How to Cook Frozen Ground Beef

5 from 2 votes

Can you cook frozen ground beef? Absolutely. Read this article to learn how to cook frozen beef; it’s easier and faster than you might think.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Course: Meat Recipes

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Adina

Place the block of beef in the saucepan. Add about ¼ cup of water, cover the pan, and cook the meat on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
1 lb frozen ground beef + ¼ cup water
Flip the block and scrape cooked meat off (the meat that has already changed color and is now brownish-grey). If necessary, add a tiny splash of water again.
Continue cooking the meat for 2-3 minutes with the lid on, scrape again, flip and scrape the other side as well.
Break block: By now, you should be able to break the block into smaller pieces using a wooden spoon.
Vegetables: While the meat cooks, dice pepper, chop onion and garlic finely.
1 red bell pepper + 1 medium onion + 2 garlic cloves
Add them to the pan, stir well and cook on medium heat without the lid.
Add all the spices and stir well, trying to break all the lumps with the wooden spoon.
1 teaspoon coriander + 1 teaspoon cumin + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon smoked paprika + 1 teaspoon oregano + ½ teaspoon chili + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher + ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cook for another 7 to 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through, there should be no red/pink or frozen pieces anymore, and the vegetables should be soft (Note 5).
Adjust the seasoning.

Amount: You can cook more meat than that; adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Other types of ground meat: This method can be used to cook ground pork, a mixture of beef and pork, turkey, or chicken. Cook them as instructed, making sure the meat is cooked through before serving
The vegetables are optional: If you cook frozen beef to use in other recipes, you can leave out the vegetables or use other vegetables instead.
The spices are optional: If you need the meat for another recipe, use other spices as required.
Doneness: The meat should be very hot and brown all over, with no pink or red spots. The internal temperature should be 160°F/ 72°C. Still, I find it difficult to check that with a digital meat thermometer, as there is no whole piece of meat to stick the thermometer into. If you follow the time instructions, the meat should be cooked through, but make sure to check by looking at it thoroughly and stirring well to check all over.