How long does ground beef last in the fridge, raw and cooked?

Raw ground beef keeps for only 1 to 2 days in a refrigerator set at 40°F or below, and cooked ground beef keeps for 3 to 4 days. If you can’t use it in that time, freeze it, where it stays safe indefinitely at 0°F and holds its best quality for about 3 to 4 months.

Ground beef has a shorter fridge life than a steak or roast because grinding spreads any surface bacteria all the way through the meat. These times come from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), FoodSafety.gov and the FDA, and they apply to ground beef and hamburger alike.

Key takeaways

• Raw ground beef: cook or freeze it within 1 to 2 days of buying it.
• Cooked ground beef: eat it within 3 to 4 days, after chilling it within 2 hours of cooking.
• In the freezer at 0°F, ground beef is safe indefinitely. Quality is best within about 3 to 4 months raw.
• Cook ground beef to 160°F and reheat leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer.
• Color and smell can’t tell you whether ground beef is safe, so go by the clock.

How long ground beef lasts: fridge, freezer and counter

Ground beef	Refrigerator (40°F or below)	Freezer (0°F or below)	Room temperature
Raw	1 to 2 days	Safe indefinitely; best quality for 3 to 4 months	2 hours at most (1 hour above 90°F)
Cooked (burgers, crumbles, meatballs, casseroles)	3 to 4 days	Safe indefinitely; best quality for about 2 to 4 months	2 hours at most (1 hour above 90°F)

Freezer times are about quality, not safety. Food kept at 0°F or below stays safe, but flavor and texture slowly decline.

Where the official sources differ, this article uses the more cautious figure. FoodSafety.gov gives 3 to 4 months in the freezer for raw ground meat, while FSIS says 4 months. For cooked ground beef, FSIS says about 4 months and the FoodSafety.gov chart gives a wider 2 to 6 months for cooked meat leftovers, so the table shows the shorter end of what the sources give.

The “sell-by” date on the package doesn’t change any of this. FSIS says a sell-by date is a guide for retailers to manage stock and is not a safety date. Count the days from when you bought the beef, not from the date on the label.

Why ground beef spoils faster than other beef

When beef is ground, much more of the meat is exposed to air and to any bacteria on its surface, and grinding mixes those bacteria through the whole batch. Bacteria multiply fastest between 40°F and 140°F, which FSIS calls the “danger zone.”

Harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella can’t be seen or smelled. FSIS notes that E. coli O157:H7 survives refrigerator and freezer temperatures and can grow very slowly at temperatures as low as 44°F. That is why the guidance is to keep ground beef at 40°F or below, use it within 2 days, or freeze it, and then cook it to 160°F to kill bacteria.

How to store raw ground beef in the fridge

1. Get it home and chilled quickly. FSIS suggests picking up ground beef near the end of your shopping trip and going straight home. A bag of ice or a cooler helps on a long drive. Never leave it out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s above 90°F).
2. Use the store package if you’ll cook soon. If the meat will be used within a day or two, you can leave it in its original packaging.
3. Keep it from dripping. Put the package on a plate or tray on the lowest shelf, below ready-to-eat foods, so raw juices can’t leak onto them.
4. Check the temperature. An appliance thermometer is the only way to know your fridge is at 40°F or below.
5. Mark the date. Write the day you bought it on the package so you know when its 1-to-2-day window ends.

Keep raw ground beef away from foods that won’t be cooked, such as salad ingredients. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after handling it, and wash cutting boards, utensils and counters with hot, soapy water afterward. Don’t put cooked burgers back on the plate that held the raw patties.

How to store cooked ground beef

Refrigerate cooked ground beef within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the air temperature is above 90°F. FSIS says it then keeps about 3 to 4 days.

• Divide big batches, such as a pot of chili or taco meat, into shallow containers so the center cools quickly.
• Cover the containers and label them with the date you cooked the meat.
• Count the 3-to-4-day window from the day you cooked it.

Cooked ground beef that sat out for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F) should be thrown away. Reheating won’t make it safe again.

How to freeze ground beef

Freeze ground beef while it is still within its fridge window, ideally on the day you buy it. Freezing stops bacteria from growing but doesn’t kill them, so freezing old meat only preserves what’s already there.

