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Save time and money when you learn how to freeze ground beef. Try this easy meal prep tip to make dinner a breeze.

Save time and money when you learn how to freeze ground beef. Try this easy meal prep tip to make dinner a breeze.
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Freezing ground beef is so easy!

My personal freezer tip is How to Freeze Ground beef so it saves you a ton of money and a ton of time in the kitchen.  You will love having this in the freezer for busy weeknights. Dinner just got easier!

What is the best way to freeze ground beef?

This is such a simple and SMART idea, but you should BROWN ground beef BEFORE you freeze it. Yes, you read that right – brown and then freeze.

It could really change your life!

Ok, maybe I am a bit dramatic… but seriously… this is a great way to save money and save time in the kitchen. Now, you can buy beef or ground turkey in bulk when it goes on sale.

Then brown it all up and have it read in the freezer. It lasts practically forever and it is so easy to cook once it is already browned!

If you are going to make a chili or a soup from one our delicious crock pot recipes you won’t have to brown the ground beef. You will just toss it in the crockpot frozen. It is that simple.

How to freeze ground beef:

I take a big pot or huge skillet and dump 2-3 pounds of the ground beef in the pot and start to brown it all. I have learned from experience that putting anymore than 2 to 3 at a time takes too long to brown.

I don’t season the meat. You can season it for tacos or spaghetti, but I prefer to just leave it plain. That way I have beef ready for anything, from tacos, spaghetti, taco soup, hamburger helper, to chili and more.

Save time and money when you learn how to freeze ground beef. Try this easy meal prep tip to make dinner a breeze.

Once it is browned, dump it into a 9×13 in pan or a jelly roll pan. Then continue browning the rest of the beef and placing it into the pan (or more pans depending how big of a job you are doing). Once all that is done, I cover the pan lightly with foil and put it in the fridge to cool.

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If you read up on freezing meals, the main thing you HAVE to do is get the food cooled off before you freeze it. So leave the meat in the fridge until completely cooled.  That is the MOST important step. Then distribute the meat evenly into freezer baggies that your family will use.

Save time and money when you learn how to freeze ground beef. Try this easy meal prep tip to make dinner a breeze.

You decide what your family needs – do you freeze it in one pound bags, or 1.25 pounds. It is up to you. I don’t weigh them because they will be lighter weight since you have cooked them. Instead, I do the math. If I started with 10 pounds of meat, then I will divide it into 10 baggies if I want 1 pound bags. Make sure you label and then freeze.

Then I just put them in the freezer. It really that easy! NOW you have meat ready to eat on those crazy busy nights.

How long does it take me?

It only takes about 15 to 20 minutes to brown up to 10 pounds of meat. That is it! The rest is just waiting for it to cool in the freezer.

Save time and money when you learn how to freeze ground beef. Try this easy meal prep tip to make dinner a breeze.

Why I brown ground beef before I freeze it:

YES! If I want to make chili, I can just toss it in the pan with the onions, the tomato sauce, and the beans. No thawing and browning needed. Add in a little water and the meat will thaw in the pan in minutes.

For tacos -all i have to do it heat it up and add the seasonings.

For a crock pot meal, I won’t have to brown the meat anymore. I just have to place it in the crock pot frozen. The crock pot alone will save so much time in the morning -I mean, the crock pot is supposed to be all about convenience.

For Hamburger Helper, I have taken out a whole step -Hamburger helper just got easier. The possibilities are endless!

Tip:

I love to use these hands free bag holders. It is like having another set of hands in the kitchen. So handy for freezer cooking. that are seriously a life saver.  They keep your bags open so you can just dump your ingredients inside.

Save time and money when you learn how to freeze ground beef. Try this easy meal prep tip to make dinner a breeze.

Why does this save you money?

  1.  First, you save money because now you can buy it bulk at rock bottom prices and brown it all at once.
  2. You can get dinner ready on the table in less time, because you don’t have to worry about thawing out meat. Even if you are tired, you can now get dinner on the table in no time. Because of this you are less likely to go through the drive thru on a crazy busy evening… like a baseball game or soccer practice evening.

Time for you to GET FREEZING!

Save time and money when you learn how to freeze ground beef. Try this easy meal prep tip to make dinner a breeze.

Print how to freeze ground beef below:

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How to Freeze Ground Beef

5 from 10 votes
How to Freeze Ground beef after you brown it and how it saves you money and time in the kitchen.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cool completely 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 1
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Calories 1152

Ingredients

  • Ground Beef

Instructions

  • Brown the ground beef in a large sauce pan.  Drain off the excess grease.
  • Allow the beef to cool completely at room temperature.
  • Then place the browned ground beef in a freezer bag (labeled).
  • Get as much air out of the bag as possible and seal.
  • Store in the freezer for 3-6 months.

Recipe Notes

To Thaw: Place the ground beef in the refrigerator until defrost.  Also, you can place in crock pot from frozen as well.  Meat just needs to be reheated through since it’s already cooked! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 1152kcal, Protein 78g, Fat 91g, Saturated Fat 35g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2g, Monounsaturated Fat 40g, Trans Fat 6g, Cholesterol 322mg, Sodium 304mg, Potassium 1225mg, Calcium 82mg, Iron 9mg

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More freezer cooking tips:

Make sure you download our FREE Freezer cooking guide. 

See all our freezer tips here.

Learn how to freeze Ground beef after you brown it.  Also learn how to freeze cooked ground beef to save you money and time in the kitchen! Check out the best way to freeze hamburger.  Plus how long can you freeze ground beef.  You will love all these tips and tricks for freezer ground beef.  #eatingonadime #groundbeef #freezertips

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Eating on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families!

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  1. I have been cooking ground beef and chicken since the 60’s when I got married. I was taught to boil the ground beef and chicken, strain and save broth for future use. The only required appliance was a large freezer. After buying my first food saver I was golden. Seasoning the meats after cooling is optional but seasoning the broths are not. Fast and easy meals were a must with busy teenagers and a swing shift husband. Portion control is easy to achieve and helpful with diets and food restrictions. Thanks for the article and my trip down memory lane.

  2. My daughter does this and shares with me, but I prefer it not browned so I can make meatloaf, meatballs , etc

  3. I always make my meatballs ahead of time and freeze them. After you roll them out out them on baking sheets and pop them in the freezer until hard enough to not squish and then I vacuum pack them in 1 dozen pkgs

  4. I love having browned ground meat ready to use in my freezer. I also save what I’m going to use for the next few days in the fridge. We’re a family of 2, so I save it in half pound bunches– either freezer bags or plastic ware. Almost always cook it with chopped onion, salt, paper and garlic since everything I make with it has those seasonings. I also cook mine in the crock pot with a little water. It takes about 2 hours and leaves you with cooked meat and some grease or broth to use as well. I mash it with my dollar tree hamburger gadget a few times but don’t have to baby sit it out really think about it again until I’m ready… so much easier than stove to browning and gets the job done!

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