How Long Does It Take for One a Half Pounds of Beef to Thaw in the Fridge

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Were you all ready to grill the burger of a lifetime, but the solid brick of ground beef in your freezer had other plans? Don't fret. There are quick, safe ways to save your cookout and thaw that icy beefcube. If you're willing to push dorsum the start time of your meal, the safest style to defrost footing beefiness is in the fridge. Simply, if you're in a compression, the microwave and a bowl of cold h2o are speedy and efficient ways to defrost mr. beefiness. We'll brand sure yous avoid bacteria and follow USDA-approved methods to get that beef ready for activeness.

1. i

   Program ahead 1-24 hours to thaw your meat completely. If yous freeze your ground beef yourself in sparse packages (under 2 inches (5.one cm) thick), you tin can thaw ground beefiness in the refrigerator in under an hour.^[1] Otherwise, programme for 24 hours for every one pound (450 g) of basis beefiness in the package.^[2]

   • Keep in mind that the colder you go on your fridge, the longer the defrost time will be. Basis beef will thaw quicker in a refrigerator kept at 40 °F (4 °C) than it volition in ane kept at 35 °F (2 °C).

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   Identify the footing beef in a plastic bag or dish. The beef may leak through its packaging as it starts to defrost, leaving behind claret and bacteria. Leave the ground beef in its packaging, and set it on a tray or in a plastic bag to catch anything that may drip as it defrosts.^[3]

   • The beef doesn't demand to be covered, other than by its own packaging.

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3. iii

   Air-condition the beef on a lower shelf. Find a identify toward the back of your refrigerator to place the package of basis beef. A lower shelf is a adept thought, because there's less of a take a chance of the beef dripping on something below it.^[4]

   • Placing the beef near the back of the refrigerator ensures information technology stays at a steady temperature.

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   Check the basis beef before you use information technology. With clean hands, gently press down on the ground beef through its package. If yous are able to get out an indentation in the middle of the beef, most of it will be defrosted enough to utilize.^[5]

   • To bank check further, break the bulk of ground beef in half and printing into the middle. If the meat is soft enough to press, it is thawed all the way through. If parts of the beefiness however seem solid, information technology is not completely defrosted.
   • If necessary, you lot tin can finish upward the defrosting procedure in the microwave.

5. five

   Utilize the beef within ane or 2 days. Defrosting footing beef in the refrigerator is the slowest method, but it's also the safest, as the beef is kept at a steady, cold temperature. When defrosted this manner, you tin keep the basis beef in the refrigerator for an boosted 24 to 48 hours after thawing.^[vi]

   • You lot can also refreeze the basis beef if y'all thaw it this style. If yous decide not to apply the ground beef after all, stick it back in the freezer within 24 to 48 hours of defrosting it.

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1. i

   Plan on sixty minutes per i pound (450 g) of ground beef for thawing. Starting time at least an hr ahead of when you demand your ground beefiness. That way, yous'll exist sure you have enough time to thaw your meat.^[7]

   • Keep in mind that a larger package will take longer. A package that is 3 to four pounds (1,400 to ane,800 g) tin take 2-iii hours.^[viii]
   • Very thin packages (0.5 inches (i.three cm) or less) may thaw in as piddling as 10-20 minutes.^[ix]

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   Secure the footing beef within a resealable plastic bag. Place the package of ground beef inside a leak-proof plastic bag. Seal information technology up as deeply every bit possible by zipping the bag shut.^[10]

   • If the handbag leaks, bacteria can get to your nutrient. Plus, you lot may end up with watery basis beef if it absorbs too much h2o.

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   iii

   Submerge the beefiness in cold tap water. Place the wrapped package of footing beef in a large basin or dish and cover it with cold tap h2o. Make sure that the beef is completely underwater. Leave the dish of water and the beefiness out on the counter as information technology defrosts.^[11]

   • Only use common cold water. Hot, warm, or fifty-fifty room temperature water can create a convenance ground for bacteria. If your tap water is besides warm, add an water ice cube or 2 to cool it down a piddling.
   • You could also fill up a clean sink with cold water and submerge your beef in that. Simply make sure that the plug has a tight seal and that the sink is clean earlier you start.

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   Change the h2o every 30 minutes. Drain the old h2o and refill the bowl with clean, common cold water. This process allows the meat to proceed defrosting while preventing the water from gathering too much bacteria.^[12]

   • Plus, you ensure the water stays cool. Keep adding 1-2 water ice cubes if your h2o is too warm.

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   Check to see if the beef is thawed after an hour. Press on the ground beefiness packet with clean fingers. In one case information technology is soft enough to press, the majority of the basis beefiness is thawed.^[xiii]

   • Break the block of footing beef open and press the middle of the inside. If it is nonetheless hard, the center of the beef is still frozen.

6. 6

   Use the ground beefiness immediately. In gild to forestall leaner from growing, you need to use footing beef thawed in this way within ii hours. If you are going to wait two hours, stick it in the refrigerator for that menstruation after it'southward thawed.^[fourteen]

   • Practise not refreeze ground beef that you thawed in cold water, as it is more likely to abound bacteria. If y'all cannot use it within 2 hours of defrosting it, your all-time option is to melt it before refreezing information technology.

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1. 

