It never hurts to have plenty of frozen ground beef in your freezer. This meat is versatile, making it convenient and easy to come up with numerous meals that range from hamburgers to spaghetti sauce. With so many possibilities, this ingredient makes meal planning and last-minute dinners easy. Having a go-to item in the freezer that you know and love can be a game-changer.
If the meat isn't defrosted, whipping up a meal can take a bit more time than you may have anticipated. You may have your techniques to speed up the thawing process, but the urge to throw the frozen meat straight into a hot pan could tempt anyone in a rush. If you're considering cooking frozen ground beef straight away and assume the heat defrosts the ingredient, think again. Cooking ground beef before it thaws leaves you with a less-than-perfect dining experience and can lead to some unintended consequences.
The pitfalls of cooking frozen ground beef
Frozen ground beef can be defrosted in the microwave as a last resort.
Poseidon_v//Getty ImagesWhen you need to thaw your frozen meat a bit quicker, placing it in a zippered plastic bag and submerging it in cold water for one to three hours — or until thawed — is the way to go. If you're in a jam and really need to speed up the process, the USDA gives the thumbs up to defrosting in the microwave. Beef defrosted in water or in the microwave needs to be cooked immediately after thawing.
Ni'Kesia Pannell is an entrepreneur, multi-hyphenate freelance writer, and self-proclaimed Slurpee connoisseur that covers news and culture for The Kitchn. She's the former Weekend Editor for Delish who also writes about faith, health and wellness, travel, beauty, lifestyle, and music for a range of additional outlets.
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