12 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Cooking With Ground Beef

Ground beef forms the basis of many popular dishes. From juicy burgers and meatballs to Bolognese sauce and tacos, ground beef is both highly versatile and flavorful. It's also generally more affordable than whole cuts of beef like ribeye, filet mignon, or T-bone. Unlike steak, which requires careful handling, minced beef is relatively fast and easy to prepare, making it perfect for effortless family dinners. Plus, it can be paired with a huge range of herbs and spices, including coriander, cloves, and chile for Mexican-inspired dishes and oregano, basil, and thyme for Italian culinary creations.

Although ground beef is a common ingredient in most kitchens, many home chefs continue to make mistakes when both handling and cooking it. From improper storage practices to using incorrect cookware, seemingly small missteps when dealing with minced beef can lead not just to subpar flavor and texture but also serious safety issues. Ready to find out more about the biggest mistakes home chefs make when preparing ground beef — and how to prevent them? Read on.

Those under the impression that all ground beef is the same, are in for a surprise. Just as steak quality can vary widely, so too can the flavor and texture of ground beef. This means you might want to rethink choosing the product based on color or simply grabbing whatever is on special at your local supermarket. Instead, when buying ground beef, the first thing to look for is the ratio of fat to lean muscle. In the U.S., most ground beef sold at the grocery stores contains between 5 and 30% fat.

The perfect fat-to-lean ratio depends on how you are planning to prepare the beef. Since fat renders into liquid — or grease — during the cooking process, opt for meat with the lowest fat content for frying — you'll have to drain it anyway. However, if you are planning to make burger patties, look for juicier ground beef with around 20% fat.

To ensure that the beef is of high quality, opt for freshly-ground beef at the butcher's instead of buying pre-packaged meat. Alternatively, you can buy a cut of beef and grind it yourself at home. In addition, always consider the grind size. Finely ground beef is suitable for most recipes, while medium grind is perfect for burgers, as it retains moisture better than leaner options. Finally, a coarse grind features a chunky texture that's a favorite in dishes like Cincinnati chili.

Unfortunately, when buying ground beef, color is rarely an indicator of freshness. This is because many grocery stores blend ground beef with carbon monoxide to ensure that it retains its red color. The use of this preservative is controversial since it can be used to hide spoilage.

Since the color of ground beef isn't a reliable indicator of its freshness in the U.S., always pay close attention to the "best by" or "use by" labels when buying it at your local supermarket. Ideally, select a pack of beef with a "use by date" well beyond when you plan to use it. If the packet of ground beef you take out of the store refrigerator feels warm to the touch, it's probably best to give it a hard pass. Similarly, once you get the ground beef home and discover that it has an off odor, it's probably no longer fresh and should be discarded. Other signs of spoilage include ground beef that is slimy or sticky.

Even the freshest ground beef can spoil quickly, if not handled correctly. To ensure that your beef stays in tip-top shape, never store it in the refrigerator past its use by date. In fact, if you know that you won't be cooking the meat in the near future, it's best to freeze it as soon as possible after bringing it home. For faster defrosting down the line, it's best to divide ground beef into small portions prior to freezing, especially if you have purchased it in bulk. After all, the last thing you want is to have to thaw a kilogram of beef just to use a little of it in your dish. Remember — while refreezing ground beef is a possibility, it can affect the quality and texture of the meat.

For best results, cover ground beef with plastic wrap, freezer paper, aluminum foil, or divide it into freezer-safe bags. Be sure to remove any air pockets from the packaging by flattening it, as they can lead to freezer burn. More compact packages also mean shorter defrosting time later on. You can either do this with your hands or use a rolling pin to gently flatten the beef to packages that are around half an inch thick. To prevent confusion, always label the packages with their content, amount, and the freezing date. While ground beef won't spoil in the freezer, it will gradually lose its quality, so it's best to cook it within four months of freezing.

