How long does ground beef last in the fridge and freezer?

In short: ground beef keeps 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Frozen at 0°F (−18°C), food stays safe indefinitely, and the best quality lasts 3 to 4 months.

Storage times at a glance

Type	Fridge (40°F / 4°C)	Freezer (0°F / −18°C)
Ground beef, pork, lamb, veal, chicken or turkey	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months

Why ground meat spoils faster than steak

Grinding spreads bacteria from the surface of the meat all the way through it, which is why ground meat only keeps 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator while a steak keeps 3 to 5. It is also why burgers need to be cooked through to 160°F (71°C), while a steak can be served rarer.

Gray in the middle is normal

Ground beef is bright red on the surface because the meat is exposed to oxygen. The inside of the package is often purplish or gray because it is not, and that alone does not mean it has spoiled. Throw it out if it smells sour, feels tacky or slimy, or the whole package has turned brown or gray.

Freeze it flat

Press ground meat into a thin, flat layer in a freezer bag before freezing. It stacks easily, freezes quickly and thaws in about a day in the refrigerator or in under an hour in cold water. Raw ground meat thawed in the refrigerator can be cooked and then frozen again.

How to store raw meat

• Refrigerate meat within 2 hours of buying it, or within 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).
• Store it on the bottom shelf, in its packaging or a sealed container, away from ready-to-eat food.
• Wrap meat tightly or use freezer bags before freezing to limit freezer burn.
• Thaw in the refrigerator, in cold water changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave and cook it immediately.
• Cook ground meat to 160°F (71°C), and steaks, chops and roasts to 145°F (63°C) with a three-minute rest.

Freezer times are about quality, not safety

Food kept continuously frozen at 0°F (−18°C) stays safe indefinitely; the freezer times above are about flavor and texture. Label packages with the date you froze them.

Avoid freezing, thawing and refreezing the same food. Every cycle damages texture and flavor, and food that thawed outside the refrigerator gives bacteria a chance to grow. Raw food thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen, with some loss of quality. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave must be cooked before it goes back in the freezer. Never refreeze food that thawed on the counter or stayed out more than 2 hours. Freeze in small portions so you only thaw what you need.

When in doubt, throw it out

These times assume food was handled safely and refrigerated promptly. If the package shows a use-by date that comes sooner, follow the label. Trust your nose too: if food smells sour, rancid or simply off, or looks slimy or moldy, throw it out, even within these times. The reverse is not true: the bacteria that cause food poisoning usually do not change the smell or appearance, so food that smells fine past these times is not safe either. Never taste food to check whether it is still good.

Never lose track of the date again

The hard part is rarely knowing the rule; it is remembering when you put the food away. FridgeBuddy lets you scan the barcode and printed date, choose how early you want a reminder, and see what to use first across your fridge, freezer and pantry.

Frequently asked questions

How long does ground beef last in the fridge?

1 to 2 days at 40°F (4°C) or below, according to the USDA cold food storage chart.

Can you freeze ground beef?

Yes. Kept frozen at 0°F (−18°C), food stays safe indefinitely; for the best quality, use it within 3 to 4 months.

Related FridgeBuddy guides

• Raw steak and roasts — Fridge and freezer storage times.
• Raw pork chops — Fridge and freezer storage times.
• Sausage — Fridge and freezer storage times.
• Food storage chart — Fridge and freezer times for every food in this guide.
• Food expiration tracker — Get reminded before food in your kitchen expires.