How Long Do You Cook Ground Beef For

So you want to know how long do you cook ground beef for? There’s no right or wrong answer. Depending on the type of meat and the way it’s cooked, it can take anywhere from one to 25 minutes.

Ground beef is a widely used food in many recipes. I always find myself wondering how long to cook ground beef for until it’s fully cooked. From burgers, meatballs and tacos ground beef is a very versatile ingredient.

How Long Do You Cook Ground Beef For

Unsure of how to prepare ground beef? Although frying ground beef is a common method, boiling ground beef is simple, quick, and results in thinner meat. This method of cooking ground beef yields the ideal crumbled ground beef for tacos, chili, spaghetti sauce, and other dishes.

Cooking Ground Beef (Boiled Ground Beef)

This recipe demonstrates how to prepare ground beef or chuck so that you may use it in various dishes. It’s unusual to cook ground beef by boiling it, which results in crumbles of meat. So simple and reliable!

You’ve come to the right site if you’re looking for information on how to prepare ground beef for use in various dishes. The majority of people appear to fry it to brown it before cooking it with other foods, however occasionally boiling ground beef is actually the best choice.

This method of cooking ground beef is quite simple, and I adore the perfectly sized crumbles it yields. Even better, compared to frying it in oil, boiling ground beef is a considerably healthier option. The removal of fat from the meat during the boiling process results in a rather lean product.

This is my preferred method for cooking ground beef for tacos, but you can also use it to make meat sauce for spaghetti, chili, casseroles, and other dishes. Once you learn how to boil ground beef, you won’t have any trouble using it because there are so many different dishes you can make with it!

Is it better to fry or boil ground beef?

Before using ground beef in a recipe, many people fry and brown it in a skillet. Fry anything with oil or butter to add fat and calories even though it works excellent and might be quick. Because it cooks up considerably leaner and is so simple to do, I adore boiling ground beef.

This method of cooking ground beef also yields perfectly crumbled ground beef, which is excellent for tacos and pasta sauces.

How to Prepare Ground Beef

Numerous recipes call for ground beef. You’ll want to start using ground beef frequently after you learn how to prepare it. Grab it, boil it, and try one of these recipes if you realize that you have some in the fridge but aren’t sure what to do with it.

The best way to boil beef

This boiling technique makes cooking ground beef SO easy. All you need is a deep stovetop pot or skillet, water, and ground beef/chuck. It simply takes a few minutes to boil ground beef on the stove, making it a rapid way to get it ready for any recipe.

How to Cook Ground Beef:

1. In a pot, add the ground meat.
2. Water should completely cover the meat in the pot.
3. The meat should be broken up into little bits with a wooden spoon.
4. To keep the beef in small bits, bring the water to a boil while stirring often.
5. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat, cover the pan, and let it simmer for the duration necessary to completely cook the beef.
6. Once the ground beef has finished boiling, season it to your taste. (or whatever your recipe calls for).

How long to cook ground beef?

Put a lid on the saucepan once the water has come to a boil and allow it to simmer. It should be completely cooked in approximately 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the meat; when it’s finished, it will turn brown.

How hot should I cook ground beef?

To be deemed safe to eat, ground beef needs to reach a temperature of 160°F. Check the internal temperatures of the meat with a meat thermometer, and refer to this Meat Temperature Guide for more details on the ideal temperatures for each species of meat.

How is ground beef drained?

The ground beef needs to be drained when it has finished boiling. Install a strainer inside of a sizable bowl to prevent fat or oil from going down your sink’s drain. The basin will capture the grease as you pour the strainer over the saucepan of boiling beef. If additional fat needs to be removed after draining the beef, gently rinse it afterwards.

What is the shelf life of cooked ground beef in the refrigerator?

Ground beef should be kept in an airtight container if you want to prepare it ahead of time or have extra. (let it cool before storing). In the refrigerator, boiled ground beef keeps for a few days. Additionally, it can be frozen for a few months for later use.

How to Cook Ground Beef for Tacos

Are you unsure of how to prepare ground beef for tacos? My preferred method for cooking ground beef is to boil it! This process yields leaner meat and produces the BEST ground beef crumbles for tacos. It is simple. With my Homemade Taco Seasoning or any other seasoning of your choice, you can easily season it for tacos.

Pour it into a sizable serving bowl once it has been cooked and drained so that everyone can assemble their own tacos. My preferred taco night setup includes bowls of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and other toppings. You only need to reheat some taco shells or tortillas to get started.

What seasonings complement ground beef?

Ground beef is great because you can easily season it anyway you desire. What you’re making truly determines what works best! When making ground beef for tacos, a basic taco flavor works well. Whatever you use it for, salt and pepper are an easy method to enhance flavor. A lot of recipes work nicely with onion, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and thyme, which are all other favorites.

