Save time and money when you learn how to freeze ground beef. Try this easy meal prep tip to make dinner a breeze.
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 oven baked tacos or million dollar spaghetti, but I prefer to just leave it plain. That way I have beef ready for anything, from tacos, spaghetti, crockpot taco soup, homemade hamburger helper, to easy chili and more.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Why does this save you money?
- First, you save money because now you can buy it bulk at rock bottom prices and brown it all at once.
- 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!
Print how to freeze ground beef below:
How to Freeze Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Place ground beef in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook the ground beef, breaking it apart with a spoon, until it is fully browned and no longer pink.
- Drain off any excess grease.
- Allow the cooked ground beef to cool completely at room temperature.
- Transfer the cooled ground beef to a labeled freezer-safe storage bag.
- Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal tightly.
- Store in the freezer for 3–6 months.
Do you buy ground meat in the pre packaged tubes? I’m just leery…..
I have yes, but that is up to you.
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!
I have been doing this for years! It helps make quick meals!
Yes, I completely agree. It’s saves so much time!
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
My daughter does this and shares with me, but I prefer it not browned so I can make meatloaf, meatballs , etc
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.
You’re welcome. Thank you for sharing.
I precooked ground beef in my crock pot before freezing. I find it easier than on the stove and I can do as much as 10 lbs at once (using my largest crock pot). I just put the ground beef in, add 1 can of beef broth or beef consomme for each 5 lbs of beef (the beef broth seems to give the meat a nice ‘beefy’ flavor), and add some minced garlic (approximately 2-3 tsp per 5 lbs meat) and chopped onion (1 medium chopped per 5 lb of meat). I do not season it because I find most recipes have/add salt in the recipe or already include it in the mix/packet. This avoids things being too salty. I can always add it in the preparation stage. Let it cook on either high or low (your choice depending on your time schedule) until it is done (no longer any pink). I have a meat chopping tool I got from Pampered Chef that works beautifully to chop the meat up occasionally while it is cooking. You can use anything that helps break the meat up. I strain the meat and let it rest on a cookie sheet (with sides) until not too hot for baggies. Then, I divide it into quart-sized freezer storage bags (2 cups seems to be approximately 1 lb of ground beef cooked; sometimes I get just a little more per bag). I strain all the broth left in the crock pot, stick all the broth into the fridge overnight, then take off the solidified fats on top. Then, I put the broth (it is kind of gelled at this point) in the freezer and use it in making vegetable beef soup using the ground beef. It seems to be very flavorful! This is such a time-saver! The way I do it already has onion in it and garlic (the garlic is definitely not overpowering and won’t adversely affect recipes that do not call for garlic).
Thanks for sharing! Great ideas!
I have been doing this for several years. I cook my hamburger with onions, garlic, salt & pepper. I strain it in a colander which help cool it down. I put the cooled hamburger into freezer bags. I have found I can actually put less than 1lb in each bag but still have plenty of meat for tacos, chili, hot dog sauce, etc. I also cooked chicken breast before freezing. I buy a large package and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. I bake it on a baking sheet fitted with a metal rack at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until its done. I cool the meat for about 20 minute then shred, slice and cube the meat. I store it in freezer bags marked with the type of chicken. This is great for soups, stir fry, fajitas and many other meals. Both save me so much time on busy evening.
Great tips! Thank you for sharing
I enjoy my seal a meal for this. Keeps the meat fresh for a long time. And no freezer crystals