Forget to defrost your core dinner ingredient? Don’t panic. Cooking frozen ground beef is completely fine and won’t ruin the taste or texture of your dinner. In fact, pulling out frozen ground beef to make a meal last minute can be a great hack for healthy and fulfilling dishes, as long as you follow basic food safety procedures to ensure your meat is cooked all the way through. Here’s how to do it conveniently, deliciously, and safely:

Is it safe to cook ground beef from frozen?

“Yes, it safe to cook ground beef from frozen,” says God’s Love We Deliver Manager of Culinary Operations Emily Jones, MS, MBA, RDN. “This can be a convenient way to put together a ground beef meal when you forgot to plan ahead and unable to defrost it safely overnight in the fridge,” she says. “I do this often when cooking burger patties, but this method can work well with larger amounts of ground beef you may use for a chili or taco filling.”

Frozen ground beef may be convenient, but it can also take longer to prepare straight out of the freezer. “Frozen ground beef usually takes about 50% longer to cook,” adds Dr. Angela Downey, CCFP, host of the podcast The Codependent Doctor. “It is important that beef reaches a safe internal temperature of 160°F. The outside heats up first, but you need to make sure the center catches up too.”

If you’re in the practice of cooking frozen ground beef, or plan to cook it often, consider breaking up the package into smaller pieces before freezing it in sealed containers or bags so that it defrosts more quickly and cooks more evenly.

How to cook ground beef from frozen

  • Cook it evenly: Frozen ground beef can be added directly to a skillet, pot, or slow cooker, but it should be cooked thoroughly and evenly throughout, something that happens more easily with defrosted beef.
  • Break it apart as it cooks: “Frozen meat can brown on the outside while still being raw in the middle,” says Dr. Downey. “My suggestion is to break the meat apart as it cooks, stir it frequently, and use a meat thermometer, if possible.”
  • Use a thermometer: “A thermometer is one of the most valuable tools you can have in your kitchen,” adds Jones. You’ll want to ensure the internal temperature of the ground beef reaches 160°F for at least 15 seconds to ensure harmful bacteria have been killed and it’s safe to consume. Frozen meatballs or patties must be cooked thoroughly all the way through with no pink center, especially if they’re blended with other ground meats like pork, veal, or poultry.
  • Don’t forget food safety: Even though your beef started from frozen, remember that it was still raw. “Any surfaces that have come in contact with the raw ground beef should be thoroughly washed with soap and water and sanitized to prevent the spread of bacteria to other surfaces and food items you prepare,” Jones says.