How to Defrost Beef Quickly

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: July 9, 2020 References Tested

Beef is a versatile staple of any carnivore’s kitchen, so it’s convenient to keep some handy in the freezer. If you don’t defrost beef correctly, though, you risk exposing yourself and others to hazardous bacteria. According to the scientific and culinary consensus, defrosting meat in the refrigerator is the best method. However, that method can take a day or more and requires planning ahead. If you’re reading this, chances are you want to enjoy that beef today. Fortunately, you have a few options.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Defrosting in Cool Water

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Put your beef in a food storage bag. A vacuum-seal bag will work, as will an ordinary zip-top bag, as long as it's leak-proof. A leak in the bag may let in air and introduce bacteria to the meat.^{[1]
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Research source} Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag.
- Try using a technique called water displacement. Place the meat in a zip-top bag and seal it most of the way, leaving about an inch unsealed. Lower the bag into a pot of water and let the pressure push out the air. When the bag is almost completely submerged, finish sealing the bag and remove it from the water.^{[2]
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Submerge the bag in a bowl of cold tap water. If your ground beef has been frozen in flat, single servings, it may defrost in as little as 10 minutes.^{[3]
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Research source} Up to 1 pound (0.45 kg) of beef should thaw in an hour or less.^{[4]
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Research source} Replace the water every 30 minutes. This method is best with smaller quantities of beef, as a 3–4 lb (1.4–1.8 kg) package of meat may take 2-3 hours.^{[5]
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Research source} While that’s much quicker than the refrigerator, it’s far too slow when you’re hungry or on a schedule.
- Leave the faucet dripping into the bowl to keep the water moving and the temperature constant.^{[6]
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- Use a heavy item like a can of beans to keep the meat completely underwater.^{[7]
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Cook the beef as soon as it is defrosted. Remove your meat from the water and cook it immediately to keep it out of the “Danger Zone”, 40–140 °F (4–60 °C), where bacteria multiply rapidly. Don’t refreeze the beef unless you have cooked it.^{[8]
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- A more controversial alternative is to defrost meat in hot water, as high as 140 °F (60 °C), stirring every few minutes. However, this method is only recommended for small, relatively flat servings of meat, as they can defrost fast enough that any bacterial growth stays within safe limits.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
Defrosting in the Microwave

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Place the beef on a microwavable dish. Remove any non-microwavable packaging such as plastic bags. If your beef is in a microwavable zip-top bag, unzip the seal slightly to let out steam.
- While defrosting in the microwave is fast and convenient, it is not always ideal. The meat can heat unevenly, leading to partially overcooked beef.^{[10]
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Microwave for 3-4 minutes in defrost mode. Pause halfway through to turn the beef. If your microwave does not have a defrost setting, set it to 50% power.^{[11]
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Research source} Continue at short intervals (30-45 seconds) as necessary, checking and turning the beef. Every microwave is different, though, so defer to your microwave manual’s instructions.
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Cook the defrosted beef immediately. After microwaving, do not refreeze the beef or let it sit around. Microwaving can put parts of your meat at “Danger Zone” temperatures, https://www.stilltasty.com/articles/view/86, so you’ll need to cook immediately after defrosting.^{[12]
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Warnings

Always wash your hands, utensils, and work area thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling uncooked meat.

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Cook your meat immediately after defrosting to keep it out of the bacterial “Danger Zone,” 40–140 °F (4–60 °C).

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Never leave meat out to thaw at room temperature.

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Do not refreeze meat after thawing it with one of these methods. Uncooked meat is only safe to refreeze if it has been thawed in the refrigerator.^{[14]
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