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

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

Defrosting basis beefiness properly ensures y'all steer clear from potential harmful bacteria. Dr. Darin Detwiler, a food regulatory expert and professor at Northeastern Academy in Boston, Massachusetts, says that "there will never be an end to pathogens in our food, but nosotros tin change the civilisation effectually the future of food safety."

The next fourth dimension you need to bring your beef to room temperature, follow the methods beneath.

Method one: In the refrigerator

"The safest way to defrost ground beefiness is to do so in the fridge 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 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 it plenty to fully defrost, which is crucial for "cooking the meat thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is required to kill any remaining pathogens."

To defrost ground beef in the refrigerator, identify the packet of frozen ground beef on a plate that's big enough to catch any possible drippings from the meat every bit it defrosts. Next, identify the plate on a low shelf in the refrigerator, which will help y'all "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 utilize all of the defrosted footing beefiness correct away, Detwiler says that it's safe to store the leftovers back in the freezer as long equally you practice so within 48 hours of the original defrosting. However, for extra prophylactic insurance confronting pathogens and leaner, Detwiler advises to melt the meat thoroughly before freezing it again.

Method 2: In common cold water

You lot cannot refreeze raw footing beef if you defrosted it using the cold water method or the microwave method.
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If yous need to defrost your ground beef and don't have a full 24 hours to wait, you can defrost it in a bowl of cold water. This method should accept less than an hr, and information technology's safety every bit long equally the water is changed out every bit it warms to room temperature.

To defrost ground beefiness in cold h2o, make sure the beef is sealed in a leak-proof package, like a resealable plastic bag. "Set the plastic pocketbook with the frozen meat in a sink or, preferably, in a large bowl, embrace with cold water, and counterbalance the package of meat down with something heavy," Detwiler says. The weighing-downward keeps the meat submerged, which is essential to go on the meat at a safe temperature for even defrosting.

Get out the package submerged in cold water for 20 to 30 minutes. After that, you can "exam" the meat's readiness past gently poking it with your fingers. If you feel ice crystals or stiffness, and then information technology needs more than time (and a fresh circular of cold water). In one case the meat is thawed, take it out of the water basin and melt immediately.

Method iii: In the microwave

For the quickest possible defrosting method, you can defrost the footing beef in the microwave.  This method yields prophylactic-to-eat ground beefiness, just with ane major caveat: y'all have to melt information technology right away.

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

Ane important annotation: Y'all shouldn't refreeze beef if yous 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 afterwards isn't a condom motion, either. Relieve this method for when you lot're fix to get 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 beefiness at room temperature. "Some people leave frozen meat out on the counter to thaw and will leave it there for six to 8 hours, thinking that this volition definitely become the chore washed. In reality, this allows it to get too warm and allows pathogens to grow," Detwiler says.
  • Never thaw ground beef using hot water. Just 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 take negative furnishings on its texture, and equally the water cools downwards, the meat becomes vulnerable to unsafe temperatures. Plus, the hot water could brainstorm to "melt" the meat, which gives you a totally inconsistent cake of ground beef that'southward partially cooked on the outside and still frozen on the inside.
  • Don't keep footing beef in the freezer for longer than iv months. It'due south tempting to presume that basis beefiness can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. The USDA recommends using it inside four months for the all-time quality, gustation, and texture.

Insider's takeaway

Defrosting footing beef in the refrigerator is the safest choice, simply information technology takes a total 24 hours. For faster results, submerge the frozen basis beef in cold water for one 60 minutes. The quickest method is the microwave method, which will defrost the basis beef in simply a few minutes, merely you lot'll have to cook the meat immediately.

Taylor Tobin is a contributing writer for INSIDER and a Brooklyn-based author roofing food & drink, beauty, way, and pop culture. Past works can also be constitute at Observer, Brokelyn, and UrbanDaddy. She's a fan of bikes, books, and bourbon (not necessarily in that order).