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How long does ground beef last in the fridge?
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Whoops! A whole week has passed, and that package of ground beef is still chilling in the back of your refrigerator. Is it still safe to cook with and eat, or are you better off tossing it out? Luckily, both raw and cooked ground beef display obvious signs when they go bad—and we’re here to show you exactly what those signals are. Read on for plenty of foolproof tips and hacks for inspecting, storing, and cooking your ground beef, so you can feel confident that your meat is 100% safe to eat.
Things You Should Know
- Raw or cooked ground beef has gone bad if it smells funky, changes color, and/or feels slimy.
- Don’t cook with ground beef that’s more than 3 days past its sell-by date.
- Store raw and cooked beef in the fridge to keep it as fresh as possible. If you can’t cook or eat it right away, freeze it for future use.
- Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 °F (71 °C) to prevent the spread of food-borne illnesses.
Steps
Signs That Ground Beef is Bad
Community Q&A
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QuestionI have had ground beef in the freezer for approximately three months. Can you tell me if it is bad or not? It looks perfectly normal aside from the fact that it looks a little bit white.Janice TiepermanCommunity AnswerBeef is good for around 4 months in the freezer, so your beef should theoretically still be in good shape if it's only been 3. Ultimately, use your best judgment—if the meat seems off to you, toss it out instead of eating it.
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QuestionOnce the hamburger has been freezing can you refreeze it without cooking it first?Janice TiepermanCommunity AnswerYes, but only if you defrosted the meat in your refrigerator. If you defrosted the meat in a bowl or water or in the microwave, it's no longer safe to refreeze.
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QuestionI left my cooked hamburger out for 12 hours at 58 degrees. Is it safe to eatJanice TiepermanCommunity AnswerUnfortunately, no—you should throw it out. According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA, ground beef is only safe at room temperature for up to 2 hours (or 1 hour if it's at least 90 °F/32.2 °C).
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Warnings
- Always keep cold foods below 40 °F (4 °C) and hot foods above 140 °F (60 °C). Anything in between these two ranges is in the “Danger Zone” and will start to develop bacteria. [19] X Trustworthy Source Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA Food safety information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Go to sourceThanks
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References
- ↑ Abyssinia Campbell. Executive Chef. Expert Interview. 31 August 2021.
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-beef-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/how-long-does-cooked-ground-beef-last-in-the-fridge
- ↑ Abyssinia Campbell. Executive Chef. Expert Interview. 31 August 2021.
- ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/article/is-it-safe-to-eat-gray-ground-beef/
- ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/how-long-does-cooked-ground-beef-last-in-the-fridge
- ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/article/is-it-safe-to-eat-gray-ground-beef/
- ↑ https://www.southernliving.com/food/kitchen-assistant/how-long-does-cooked-ground-beef-last-in-the-fridge
- ↑ https://extension.oregonstate.edu/ask-expert/featured/burger-sell-date-seriously
- ↑ https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/How-soon-should-beef-be-cooked-after-thawing
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-beef-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-beef-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-freeze-and-defrost-ground-beef-249806
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-beef-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-beef-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/what-do-you-do-if-you-have-recalled-product
- ↑ https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/03/25/protecting-your-family-food-spoilage
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-beef-and-food-safety
- ↑ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/danger-zone-40f-140f
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you’re not sure whether your ground beef is still good, lean close and smell it. If the meat smells sour or unpleasant, it’s probably bad and you should discard it. If it seems okay, use your fingers to test the texture. Meat that has turned bad will feel sticky, tacky, or slimy and should be thrown out. You can also use the color of the meat as a guideline. Ground beef that is brown or gray is still safe to eat, but if it is turning green, you should throw it away. Read on for tips on storing ground beef to keep it from spoiling!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I bought a 4 lb. package of ground chuck from the store I usually buy from. Opened it, began making patties, and discovered a "tunnel" of gray beef inside the bright red. Not happy-a new experience, though I've been cooking over 50 years. My granddaughter suggested I google "ground chuck gray", which I did & chose your site. The information was very helpful, particularly the part about exposing the gray meat to the air. It stayed gray. Returning it! Thanks!" ..." more
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"I bought a 4 lb. package of ground chuck from the store I usually buy from. Opened it, began making patties, and discovered a "tunnel" of gray beef inside the bright red. Not happy-a new experience, though I've been cooking over 50 years. My granddaughter suggested I google "ground chuck gray", which I did & chose your site. The information was very helpful, particularly the part about exposing the gray meat to the air. It stayed gray. Returning it! Thanks!"
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"Just didn't know what to do if meat smells sour and slightly grey. My gut instinct said throw it out! That course of action is recommended by you. Good website. Thank you."
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"I took some hamburger out of the freezer to make for dinner, and after it'd been thawed and cooked, it had a funny smell. I looked it up to see if it was safe to eat."
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"I get concerned when I buy hamburger that is red in the store, get it home and it is brown inside. This article answered my concerns."
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"Very helpful! Easy to read, but what I like the most is it was very informative, answered all my question and then some. Good job!"
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