While it may be tempting to throw ground beef right from the freezer onto the pan, not defrosting it first can lead to uneven cooking. More specifically, skipping this crucial step can leave you with ground beef that's partially overcooked or undercooked. This is because trying to cook a frozen block of minced beef in a pan is likely to result in meat that is browned on the outside and still frozen on the inside.

Cooking ground beef from frozen can also affect its quality. When frozen, the juices in ground beef form ice crystals, which are redistributed throughout the meat once it's defrosted. When the mince is cooked from frozen, these ice crystals can evaporate quickly, leaving the beef overly dry and tasteless. Alternatively, the moisture pockets in the meat may cause it to steam rather than brown, leading to a disappointing and soggy final result. This is a particular risk when cooking ground beef in a small pan, which may even become flooded with water in the worst case scenario.

While there are different ways of thawing ground beef, the best and safest method is to defrost it in the refrigerator overnight. This method lets the meat thaw naturally, preserving both its flavor and texture. Once defrosted, be sure to either eat or refreeze the meat within two days. While it may be tempting to try thawing ground beef at room temperature, this is a major mistake. Keeping meat out of the refrigerator for longer than two hours — or one hour in temperatures above 90 F — can lead to bacterial growth and potential food poisoning.

If time is of the essence, there are a couple of faster alternatives to thawing ground meat in the fridge. The first involves defrosting ground meat in water. To use this method, simply place the beef in a leak-proof bag and submerge it in cold water — you can weigh the meat down with a can to ensure that it stays underwater. Alternatively, you can thaw raw beef in the microwave — to do this safely, be sure to remove the meat from its packaging and place it on a microwave-safe dish. At the end of the day, whichever of the two methods you opt for, cook the beef immediately after defrosting and never refreeze it unless it's thoroughly cooked.

People rinse ground beef for a number of reasons, from believing that it cleanses the meat from bacteria to trying to reduce its fat content. However, just as with poultry, washing ground beef does more harm than good. In fact, rinsing minced meat actually heightens the risk of cross-contamination. In addition, cooking ground beef to an internal temperature of 145 F is sufficient to kill any bacteria that may be lingering in the meat, making any rinsing redundant.

According to the USDA, water droplets can travel up to 3 feet from their source. This means that cleaning minced beef with running water won't just contaminate the sink area, it is also likely to spread harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, throughout your kitchen. These pathogens can easily make their way onto your countertop, utensils, and food, potentially leading to food-borne illness. If you feel that you absolutely have to rinse your ground beef, be sure to sanitize both the sink and nearby surfaces, as well as thoroughly clean your hands.

Whether it's a skillet, a pot, or a pan, using the wrong cookware can impact both cooking performance and meal quality. For instance, different materials conduct heat in ways that can affect the taste and texture of food. While non-stick pans can be convenient, they don't retain the high heat required for browning meat. Instead, it's best to brown mince in stainless steel or cast iron cookware — be sure to use a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking to the pan.

Aside from its material, the size of the pan or pot also affects how your mince turns out. Just like you can overcrowd a grill, cooking too much ground meat in too small a pan is a recipe for disaster. An overly small cooking area can lead to crowding, which can trap steam. This, in turn, can lead to too much moisture in the pan, preventing browning. If you don't own a large pan, it's better to cook ground beef in batches than end up with a soggy mess just to save a little time. To enhance the browning process, use a potato masher to break up the ground beef into evenly sized crumbles in the pan.

There is a reason why ground beef is formed into loose crumbles rather than one consistent mass. This texture doesn't just ensure a better mouthfeel but also makes for more tender and flavorful dishes. This loose meat consistency can be particularly important when making burger patties. While some compression definitely helps beef patties retain their shape, too much pressure can lead to underwhelming final results.

Over-handling burger patties can make them overly chewy and dry because the more you mix the beef, the more myosin — the protein responsible for muscle contraction — it releases. The trick is to mix the ingredients until they are loosely combined rather than compacted. Instead of focusing on making the patty look perfectly round, use the palm of your hand to press chunks of the meat into loosely-packed patties. In addition, when making burgers, it's best to opt for ground beef with a high fat-to-lean ratio, as it results in juicier patties.

