Is It OK to Refreeze Meat?
Freezing meat is something Ree Drummond loves to do (she lives way out on the ranch, after all!). Buying chicken, steak, or ground beef in bulk and freezing it can save you so much money, plus extra trips to the grocery store. But it has happened to the best of us: You thawed some steak you intended to use for a delicious steak dinner recipe, then you didn't get a chance to cook it and now you're wondering: Can you refreeze meat? Is it OK to just pop it back in the freezer for another time?
Just like freezing cheese, the answer is a little complicated and depends on a few factors. Keep reading to find out if you can refreeze meat and the best ways to do it. Also, a quick tip: It's a good idea to check your freezer temperature—it should be at 0˚ or below for safe freezing.
Can you refreeze meat after thawing?
According to the USDA, meat should be thawed in the refrigerator and never at room temperature. If you didn't thaw your meat in the fridge, you should toss it and not refreeze it. If you did thaw it in the fridge, then you can refreeze the meat as long as it hasn't been sitting in the fridge for too long after it thawed (the longer the thawed meat sits, the longer bacteria has to form on it). If the meat has thawed and has been sitting in your fridge longer than 36 hours, we don't recommend refreezing it.
Why is it bad to freeze meat twice?
If the meat is raw, then follow the guidelines above. If the meat is already cooked, you will lose a lot of the texture and flavor if you thaw and refreeze it again, so we do not recommend refreezing cooked meat. You should also not freeze (or refreeze) any meats that have been sitting at room temperature for longer than 2 hours or at a 90˚ or higher for more than 1 hour.
How many times can you thaw and refreeze ground beef?
If you froze ground beef and thawed if safely (in the refrigerator), then you can refreeze it. We do not recommend doing this more than once, as it will cause freezer burn and a loss of taste and texture when you cook the meat.
As always, be sure to consult the USDA Guide to Freezing and Food Safety for the most updated information on freezing and refreezing meat, and always be sure to cook any meat to the USDA's safe minimal internal temperature.
