frozen basis beef is prophylactic indefinitely, but loses its quality over fourth dimension. For the sake of texture and flavor, frozen basis beef should be used within iv months of freezing. For all-time results, freeze ground beefiness as soon as you bring it domicile to preserve its freshness. If you're going to use the beef soon afterward you purchase it, you tin can proceed information technology in the fridge instead. Utilize it within a couple days, says the USDA.

Tin can I refreeze ground beef in one case it's thawed?

So your beef is finally defrosted, but you've decided that you don't want to make burgers later all. No problem. You lot tin safely refreeze footing beef (or whatever meat, poultry or fish) that's been thawed in the fridge—just this is the merely method where this works. Though this method requires a scrap of foresight since information technology tin take 24 to 48 hours, information technology'due south the safest at that place is and the only viable route if you end up wanting to refreeze what you defrosted. In one case thawed, ground beef or meat, stew meat, poultry and seafood are rubber to cook for another day or two. Roasts, chops and steaks of beefiness, pork or lamb will go along a bit longer, well-nigh 3 to five days.

Co-ordinate to the USDA, whatsoever foods left exterior the refrigerator for more than 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 tin can be refrozen as long as they were thawed safely in the first place. Raw frozen goods are as well rubber to melt 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. Simply know it'll take about one and a one-half times as long to cook, and you may notice a divergence in quality or texture.