How Long Does Ground Beef Last in the Fridge? Raw, Cooked and Frozen

This guide is for home cooks who bought meat for the week and want to know when to cook it or move it to the freezer.

Raw ground meat has the shortest fridge life of almost anything you’re likely to buy. Cooking it buys you a few more days, and freezing buys you months. Here are the federal numbers for each, and how to handle ground beef so it stays safe from the store to the plate.

The quick answer

FoodSafety.gov lists 1 to 2 days in the fridge and 3 to 4 months in the freezer for raw hamburger, ground beef and other ground meats.¹ Once it’s cooked, it falls under cooked meat leftovers: 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 2 to 6 months in the freezer.¹

Why raw ground beef goes so fast

A steak keeps 3 to 5 days in the fridge, according to the same chart, while ground beef keeps only 1 to 2.¹ Our explanation: grinding spreads whatever bacteria were on the surface of the meat all the way through it, and gives them much more surface to grow on. That’s also why ground beef has a higher safe cooking temperature than a steak (see below).

The clock starts when you buy it. Our advice: if you don’t have a meal planned for it in the next day or two, freeze it the day you bring it home.

How long cooked ground beef lasts

Cooked ground beef, whether it’s taco meat, meatballs, chili or a burger, keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge.¹ To get there safely:

• Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if it’s above 90°F.³
• Use shallow containers. The CDC says to divide warm or hot food into several clean, shallow containers before refrigerating, and that small portions of hot food can go straight into the fridge because they chill faster.⁴
• Reheat to 165°F (74°C). FoodSafety.gov lists 165°F for leftovers of any type.²

How long ground beef lasts in the freezer

Raw ground beef keeps 3 to 4 months in the freezer, and cooked ground beef 2 to 6 months.¹ FoodSafety.gov explains that these freezer times are for quality only: food kept continuously at 0°F or below can be kept indefinitely.¹ After a few months it may dry out or pick up freezer burn, but it won’t become unsafe as long as it stayed frozen.

FoodSafety.gov also notes that freezing doesn’t destroy harmful germs; it just keeps food safe until you cook it.³ Frozen ground beef still needs to be cooked to a safe temperature.

Our advice:

• Freeze ground beef flat in a zip-top freezer bag, pressed thin, so it freezes and thaws faster and stacks neatly.
• Split big family packs into the portions you actually cook.
• Write the date on every bag.

How to thaw ground beef

FoodSafety.gov says to never thaw or marinate foods on the counter, and that the safest way to thaw meat is in the refrigerator.³ The CDC lists three safe ways: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave.⁴

Our advice for each:

• Refrigerator: plan ahead. A flat 1-pound bag usually thaws overnight. Thawed raw ground beef then follows the same 1-to-2-day fridge limit.
• Cold water: keep the meat in a leak-proof bag, submerge it, and change the water every 30 minutes so it stays cold. Cook it as soon as it’s thawed.
• Microwave: use the defrost setting and cook right away, since parts of the meat may start to cook.

Cooking ground beef safely

FoodSafety.gov says to cook ground beef and pork to 160°F (71°C), compared with 145°F plus a 3-minute rest for whole steaks, roasts and chops.² Ground chicken and turkey go to 165°F (74°C).²

Don’t judge by color. The CDC says the only way to tell if food is safely cooked is to use a food thermometer, because you can’t tell by checking its color and texture.⁴ For a burger, FoodSafety.gov says to put the thermometer in the thickest part.³ Our advice: insert it through the side of the patty, into the center.

Storing raw ground beef in the fridge

• Keep your fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below, and check it with an appliance thermometer.³
• Use separate cutting boards and plates for raw meat and for ready-to-eat food.³
• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after handling raw meat.³

Our advice: keep raw meat in its package on a plate or in a container on the bottom shelf, so juices can’t drip onto other food.

Other meats at a glance

From the FoodSafety.gov chart:¹

Frequently asked questions

Is ground beef good after 3 days in the fridge? FoodSafety.gov’s limit for raw ground beef is 1 to 2 days.¹ If you’re past that, our advice is to throw it out rather than guess.

How long can cooked hamburger stay in the fridge? 3 to 4 days, like other cooked meat leftovers.¹

Can I refreeze thawed ground beef? Our advice: if it thawed in the refrigerator and stayed cold, you can refreeze it, though it may lose some quality. If it thawed in cold water or the microwave, cook it first.

Checklist

• Raw ground beef: cook or freeze within 1 to 2 days.
• Cooked ground beef: eat within 3 to 4 days.
• Frozen: best within 3 to 4 months (raw) or 2 to 6 months (cooked).
• Thaw in the fridge, cold water or microwave, never on the counter.
• Cook to 160°F and check with a thermometer.

More food storage times: how long leftovers are good for and safe internal temperatures for chicken.