• Package it. FSIS says ground beef can go into the freezer in its original packaging if you’ll use it soon. For longer storage, wrap it in heavy-duty plastic wrap, aluminum foil, freezer paper or freezer bags.
• Portion it. Split it into amounts for a single meal so you only thaw what you need. Pressing a pound into a flat, even layer in a freezer bag helps it thaw faster and more evenly.
• Label it. Write the date on each package.
• Keep the freezer at 0°F. Use a freezer thermometer to check.

Cooked ground beef, including cooked crumbles, meatballs and burger patties, freezes the same way. Cool it first, then pack it in airtight containers or freezer bags.

How to thaw ground beef safely

Never thaw ground beef on the counter. FSIS lists three safe methods for raw ground beef:

• In the refrigerator. This is the best way. The meat stays cold the whole time. Once it has thawed, cook it or refreeze it within 1 to 2 days.
• In cold water. Seal the beef in a leak-proof bag and submerge it in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. Cook it right away. Don’t refreeze it until it has been cooked.
• In the microwave. Cook it immediately afterward, because some areas may start to cook while it defrosts. Don’t refreeze it unless you cook it first.

Meat that was thawed in the fridge can be refrozen without cooking within that 1-to-2-day window, though quality may drop. Raw ground beef thawed in cold water or the microwave must be cooked before it goes back in the freezer.

How to cook and reheat ground beef

Cook ground beef to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160°F, measured with a food thermometer. That applies to burgers, meatballs, meat loaf, taco meat and crumbles. For thin patties, insert the thermometer sideways through the side of the patty.

Don’t judge doneness by color. Reheat cooked patties and casseroles to 165°F. Also, don’t partially cook ground beef to finish later: FSIS warns that bacteria can survive and multiply to a level that later cooking can’t destroy.

Signs ground beef has gone bad

Spoilage bacteria usually make ground beef smell sour or off and feel sticky or slimy on the outside. If you notice either, throw it away.

Color alone is a poor guide. FSIS explains that ground beef is bright red on the surface because oxygen reacts with a pigment in the meat, and the inside of a package can look grayish brown because it has less oxygen. That isn’t necessarily a problem. But if all of the meat in the package has turned gray or brown, it may be starting to spoil.

The bigger point is that the bacteria that cause food poisoning don’t change how meat looks, smells or tastes. Use the date and the way you stored it, not your senses, as the test. Throw ground beef away if:

• It has been in the fridge for more than 2 days (raw) or more than 4 days (cooked).
• It sat at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F).
• You don’t know how long it has been in the fridge.
• You’re not sure the fridge stayed at 40°F or below, for example after a long power cut.

When in doubt, throw it out. Don’t taste ground beef to test it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I eat raw ground beef after 3 days in the fridge?

No. The limit is 1 to 2 days. After that, throw it away, even if it looks and smells normal. If you won’t cook it in time, freeze it on day one or two.

Can I eat cooked ground beef after 5 days?

No. Cooked ground beef is good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Freeze leftovers on the first or second day if you won’t finish them.

Is it safe to refreeze ground beef?

Yes, in some cases. Beef thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, though it may lose quality. Beef thawed in cold water or the microwave should be cooked before being refrozen.

Why is my ground beef brown or gray inside?

The inside of a package gets less oxygen, so ground beef can look grayish brown there while the outside stays red. FSIS says this alone is not a sign of spoilage. If all the meat in the package is gray or brown, or it smells sour or feels slimy, throw it away.

Is the sell-by date a safe-to-eat date?

No. FSIS says a sell-by date is a guide for the store to manage stock, not a safety date. Follow the 1-to-2-day rule from the day you bought the meat.

Can I cook ground beef medium or pink?

No. The safe minimum internal temperature for ground beef is 160°F, and color isn’t a reliable way to tell whether it has gotten there. Use a food thermometer, and check burgers, meatballs and crumbles in the thickest part.

How long can ground beef sit out while I prep dinner?

No more than 2 hours total, including shopping and carrying it home, or 1 hour if it’s above 90°F. If your prep takes longer, put it back in the fridge in between.