How long does ground beef last in the fridge

How Long Does Ground Beef Last in the Fridge

Today let us discuss how long does ground beef last in the fridge! Well, the raw meat of the ground beef lasts for a maximum of two days, and the cooked meat of the ground beef lasts for a maximum of four days.

So, do not keep the ground beef stored in the fridge for a long time. It remains fresh for 2 to 4 days maximum. You have to wash your hands properly after and before holding the raw meat of the ground beef. Use warm water with soap for washing both your hands properly.

Do not keep the raw ground beef with the other foods in your kitchen or fridge. It is better to keep it separately because bacteria contamination can happen in other foods.

We provide how long ground beef lasts in the fridge in this article. If you want to know more about how long does ground beef last in the fridge, then you must read our article till last.

How long does ground beef last in the fridge

You can use ground beef in several ways in your kitchen. Undoubtedly, it is an excellent choice and cost-effective. The time till which ground beef lasts in the fridge depends on the type of meat.

How long does ground beef last in the fridge? Well, you can keep the raw ground beef for two days. If you want to get the shelf life of the most prolonged period, then you have to choose high-quality ground beef.

The proper storage of ground beef is essential. You have to be very careful while storing the packaged ground beef. You have to store it on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator. Push it to the back of the shelf.

You have to freeze the ground meat properly after purchasing it to enhance longevity. If you want the ground meat to last for at least four months, you have to keep it either below 0 degrees F or at 0 degrees F inside your freezer.

It would help if you were very careful while keeping the ground meat inside your freezer because it can burn. So, to avoid freezer burn, you have to wrap the packaged ground meat in freezer paper, plastic wrap, and aluminum foil. You can also put it inside a freezer-safe plastic bag. Accidentally, if you open the ground beef’s packaging, put it inside a freezer-safe bag. You can write the date and label on the bag.

When you plan to use the meat, take it out from the freezer and place it in a cold water bowl. Make sure that the meat gets submerged in the water. You can put heavyweight to make it fully submerged. Then, leave it like this for a minimum of five minutes for thawing. You should not keep the frozen meat for a long time to use it later; try to use it at once.

How long does ground beef last in the fridge

How to tell if ground beef has gone bad

Here are some ways how to tell if ground beef has gone bad –

Check the ground beef’s color

The color of the fresh ground beef must be red because it contains oxymyoglobin levels. Oxymyoglobin is a pigment that forms due to the oxygen and a protein reaction. There can be various factors like oxygen exposure, light, temperature, and microbial growth responsible for the change of color in the ground beef.

You may find the grayish-brown color in the inside of raw ground beef. But it doesn’t mean spoilage; it happened because of the lack of oxygen exposure. Do not keep the ground beef if you find the outside color gray or brown. The color change means the ground beef is rotten. Be careful while eating cooked ground beef because mold can develop in it. Do not eat the food if you find any green, gray, and fuzzy blue spots in it.

Inspect the food texture

You can test it by touching it. If you find it a little slimy or sticky texture, you will understand that it contains spoilage bacteria. You will get firm consistency in the ground beef, and you can break it easily if you squeeze.

Do a smell test

If you are looking for the fastest and easiest way to understand the spoilage of the meat, then it is the perfect way for you. You can differentiate the fresh ground beef from the rotten ones through smell. The scent of the rotten meat changes for the spoilage bacteria growth like Pseudomonas spp. and Lactobacillus spp. in it.

Check the expiry date of ground beef

You should always check the expiry date before buying the ground beef. If the meat is expired, then the ground beef is not good. So, you should avoid buying it. You can eat it for a maximum of 2 days after the expiry date. The quality and taste of the ground beef will deteriorate after the expiry date.

If you find that the texture of the ground beef has become slimy, the color turns brownish-gray, and the smell becomes sour, then the ground beef is not good anymore.

How long does cooked ground beef last in the fridge

The use of ground beef is widespread in several places. You can cook it in less time, and it is not so expensive for you. Be careful about the expiry date. Do not eat expired beef.

You can keep the cooked ground beef inside the airtight container for refrigerator storage. Keep the temperature of your refrigerator at or below 40° F. You can store cooked ground beef for a maximum of 4 months inside your freezer.

Do not forget to keep the cooked ground beef inside a leakproof container and airtight. Avoid keeping the container on the refrigerator door; instead, place it on a shelf. Moreover, it would help if you did not open the fridge door, increasing the temperature. As a result, the expiry date of the cooked ground beef is reduced.