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   Take the beef out of its packaging. It's not a skilful thought to thaw ground beef in its packaging, equally you don't know if information technology's microwave safe. Some tubes even have metal ties on the ends which can spark in your microwave.^[fifteen]

   • Since this is a quick method, you can do information technology correct before starting dinner. Y'all practise non need to worry as much nearly starting the defrosting process in advance.
   • Prying the footing beef out of the package tin be difficult if it is fully frozen and sitting on a styrofoam tray. If you take difficulty removing the beef from its bankroll, identify the beef inside a resealable plastic bag, and nil information technology closed. Rinse the tray side of the beefiness under common cold running tap water until it loosens enough to remove.

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   Place the beef in a microwave-safe glass dish. Set the raw beef into the dish. Make sure the dish has sides high enough to prevent whatsoever spills from defrosted juice. Cover the dish with a hat or some other dish.^[16]

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   Microwave the beef at 50 per centum power. Aim for three minutes per one pound (450 1000) of ground beef. Utilise fifty per centum ability instead of 100 per centum to assistance prevent the meat from beginning to cook.^[17]

   • Some microwaves have specific defrost settings. These settings automatically calculate how long to microwave the meat and at which power percentage. Select the defrost setting on your microwave, if you take one, and dial in the number of pounds being thawed.

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   Check your meat every 45 seconds, especially afterwards the first minute. Even with defrost settings, meat tends to defrost unevenly. It can help to plow it over every 45 seconds, likewise equally check on how well it'southward defrosted.^[18]

   • Most microwaves take rotating turntables that continuously plow the contents of the microwave. If yours doesn't, however, plow the plate every time you check on the beef.

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   Determine whether or not the beef has defrosted enough past pressing on information technology. Offset with make clean hands. Press into the center of the mass to feel for spots that are all the same frozen solid. Remember to wash your hands over again later touching raw meat.^[19]

   • If necessary, split the block in half and feel the inside of the meat for frozen spots, which volition notwithstanding exist solid chunks.

6. 6

   Use your ground beefiness immediately. When thawing basis beef in the microwave, you lot should employ it inside 2 hours to be safe, as information technology has warm spots that can abound leaner. Put in the fridge if you plan to look that long.^[20]

   • Do not attempt to refreeze raw ground beefiness that has been defrosted in the microwave. You tin, however, melt the beef and refreeze information technology afterward.

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Add New Question

• Question

  What if there is a sour odour to the footing beef subsequently thawing it?

  

  Bank check the date or bank check for discoloration. At that place shouldn't be a sour smell if everything was handled properly. Simply it is amend to be safe than sick , so throw it out if yous have to question.

• Question

  Can yous defrost ground beef with the packaging still on?

  

  If you lot defrost in the microwave, no. If you are defrosting it in the refrigerator, remove it from the original packaging and identify it in a bag with all the air removed.

• Question

  Why non utilize hot water to thaw meat in a plastic bag?

  

  It is important to avoid using hot water directly in contact with whatever food due to the adventure of legionella contamination. Also, plastic bags can cook or may leach chemicals at loftier temperature.

• Question

  How can I tell if my beef is skilful?

  

  If its looks good and doesn't smell, its proficient. If it was fresh before it was frozen it will exist fine. The worst that tin can happen is freezer burn.

• Question

  Can I defrost ground beef in a sink overnight?

  

  No, because the footing beefiness will be infested with harmful bacteria--even if y'all submerge it in common cold water. If you desire to defrost the ground beefiness overnight, identify it in your refrigerator.

• Question

  How far in accelerate should I take the meat out of the refrigerator if it hasn't been defrosted?

  

  It depends on how frozen the beef is. It can take a few hours, or you might have to leave information technology out overnight. Usually people have information technology out in the forenoon to be gear up by dinner.

• Question

  Can I apply milk to defrost my ground beef?

  

  No, as milk goes bad when left out for too long.

• Question

  Practise I accept to melt the meat in burger class to use these methods?

  

  No, you lot practise non.

• Question

  If I have a 5 pound package of ground beef, and I thaw it through the cold water method, can I cut a chunk off and refreeze information technology?

  

  No. Don't ever thaw something out and then refreeze it. This creates harmful bacteria and you will go ill.

• Question

  Is it ever advisable to turn the refrigerator temperature down in order to defrost meat quicker, or leave it lower in instance I want to defrost meat?

  

  No. Everything else in your refrigerator will be affected every bit well, which is a recipe for food-built-in illness. Information technology'due south too not energy efficient to be raising and lowering your fridge temperature frequently.

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• Consider cooking the meat directly from its frozen state or from a partially frozen country. If yous're crumbling the beef and using it for tacos, skillet casseroles, or traditional casseroles, you can intermission the meat apart defrost and cook the beefiness at the aforementioned time. Just exist enlightened that your dish may accept up to fifty percent longer to cook.^[21]

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• Do not attempt to defrost footing beef at room temperature. The ground beef will sit out at temperatures between 40 and lx °F (4 and 16 °C) for likewise long, which is platonic for growing unsafe leaner.

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Things You'll Need

• Tray, optional
• Large bowl, optional
• Cold water, optional
• Resealable plastic pocketbook, optional
• Microwave-condom glass dish, optional

About This Article

Article Summary X

To defrost footing beefiness, start by taking it out of the packaging and placing it on a microwave-safe dish. Then, microwave the beef at 50-pct power for iii minutes per ane pound of beefiness. Rotate and the beef every 45 seconds so it defrosts evenly. If it'due south taking a long fourth dimension to defrost, try splitting it in half so information technology thaws faster. To learn how to defrost footing beefiness in the fridge or using cold water, proceed reading!

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