How Long Is Hamburger Meat Good For? - A Common Question

How Long Is Hamburger Meat Good For

A common question asked by any ambitious chef is the shelf life of certain foods. The question “how long is hamburger meat good for” is probably one of the most common, if for no other reason because of the wide array of applications in which hamburger meat is used. When it comes to preserving the integrity of your stomach, and the stomachs of others (as well as your future ground beef consumption), here’s the easiest way to find out.

There is no hard and fast rule as to how long hamburger meat in the refrigerator lasts. Given that, there are some things you can look for - the smell of the meat, the discoloration, and the texture can all tell you how good (or bad) the hamburger meat it.

Typically, the meat you buy in supermarkets is at least several weeks old. After slaughter it is hung, probably frozen, and then defrosted before sold as fresh (maybe a few times). You can safely ignore the sell-by date as supermarkets can always take the meat off the shelf and repackage it multiple times before you buy it. The sell-by date is for the store’s use, not yours.

Refrigeration certainly slows down the decomposition, so depending on how old the meet was at the store when you bought it, you could be looking at anything from 3 to 30 days. Just use your nose - if it smells rotten, it is. The best advice is to buy from a local butcher, and buy organic if at all possible. That way you can “know” the meat you’re eating. If you know the source and age of the meat, you will be better equipped to determine whether or not the hamburger meat you’re about to eat is indeed worthy of your palate.

There are a few other things you can look for, too. If the meat is hugely discolored, that is another sign you should probably not eat it. If it smells just a little bit, you can probably still eat it if cooked at a high enough temperature and covered with enough spices - that is, if you are that hungry! Most of the time, the smell of rotten hamburger meat is enough to ruin the appetite. As long as there are other options, it’s always better to be safe and healthy than sorry and sick.

So, when asking “how long is hamburger meat good for?” your best tools are your eyes and nose. If it smells rancid, it is. If it looks rotten, it is. If it looks fine, and there is no obvious odor, you shouldn’t worry about eating it at all.

How Long Is Hamburger Meat Good For

How Long is Hamburger Meat Good For?

How Long is Hamburger Meat Good For

Before the question, “How long is hamburger meat good for?” can be answered, it’s important to know…

• Whether the hamburger meat is raw or cooked
  
• How fresh it was when you placed it in the refrigerator
  
• If the refrigerator maintains a temperature of 40 or colder
  
• If the raw meat was kept cold when transported from the store

As you can see, there are lots of variables to answering the how long is hamburger meat good for question.

Raw hamburger meat (ground beef) is much more perishable than other cuts of beef and will keep in the refrigerator for only 1 to 2 days. Cooked hamburger meat will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has a lot of information on its website to help insure food safety and most general all-purpose cookbooks include tips on buying, storing, and cooking all kinds of meat and poultry, which can be very helpful.

According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) the USDA suggests that consumers cook or freeze hamburger meat (ground beef) within 2 days after purchase for maximum quality. ”To keep bacterial levels low, store ground beef at 40 °F or less and use within 2 days, or freeze. To destroy harmful bacteria, cook ground beef to 160 °F.”

Buying and Handling Raw Hamburger Meat (Ground Beef)

At the store, select wrapped packages without tears, holes, or leaks that feel cold. If possible, put the packages in plastic bags so leaking juices won’t drip on other foods, especially items that won’t be cooked. Have the clerk bag raw meat, poultry, and fish separately from other items.

Don’t buy or use hamburger meat (ground beef) that is gray in color, feels slimy, or smells bad. Any of these conditions is a sign the hamburger has gone bad.

Plan to drive directly home from the grocery store with your perishables. You may want to take a cooler with ice for your hamburger meat and other perishables, especially if your trip home is more than 30 minutes.

Storing Hamburger Meat (Ground Beef)

Refrigerate or freeze ground beef as soon as possible after purchase. It can be refrigerated or frozen in its original packaging if the meat will be used soon. If refrigerated, keep at 40 °F or below and use within 1 or 2 days.

For longer freezer storage, wrap the hamburger (ground beef) in heavy duty plastic wrap, aluminum foil, freezer paper, or place in freezer safe plastic bags. Ground beef is safe indefinitely if kept frozen, but will lose quality over time so it is best if used within 4 months.

Thawing Frozen Hamburger Meat (Ground Beef)

The best way to safely thaw ground beef is in the refrigerator. One pound packages of ground beef will take about 24 hours to thaw. Once thawed, cook or refreeze it within 1 or 2 days.

To defrost ground beef more quickly, you can use the microwave oven or cold water. To defrost in cold water, put the meat in a watertight plastic bag and submerge. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold. Cook meat thawed in cold water or in the microwave immediately. Don’t re-freeze it.

Never leave ground beef or any perishable food out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Storing Leftover Cooked Hamburger

Cooked hamburger meat that is refrigerated within 2 hours after cooking can be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days. It should keep its quality for about 4 months if frozen.

Reheating Cooked Hamburger (Ground Beef)

When reheating fully cooked hamburger patties or casseroles containing ground beef, be sure the internal temperature reaches 165 °F or it is hot and steaming.

How Long is Hamburger Meat Good For