• Ground beef can be safely defrosted in the refrigerator, a basin of cold h2o, or in the microwave.
  • Defrosting in the microwave is the fastest pick, just and so you lot must cook the beef right away.
  • If yous thaw ground beef in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze over again.

If you, like many other home cooks, keep a supply of footing beef in the freezer, you're likely familiar with the defrosting procedure — which means you're probably also familiar with the frustration that comes with forgetting to have the beef out of the freezer ahead of time.

Defrosting ground beefiness properly ensures yous steer articulate from potential harmful leaner. Dr. Darin Detwiler, a food regulatory expert and professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, says that "there volition never exist an end to pathogens in our food, but nosotros tin change the civilisation around the future of food rubber."

The next time y'all need to bring your beef to room temperature, follow the methods below.

Method 1: In the refrigerator

"The safest mode to defrost ground beefiness is to do then in the refrigerator for at to the lowest degree 24 hours," Detwiler says. The fridge method is safest considering information technology "keeps ground beef out of the danger zone, which refers to temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, where pathogens and bacteria can grow."

Detwiler says the fridge keeps the meat safely cool and warms information technology enough to fully defrost, which is crucial for "cooking the meat thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is required to kill whatsoever remaining pathogens."

To defrost ground beef in the fridge, place the package of frozen footing beef on a plate that'south large plenty to take hold of whatsoever possible drippings from the meat as it defrosts. Next, place the plate on a depression shelf in the refrigerator, which will help yous "avoid the possibility of juices dripping onto other foods." The ground beef should remain in the fridge for at least 24 hours to fully defrost.

If you don't use all of the defrosted ground beefiness correct away, Detwiler says that information technology's prophylactic to store the leftovers back in the freezer as long every bit you practise so within 48 hours of the original defrosting. Nonetheless, for actress prophylactic insurance against pathogens and leaner, Detwiler advises to melt the meat thoroughly before freezing it once again.

Method 2: In cold water

Yous cannot refreeze raw ground beefiness if you defrosted it using the cold water method or the microwave method.
Oscar Wong/Getty Images

If you need to defrost your ground beef and don't accept a full 24 hours to await, you can defrost it in a bowl of cold water. This method should take less than an hour, and it'due south safe as long as the water is changed out as it warms to room temperature.

To defrost ground beef in cold water, make certain the beefiness is sealed in a leak-proof packet, similar a resealable plastic bag. "Set up the plastic bag with the frozen meat in a sink or, preferably, in a large bowl, comprehend with common cold water, and counterbalance the parcel of meat downwards with something heavy," Detwiler says. The weighing-down keeps the meat submerged, which is essential to keep the meat at a condom temperature for even defrosting.

Leave the parcel submerged in common cold water for 20 to 30 minutes. Afterwards that, you can "test" the meat's readiness by gently poking it with your fingers. If you lot experience ice crystals or stiffness, then it needs more time (and a fresh round of cold water). One time the meat is thawed, take it out of the water bowl and cook immediately.

Method 3: In the microwave

For the quickest possible defrosting method, you can defrost the ground beef in the microwave.  This method yields safe-to-consume footing beef, but with one major caveat: you have to melt it right abroad.

"Remove all packaging, so identify the meat on a plate. Apply the microwave'south defrost settings or fix it at fifty% power for two to iii minutes, rotating and flipping the beef every 30 seconds, until it is fully thawed. Melt immediately and thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit," Detwiler says.

One of import note: Y'all shouldn't refreeze beef if you thaw it in the microwave. Because the meat is exposed to high temperatures (and has therefore spent time in the danger zone), stashing it in the refrigerator to cook afterward isn't a prophylactic motion, either. Salvage this method for when you're prepare to become cooking immediately.

What to avoid

To ensure the best quality and taste, use your frozen ground beef within four months.
Claudia Totir/Getty Images
  • Never thaw ground beef at room temperature. "Some people leave frozen meat out on the counter to thaw and volition leave it at that place for six to viii hours, thinking that this will definitely get the task done. In reality, this allows it to get likewise warm and allows pathogens to grow," Detwiler says.
  • Never thaw ground beef using hot water. Simply as thawing meat on the counter leaves information technology exposed to danger zone temps, and so does thawing the meat in hot water.  The sudden daze of hot h2o on frozen meat will have negative effects on its texture, and as the h2o cools downwardly, the meat becomes vulnerable to dangerous temperatures. Plus, the hot water could begin to "cook" the meat, which gives you a totally inconsistent block of ground beef that's partially cooked on the outside and still frozen on the inside.
  • Don't keep ground beef in the freezer for longer than four months. Information technology's tempting to assume that ground beef can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. The USDA recommends using it within 4 months for the all-time quality, taste, and texture.

Insider's takeaway

Defrosting ground beef in the fridge is the safest option, but information technology takes a full 24 hours. For faster results, submerge the frozen ground beef in common cold h2o for one hour. The quickest method is the microwave method, which will defrost the ground beef in just a few minutes, simply you'll have to cook the meat immediately.

Taylor Tobin is a contributing writer for INSIDER and a Brooklyn-based writer covering food & beverage, beauty, style, and pop culture. By works tin can also be found at Observer, Brokelyn, and UrbanDaddy. She'due south a fan of bikes, books, and bourbon (not necessarily in that guild).