You won’t need to worry too much about seasoning the cooked beef on its own if you’re incorporating it into sauces, stews, casseroles, or other dishes. In fact, I advise boiling ground beef without seasoning and combining it with other ingredients after draining or while you cook them together.

How to Brown Ground Beef Using 3 Different Methods

To master many recipes, such as tacos, chili, sloppy joes, and lasagna, browning ground beef is a need. We offer tips on how to achieve equally wonderful results when using a pressure cooker or oven, even if you’ve known how to cook ground beef in a pan since you were tall enough to reach the fire.

Browning Ground Beef

Having cooked ground beef on hand makes it quite simple to quickly prepare a supper for the whole family. Using our simple advice for perfectly cooked beef, watch as we demonstrate how to brown ground beef.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes more than 53 pounds of ground beef annually. (USDA). (This is a very high quantity considering that more people are turning vegan or vegetarian every year, making it the second most consumed meat, right after chicken.) We believe it is time to review the proper way to brown ground beef as a result. You can experiment and become an expert at a number of family-favorite dishes, including casseroles, pizza, and spaghetti sauces. Read on for complete instructions on how to cook ground beef from frozen, how to cook it in a skillet, an Instant Pot, or an oven, as well as important food safety advice for cooking ground beef.

Browning Ground Beef

A pound of ground beef in a skillet is probably the quickest and simplest way to brown ground beef if you’re preparing for a household of four to six. However, if you need to brown ground beef in large quantities and are feeding a crowd, an Instant Pot or sheet pan can save the day.

We’ll go over three different methods for grinding beef below.

How to Brown Ground Beef in a Skillet

Best for browning one pound ground beef

Place the ground meat in a nonstick skillet ($23, Target) over medium-high heat. The most important trick to brown ground beef is using a wooden spoon ($6, Amazon) or heatproof spatula to break up the meat into equal-size pieces as it cooks. This ensures that all the ground beef pieces brown evenly.

Test Kitchen Tip: If your ground meat is very lean, and especially if your skillet isn’t nonstick, you may want to heat a small amount of cooking oil (about 1 to 2 tsp.) in the skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the ground meat. This will help to keep the meat from sticking to the pan.

How to Brown Ground Beef in an Instant Pot (or Other Pressure Cooker)

Best for: Browning one to two pounds of ground beef

To the Instant Pot ($100, Amazon), add 1 cup of water. set the trivet or rack for the Instant Pot in position, then set the ground beef on top.

As an alternative, you might crumble the raw ground beef right into a metal steamer basket. You won’t lose your meat through the holes since they are smaller than the trivet. In our Test Kitchen, we found that the pre-crumbled steamer basket method was the best. For one pound, cook for approximately 6 minutes; for two pounds, heat for around 10 minutes. (To cook one pound of ground beef from frozen, set the timer to 30-40 minutes instead.)

After letting the lid slowly open and the pressure to gradually relax, carefully break the meat into equal-sized pieces with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Alternatively, you can cook and stir ground beef in your multicooker’s sauté setting much like you would in a skillet, Dutch oven, or saucepan.

Ground beef cooking temperature: If cooking from frozen, remember the shape of your meat as it goes in the pressure cooker will impact the cooking time. Use a meat thermometer ($15, Target) to test for doneness (160°F is safe). We found there was still some pink using this method, but the meat thermometer inserted into the center registered over 160°F, so it was safe to eat.

How to Brown Ground Beef in the Oven

Best for browning two pounds of ground beef

1. Set the oven to 400°F.
2. Foil a sizable sheet pan ($20; Crate & Barrel).
3. Cut the meat into equal pieces that are an inch or smaller in size using a wooden spoon or spatula.
4. Bake for 15 minutes while draping extra foil over the pan.
5. The beef should be thoroughly, evenly browned after 10 minutes of baking uncovered, stirring to break up the flesh.
6. Stir and let rest for a minute or two.
7. To remove cooked beef with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pan for later disposal, drain the fat.

How to Brown Frozen Ground Beef

Yes, any of these three “how to brown ground beef” methods work with frozen meat! (According to the USDA, cooking from frozen is safe as long as you adhere to these guidelines and eat the food within four months of the date of purchase.) So, just start with these steps before you start the ones given above if you want to brown frozen ground beef:

• Thaw frozen ground beef in the refrigerator overnight, then cook within one or two days.
• In a hurry? To defrost ground beef quicker, you can do so in the microwave. Cook immediately, as some portions may become “hot spots” and start to cook while defrosting.

How Long Does It Take to Brown Ground Beef?

