• Footing beef tin can be safely defrosted in the refrigerator, a bowl of cold water, or in the microwave.
  • Defrosting in the microwave is the fastest choice, but then y'all must cook the beefiness correct abroad.
  • If you thaw footing beef in the refrigerator, information technology is safe to refreeze again.

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

Defrosting ground beef properly ensures you steer clear from potential harmful bacteria. Dr. Darin Detwiler, a food regulatory good and professor at Northeastern Academy in Boston, Massachusetts, says that "there volition never be an stop to pathogens in our food, but we can change the culture effectually the future of nutrient safety."

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

Method 1: In the fridge

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

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

To defrost ground beef in the refrigerator, identify the packet of frozen ground beef on a plate that's large enough to catch any possible drippings from the meat equally it defrosts. Side by side, identify the plate on a low shelf in the refrigerator, which will help you "avoid the possibility of juices dripping onto other foods." The ground beef should remain in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours to fully defrost.

If yous don't use all of the defrosted ground beefiness right away, Detwiler says that it's condom to store the leftovers back in the freezer as long as y'all practice and so within 48 hours of the original defrosting. Nonetheless, for extra safety insurance confronting pathogens and bacteria, Detwiler advises to cook the meat thoroughly before freezing it once again.

Method ii: In cold water

Y'all cannot refreeze raw ground beef if yous defrosted information technology using the cold water method or the microwave method.
Oscar Wong/Getty Images

If yous need to defrost your footing beef and don't have a full 24 hours to wait, you tin defrost it in a bowl of cold water. This method should have less than an hour, and it'southward safe every bit long equally the water is changed out as it warms to room temperature.

To defrost basis beef in cold water, make certain the beef is sealed in a leak-proof package, like a resealable plastic purse. "Prepare the plastic bag with the frozen meat in a sink or, preferably, in a large bowl, cover with cold h2o, and counterbalance the package of meat downwardly with something heavy," Detwiler says. The weighing-down keeps the meat submerged, which is essential to keep the meat at a safe temperature for even defrosting.

Get out the package submerged in common cold water for twenty to thirty minutes. After that, y'all can "examination" the meat'due south readiness by gently poking it with your fingers. If you experience ice crystals or stiffness, then it needs more fourth dimension (and a fresh round of cold water). Once the meat is thawed, take it out of the h2o 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 condom-to-swallow ground beefiness, but with i major caveat: you take to cook it right away.

"Remove all packaging, then identify the meat on a plate. Use the microwave'southward defrost settings or gear up it at 50% ability for 2 to three minutes, rotating and flipping the beefiness every xxx seconds, until it is fully thawed. Cook immediately and thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit," Detwiler says.

One important note: Yous 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 fridge to cook later isn't a rubber motion, either. Save this method for when yous're set up to get cooking immediately.

What to avoid

To ensure the all-time quality and gustatory modality, utilize your frozen ground beef within four months.
Claudia Totir/Getty Images
  • Never thaw ground beefiness at room temperature. "Some people leave frozen meat out on the counter to thaw and will get out it at that place 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 grow," Detwiler says.
  • Never thaw footing beef using hot water. But as thawing meat on the counter leaves information technology exposed to danger zone temps, so does thawing the meat in hot water.  The sudden shock of hot water on frozen meat will have negative effects on its texture, and as the water cools down, the meat becomes vulnerable to dangerous temperatures. Plus, the hot water could begin to "melt" the meat, which gives you a totally inconsistent block of ground beef that's partially cooked on the outside and however frozen on the inside.
  • Don't keep ground beef in the freezer for longer than 4 months. It'southward tempting to presume that ground beefiness can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. The USDA recommends using it within four months for the best quality, gustatory modality, and texture.

Insider'due south takeaway

Defrosting ground beef in the refrigerator is the safest option, but information technology takes a full 24 hours. For faster results, submerge the frozen ground beef in cold h2o for one hr. The quickest method is the microwave method, which will defrost the ground beef in just a few minutes, but y'all'll have to melt the meat immediately.

Taylor Tobin is a contributing author for INSIDER and a Brooklyn-based author covering food & drink, beauty, fashion, and popular culture. Past works can likewise be establish at Observer, Brokelyn, and UrbanDaddy. She's a fan of bikes, books, and bourbon (not necessarily in that order).