• Basis beef can exist safely defrosted in the fridge, a bowl of cold water, or in the microwave.
  • Defrosting in the microwave is the fastest selection, only then yous must melt the beef right away.
  • If yous thaw ground beefiness in the refrigerator, information technology is safe to refreeze again.

If you, like many other domicile cooks, go on a supply of basis beef in the freezer, you lot're probable familiar with the defrosting process — which means y'all're probably too familiar with the frustration that comes with forgetting to take the beefiness out of the freezer alee of time.

Defrosting basis beef properly ensures you lot steer clear from potential harmful bacteria. Dr. Darin Detwiler, a food regulatory proficient and professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, says that "there volition never be an end to pathogens in our nutrient, but we tin change the civilisation around the future of food safety."

The adjacent fourth dimension you demand to bring your beef to room temperature, follow the methods below.

Method 1: In the refrigerator

"The safest way to defrost footing beef is to do so in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours," Detwiler says. The refrigerator method is safest considering it "keeps footing 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 impale any remaining pathogens."

To defrost ground beef in the refrigerator, place the package of frozen ground beef on a plate that's big enough to grab any possible drippings from the meat as information technology defrosts. Next, place the plate on a low shelf in the refrigerator, which volition help yous "avoid the possibility of juices dripping onto other foods." The footing beefiness should remain in the refrigerator for at to the lowest degree 24 hours to fully defrost.

If you don't utilise all of the defrosted ground beef correct away, Detwiler says that it's rubber to shop the leftovers back in the freezer every bit long every bit you do so inside 48 hours of the original defrosting. However, for actress safety insurance against pathogens and leaner, Detwiler advises to melt the meat thoroughly before freezing information technology again.

Method 2: In cold water

You cannot refreeze raw footing beef if you defrosted it using the cold water method or the microwave method.
Oscar Wong/Getty Images

If you need to defrost your basis beef and don't accept a full 24 hours to wait, you tin defrost information technology in a bowl of common cold water. This method should have less than an hour, and information technology's safety as long as the water is changed out as it warms to room temperature.

To defrost ground beef in cold water, make sure the beef is sealed in a leak-proof parcel, like a resealable plastic bag. "Set the plastic pocketbook with the frozen meat in a sink or, preferably, in a large basin, cover with common cold h2o, and weigh the package of meat downwards with something heavy," Detwiler says. The weighing-down keeps the meat submerged, which is essential to keep the meat at a safety temperature for even defrosting.

Exit the package submerged in common cold water for xx to xxx minutes. After that, you lot can "examination" the meat's readiness past gently poking it with your fingers. If you feel ice crystals or stiffness, then it needs more than time (and a fresh round of cold water). Once the meat is thawed, have it out of the water bowl and cook immediately.

Method 3: In the microwave

For the quickest possible defrosting method, you tin defrost the ground beef in the microwave.  This method yields condom-to-eat ground beef, but with one major caveat: y'all have to cook it correct abroad.

"Remove all packaging, and so place the meat on a plate. Use the microwave's defrost settings or set it at fifty% power for two to three minutes, rotating and flipping the beef every thirty seconds, until information technology is fully thawed. Melt immediately and thoroughly to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit," Detwiler says.

Ane important note: Y'all shouldn't refreeze beefiness 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 afterwards isn't a safety move, either. Salvage this method for when you lot're gear up to get cooking immediately.

What to avoid

To ensure the best quality and sense of taste, use your frozen ground beef within four months.
Claudia Totir/Getty Images
  • Never thaw footing beef at room temperature. "Some people get out frozen meat out on the counter to thaw and will leave it there for half dozen to eight hours, thinking that this will definitely get the task done. 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 it exposed to danger zone temps, so does thawing the meat in hot h2o.  The sudden shock of hot h2o on frozen meat will have negative effects on its texture, and every bit the h2o cools downwardly, the meat becomes vulnerable to unsafe temperatures. Plus, the hot water could begin to "cook" the meat, which gives you a totally inconsistent block of ground beefiness that'south partially cooked on the exterior and still frozen on the inside.
  • Don't keep footing beef in the freezer for longer than four months. It's tempting to presume that ground beef can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. The USDA recommends using it within four months for the best quality, gustation, and texture.

Insider'southward takeaway

Defrosting ground beef in the refrigerator is the safest pick, just it 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, just you'll accept to cook the meat immediately.

Taylor Tobin is a contributing author for INSIDER and a Brooklyn-based writer covering food & drink, beauty, style, and pop culture. Past works can as well be establish at Observer, Brokelyn, and UrbanDaddy. She'south a fan of bikes, books, and bourbon (not necessarily in that club).