• Ground beef can exist safely defrosted in the refrigerator, a basin of cold water, or in the microwave.
  • Defrosting in the microwave is the fastest choice, but then you must cook the beef right away.
  • If you thaw footing beef in the refrigerator, it is condom to refreeze over again.

If y'all, like many other dwelling cooks, proceed a supply of ground beef in the freezer, you're likely familiar with the defrosting procedure — which means you're probably likewise familiar with the frustration that comes with forgetting to have the beef out of the freezer alee of time.

Defrosting ground beef properly ensures yous steer clear from potential harmful bacteria. Dr. Darin Detwiler, a food regulatory expert and professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, says that "there will never be an end to pathogens in our nutrient, simply we can alter the culture around the future of food safety."

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

Method i: In the refrigerator

"The safest way to defrost ground beefiness is to practise so in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours," Detwiler says. The refrigerator method is safest because it "keeps ground beef out of the danger zone, which refers to temperatures betwixt 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, where pathogens and leaner tin can abound."

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

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

If you don't use all of the defrosted footing beef right abroad, Detwiler says that it'southward safe to store the leftovers back in the freezer as long as you do so within 48 hours of the original defrosting. However, for extra safety insurance confronting pathogens and bacteria, Detwiler advises to cook the meat thoroughly before freezing it over again.

Method 2: In cold water

Yous cannot refreeze raw footing beef if you defrosted it using the cold water method or the microwave method.
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If you lot demand to defrost your ground beef and don't have a full 24 hours to expect, you can defrost information technology in a bowl of cold water. This method should take less than an hour, and it'south safe as long every bit the water is changed out every bit it warms to room temperature.

To defrost ground beefiness in cold water, make sure the beef is sealed in a leak-proof parcel, like a resealable plastic bag. "Set the plastic purse with the frozen meat in a sink or, preferably, in a large bowl, embrace with common cold water, and weigh the package of meat down with something heavy," Detwiler says. The weighing-down keeps the meat submerged, which is essential to keep the meat at a safe temperature for fifty-fifty defrosting.

Leave the package submerged in cold water for 20 to 30 minutes. After that, you can "exam" the meat'south readiness by gently poking it with your fingers. If you feel ice crystals or stiffness, then information technology needs more time (and a fresh round of common cold water). Once the meat is thawed, take it out of the water basin and cook immediately.

Method 3: In the microwave

For the quickest possible defrosting method, yous can defrost the footing beefiness in the microwave.  This method yields rubber-to-eat ground beefiness, merely with one major caveat: y'all have to cook information technology correct away.

"Remove all packaging, then identify the meat on a plate. Use the microwave'south defrost settings or prepare it at 50% power for ii to three minutes, rotating and flipping the beef every 30 seconds, until it is fully thawed. Cook immediately and thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit," Detwiler says.

Ane of import annotation: You shouldn't refreeze beef if you thaw it in the microwave. Because the meat is exposed to high temperatures (and has therefore spent fourth dimension in the danger zone), stashing it in the fridge to cook later isn't a safe movement, either. Save this method for when you're ready to get cooking immediately.

What to avoid

To ensure the best quality and taste, utilize 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 will leave information technology there for six to eight hours, thinking that this will definitely get the job done. In reality, this allows it to get too warm and allows pathogens to abound," Detwiler says.
  • Never thaw ground beef using hot water. Just as thawing meat on the counter leaves it exposed to danger zone temps, so does thawing the meat in hot water.  The sudden stupor of hot water on frozen meat will take negative furnishings on its texture, and as the water cools downwardly, the meat becomes vulnerable to dangerous temperatures. Plus, the hot water could begin to "cook" the meat, which gives y'all a totally inconsistent block of ground beef that's partially cooked on the outside and yet frozen on the inside.
  • Don't keep ground beefiness in the freezer for longer than 4 months. Information technology's tempting to presume that ground beef tin exist kept in the freezer indefinitely. The USDA recommends using it within 4 months for the best quality, gustatory modality, and texture.

Insider's takeaway

Defrosting ground beefiness in the refrigerator is the safest option, only it takes a full 24 hours. For faster results, submerge the frozen footing beefiness in cold water for i hour. The quickest method is the microwave method, which will defrost the ground beef in merely a few minutes, merely you lot'll have to melt the meat immediately.

Taylor Tobin is a contributing author for INSIDER and a Brooklyn-based writer covering food & beverage, dazzler, style, and pop civilisation. Past works can likewise exist constitute at Observer, Brokelyn, and UrbanDaddy. She'due south a fan of bikes, books, and bourbon (non necessarily in that guild).