Best way to package and freeze ground beef. I used to use 1 lb all the time. It wasn’t until years later I realized. You don’t really need all that beef. In fact, if you could use half. You would cut your bill in half on ground beef. So portioning out at 1/2 lb and flattening it allows it to not only freeze and thaw quickly. But you can use the 1/2 lb of Ground beef for a lot of recipes, or take two out at a time for 1 lb and still a quick thaw time.
Freezer Ground Beef Portion Size
In our kitchen, we find the best way to package ground beef is to weigh them at 225 g each – a half a lbs, and place them into a Ziploc bag. Flattened out.
Weighing them out at 225 g helps with portion control. Often people use 1 lb of ground beef in recipes as that seems to be the norm. But in a lot of recipes, you don’t need 1 lb.
For example, the American Goulash of Ground Beef, Macaroni and Tomatoes, Spaghetti, Scalloped Potatoes with Ground Beef, Stroganoff, and more. All of which 1/2 lbs is sufficient for 4 people.
For others like Meatloaf or Tacos, then 2 packages or more can be used – making up 1 lb or more. We find this to be the best way to package and freeze ground beef.
Flattening the Ground Beef
Flattening also helps the meat to freeze faster and thaw faster when needed. Cutting down on exposure time as well as removing all air that causes freezer burn. It also allows for the packaged beef to be stacked neatly in the freezer after it is frozen.
Frozen Ground beef will last a long time. However, it will start to lose quality over time. I have frozen ground beef for over 4 months with no issues.
Thawing Ground Beef
When ready to use. Take however many packages you need and place them on a plate, don’t stack them, or it will take longer. Leave on the counter for about 1 hour. Alternatively, place it on a plate and put it in the fridge for the next day.
I also have taken them straight from frozen. Placed them in a pan covered with a lid on medium heat to defrost it and then break it up and this works quite well too.
