The Reason You Shouldn't Cook Frozen Ground Beef

It never hurts to have plenty of frozen ground beef in your freezer. This meat is versatile, making it convenient and easy to come up with numerous meals that range from hamburgers to spaghetti sauce. With so many possibilities, this ingredient makes meal planning and last-minute dinners easy. Having a go-to item in the freezer that you know and love can be a game-changer.

If the meat isn't defrosted, whipping up a meal can take a bit more time than you may have anticipated. You may have your techniques to speed up the thawing process, but the urge to throw the frozen meat straight into a hot pan could tempt anyone in a rush. If you're considering cooking frozen ground beef straight away and assume the heat defrosts the ingredient, think again. Cooking ground beef before it thaws leaves you with a less-than-perfect dining experience and can lead to some unintended consequences. 

While you can place frozen beef into a sizzling pan, it's not the best option. When the meat is frozen, the natural juices form ice crystals, according to The Spruce Eats. This means that when the meat is cooked while frozen, the natural juices will be cooked off and you lose some of the flavor and fat. Even if you're okay with the fat drained off, you may also notice that the meat doesn't taste as flavorful as it usually does when compared to properly defrosted meat. Thawing ground beef gives the ice crystals a chance to melt and mix in with the beef tissue again, providing a juicy and delicious final product.

You also want to consider cooking ground beef at medium temperatures to help maintain the beef's juices and reduce shrinkage, per the USDA. Cooking the meat too quickly can cause your burgers or meatloaf to be less juicy and flavorful, making for a subpar meal. Next time you're in a pinch and reach for a frozen package of ground beef to save the day, consider defrosting the meat first before cooking it to ensure you get the best flavor and results. After so much time and work to make a meal, you don't want to have dry-tasting meat in your tacos or spaghetti sauce.