You can use your eyes to help detect whether meat is done: All of it ought to be brown, with no obvious reddish parts. (Remember that if the meat registers 160°F, a little pink is acceptable.)

It usually takes 7 to 10 minutes to brown 1 pound of ground beef on a stovetop. To ensure that the ground beef cooks evenly, keep stirring and breaking the chunks into uniform sizes using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula ($10, Bed Bath & Beyond).

To completely brown ground beef in an Instant Pot, cook it for 6 minutes at high pressure, plus the time it takes for the pressure to naturally release. (or multicooker).

You should have wonderfully browned ground beef, ready to add to sloppy joes, tacos, casseroles, and other ground beef recipes, after 25 to 30 minutes in the oven.

Draining Fat from Cooked Ground Beef

When the ground beef is fully browned, the final step is to drain the fat. Take care to avoid splatters (the fat will still be hot).

1. Tilt the pan or pot gently so that the liquid fat runs to one side.
2. Push the meat to the other side of the pan with a slotted spoon before transferring it to a plate or another bowl that has been coated with paper towels.
3. The meat is prepared to be utilized in your preferred recipes once any remaining fat has been absorbed by the paper towels.
4. The residual fat needs to completely cool before being properly disposed of. The fat can also be gently cooled before being carefully poured into a glass jar or can and allowed to congeal before being discarded.

Test Kitchen Tip: Don’t pour the fat down your kitchen sink drain, as it can clog the drain.

How to Cook Ground Beef in a Skillet

Get dinner on the table quickly by browning ground beef in a skillet.

It’s quick and easy to cook ground beef in a skillet, and you can simply decide how caramelized you want it to be. It can be used as a flexible ingredient for sandwiches, tacos, pasta meals, casseroles, and more once it has been browned.

Here are the things you should know about purchasing and preparing ground beef, as well as how to determine whether it’s okay to eat.

How to Buy Ground Beef

Not quite sure what to look for? These simple shopping tips make it easy to find ground beef at the butcher shop or the supermarket that’s both flavorful and fresh.

• ​Check the fat content.​ Ground beef comes with different fat-to-lean ratios, so be sure to check the number before adding a package to your cart. Beef with a fat-to-lean ratio between 70/30 and 80/20 will be rich and juicy. If you’re looking for a lower fat option, go for a fat-to-lean content of 90/10 or 93/7.
• ​Get the freshest beef.​ A farther away sell-by date means fresher beef. Make sure the meat has a rosy red or pink color. Meat with a grayish tint is older and may be on the verge of spoiling, so steer clear. Avoid any packages that are torn or don’t feel cold to the touch.
• ​Keep it cool.​ Try to add ground beef to your cart at the end of your shopping trip so it stays colder, the USDA recommends. You can keep the beef cool on the way home by storing it in a cooler with ice. At home, put the beef straight in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
• ​Use it quickly.​ According to the USDA, you should use refrigerated ground beef within 1 or 2 days or purchasing. Frozen ground beef is best used within 4 months.

Ground Beef Cooking Tips

• For a recipe with less fat, start with lean ground beef (90/10 or 93/7).
• Before adding the steak, let the skillet get hot.
• To help it cook more quickly in the skillet, break the beef into smaller clumps.
• While cooking, don’t stir the beef too frequently.
• The beef should be cooked until there is no longer any pink and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
• To drain the beef of extra fat, place it on paper towels. Pour hot but not boiling water over the cooked meat to help it lose more fat.

Tip

Put the cooked ground beef in a strainer or sieve to get rid of even more fat. To remove any residual fat from the cooked meat, cover it with hot but not boiling water. Give the meat about five minutes to drain. As needed, increase the seasonings.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEEF

Beef is a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, which provide a range of health benefits. Here are some of the health benefits of beef:

1. Protein: Beef is a great source of high-quality protein that is essential for building and repairing muscles, bones, and other tissues.
2. Iron: Beef is rich in iron, which is essential for carrying oxygen to the body’s cells. Iron also plays a role in the immune system and cognitive function.
3. Zinc: Beef is an excellent source of zinc, which is essential for immune function, wound healing, and DNA synthesis.
4. Vitamin B12: Beef is a good source of vitamin B12, which is essential for the formation of red blood cells, nerve function, and DNA synthesis.
5. Niacin: Beef is a good source of niacin, which helps to maintain healthy skin, nerves, and digestion.
6. Creatine: Beef contains creatine, which is a compound that helps to produce energy in the muscles.
7. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): Beef contains CLA, which is a type of fatty acid that has been shown to have anti-cancer properties and may also help to reduce body fat.

Overall, beef can be a healthy and nutritious part of a balanced diet. However, it is important to choose lean cuts of beef and to consume it in moderation, as excessive consumption may increase the risk of certain health conditions, such as heart disease.