If you have spent any time in the kitchen, chances are you have come across a recipe that instructs you to "brown the beef." In fact, browned beef is the foundation of countless popular recipes like spaghetti Bolognese or shepherd's pie. For those not in the know, browning refers to a process of cooking minced beef until it develops a deep caramelized color. This "browning" takes place thanks to the Maillard reaction, a process that gives cooked meat its distinct brown color and crispy texture and imbues it with a more complex flavor.

The key to achieving proper browning lies in letting ground beef completely defrost and come to room temperature prior to cooking. Cold beef releases more moisture as it heats up, which can cause steaming instead of browning, leaving you with soggy meat. In addition, it's important to ensure that your pan is large enough so any excess moisture can evaporate quickly rather than steam the meat.

For best results, preheat the pan before adding ground beef. At this stage, resist the temptation to break up the meaty mass with a spatula. Instead, let the meat cook on the pan for around two minutes before turning it over. Wait until the block of ground beef develops a sear on both sides before breaking it up with a spatula.

There are plenty of reasons why it's important to drain grease after browning ground beef in a pan. Removing grease stops dishes from becoming too oily and improves their texture, not to mention the fact that it makes meals healthier by reducing their saturated fat content. However, when it comes to disposing of leftover fat, the easiest way isn't always the best. As tempting as it may be, pouring beef grease into your kitchen sink is a very bad idea.

While it may seem convenient, flushing hot grease down the sink can lead to costly plumbing issues. As it cools, the grease solidifies, coating pipes and trapping other debris on the way down the drain. Over time, this buildup can block the pipes completely and even lead to sewer backups. If you have been disposing of grease improperly and notice that your kitchen pipes are partially clogged, not all is lost — try pouring a gallon of boiling water mixed with soap down the drain while simultaneously running hot water from the tap.

The best way to get rid of grease after cooking ground beef is to let it cool before pouring it into a container, like a plastic yogurt or sour cream tub, and discarding it into a trash can. Never let hot grease come into contact with plastic as it will burn right through it. After cooking, it's also a good idea to wipe away the grease from your skillet with a paper towel before washing the cookware in the sink, as even small amounts of fat can accumulate in the pipes given enough time.

Whether you are a purist and only season your ground beef with a little salt and pepper or you prefer experimenting with bold spice blends, the right seasoning can add depth to what might otherwise be a bland meal. However, seasoning ground beef isn't as straightforward as it may first appear. For instance, seemingly small details — such as timing — can make a big difference to the flavor and texture of the final dish.

Adding salt to ground beef too early in the cooking process can compromise its texture. This can be particularly noticeable when making burger patties. Adding salt along with other seasoning to the patty mix can change its molecular structure, leaving it tough and unappetizing. Salt also draws moisture out of the meat, which can cause it to steam rather than sear. As such, season your burger patties with salt immediately before placing them on the grill.

Dry spices, such as paprika, coriander, or cumin, are best added to ground beef just after you pour off the grease from the pan but while it's still on the heat. This ensures that the flavors of the spices bloom in the heat and blend into the dish instead of being discarded with the excess fat.

While many home chefs swear by pan frying ground beef because it allows browning and leaves the meat relatively moist, there is another way to prepare mince — in an air fryer. And while it may not be the ideal way to make juicy burger patties, since air fried beef can get a little dry, air frying beef can achieve surprisingly decent results.

Unlike cooking beef on a pan, air frying doesn't require constant monitoring. In addition, the perforations in the air fryer basket mean that the fat from the beef drains away as it cooks, eliminating the need to separate it from the meat later. Less fat in your meal also translates to a leaner and healthier final dish.

To prepare ground beef in an air fryer, place it in the basket, break it up into even crumbs, season it, and set the appliance to 400 F. Wait five minutes before opening the air fryer and breaking the meat up again to ensure even cooking. Continue cooking the meat for another three to five minutes.