The cooked ground beef has a chance of getting contaminated. So, you can cook it at 160° F to get rid of bacteria. Still, it is necessary to keep it in an airtight container to avoid contamination.

When buying the ground beef from the shop, make sure that it is fresh and bright red. Make sure that the package has no tears in it. Moreover, you should buy ground beef which is grade A.

Sometimes, you may cook a lot of ground beef accidentally or cook more to eat it later intentionally. You can keep this extra amount of cooked ground beef inside your freezer if you want to store it for more than 4 days.

At your room temperature, it will last for only two hours. If you store the cooked ground beef inside your freezer in the right way, it can last upto 4 months.

After cooking the ground beef, you have to refrigerate it immediately. Do not wait more than one hour if your room temperature is more than 90°F (32°F). If you have found that the room temperature is below 90°F ( 32°F), you can wait for a maximum of 2 hours.

How long does ground beef last in the fridge

Ways to store ground beef

You can store the cooked ground beef in several ways. They are as follows:

  1. Firstly, cool down the hot cooked ground beef before refrigerating
  2. Then, put the cool cooked ground beef inside an airtight container
  3. After that, you have to seal well
  4. You can make the beef flat if you want to save some space in your freezer or refrigerator
  5. Then, put a label on the container with cooked dates
  6. After storing it inside your freezer, do not forget to thaw it in your refrigerator
  7. Now, reheat the cooked ground beef; it will reduce the chances of any bacteria formation.

How long does raw ground beef last in the fridge

The raw ground meat will last for a maximum of five days in your fridge. If it exists for five days, it will become spoiled. The cooked spoiled meat is not safe for you. You can suffer from food poisoning, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea.

You should know the correct process of storing the raw ground beef in your fridge. There are various ways of raw ground beef storage. They are as follows:

  • Firstly of all, you can either take off the plastic packaging from the raw ground beef or keep it in its original packaging
  • If you want to remove its original packaging, keep it in a dish and cover it with plastic foil or wrap
  • Then, put the raw beef inside your fridge.
  • Try to place it on the bottom shelf
  • Do not keep the raw beef uncovered as it will grow and share bacteria in your fridge
  • After that, put the label with the date on the raw beef
  • After storing it in the fridge, you have to thaw it in the refrigerator
  • Once thawed, if you want, you can refreeze it safely.

How long does thawed ground beef last in the fridge

You can thaw the ground beef in your refrigerator, microwave, and in cool water. These are the three main ways of thawing the ground beef. You can choose anyone from them which you feel is convenient.

Method 1

If you want to thaw in your refrigerator, you have to put the frozen meat bag in your refrigerator. You must keep the meat on a plate inside your refrigerator because condensation from your bag may spread to all the other items in your fridge. You have to cook the thawed ground beef for a maximum of 2 days.

Method 2

You can choose to thaw in your microwave too. Keep the ground beef bag on a plate inside your microwave. Then, you have to start the defrost setting and thaw the food for a maximum of 4 minutes.

Do not keep your eye away from the meat because the time varies in the microwave. You may find that the process of cooking has already started. Now, you have to cook the ground beef without any delay.

How long does ground beef last in the fridge

Method 3

If you choose to thaw in cold water, put the frozen meat bag inside a large container full of cold water. Then, force the meat on the downside by a heavy substance such as a big platter or a skillet.

You have to submerge the meat inside the cold water of the container. The ground beef meat will take a maximum of 15 minutes to thaw. You have to cook the food immediately.

You should consume the thawed ground beef for a maximum of two days. Also, you can refreeze the non-cooked, thawed ground beef safely. Thawing causes moisture loss in your food. So, you will lose some quality of the ground beef.

The food quality will deteriorate, but it is 100% safe to refrigerate the thawed ground beef. It is essential to know that you can store the thawed raw ground beef once daily. You have to cook the thawed raw ground meat before refreezing it in your microwave oven or cold water.

Final thoughts

How long does ground beef last in the fridge? Well, the raw and cooked ground beef both take different times to last in the fridge. In your fridge, you can keep both the raw and cooked ground beef for a short period.

If you want to keep them for a more extended period, you have to use a freezer instead of a fridge. You must follow our instructions to understand raw, cooked, and thawed ground beef and get many benefits from them. Purchase the ground beef and store it properly before cooking it.

To stay safe, you should know how to differentiate fresh ground beef and rotten ground beef. Please do not eat rotten ground beef as it may cause diseases.

We have shared how long does ground beef lasts in the fridge. Hopefully, our information about how long ground beef lasts in the fridge comes to your help.