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cooked minced beef in a bowl with peppers and parsley.
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5 from 2 votes

How to Cook Frozen Ground Beef

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 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Meat Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 316kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Large saucepan with a lid.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb frozen ground beef 450-500 g, Notes 1,2
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 red bell pepper Note 3
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon coriander Note 4
  • 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

Instructions

  • Place the block of beef in the saucepan. Add about ¼ cup water, cover the pan and cook the meat on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Notes

  1. You can cook more meat than that, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
  2. You can use this method for cooking ground pork or a mixture of beef and pork, turkey or chicken. Cook them as instructed, making sure the meat is cooked through before serving.
  3. If you cook frozen beef for use in other recipes, you can leave out the vegetables or use other vegetables instead.
  4. If you need the meat for another recipe, use other spices as required.
  5. The meat should be very hot and brown all over, with no pink or red spots. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit/ 72 degrees Celsius. 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. The meat should be cooked through if you follow the time instructions, but make sure to check by looking at it thoroughly and stirring well to check all over.

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 452mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1330IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg