Discover the best ways to freeze ground beef for effortless meal prep. Make cooking simpler with bulk purchases and freezing tips.

This is part of my series of time-saving freezer kitchen tips.

Even though I am a good cook, I don’t really like to cook. So I use lots of little ways to make prep a little easier by doing the work ahead of time. Then simply pulling things right out of the freezer, ready to go.  like how to freeze ground beef so it’s ready for taco night. See how I freeze green peppers and bananas, too.

I have 3 teenagers who are always hungry. So, anything that makes cooking faster is a good thing. Saving money by buying meat and produce in bulk is an added perk!

So, here is how I freeze ground beef for recipes:

I buy 80/20 lean ground beef in 10-pound packages at our wholesale store, Sam’s Club. The leaner the beef, the more expensive it is. But it is always cheaper per pound to buy in larger quantities.

So, here is how to save and prep what you don’t use.

How to prepare the ground beef:

First, pull out a big skillet and brown 2 1/2 pounds at a time. I don’t add any seasonings to the meat, so it will be ready to add to any recipe.  Place a colander in a large metal mixing bowl in the kitchen sink. Next, drain the beef into the colander so that the grease drips into the bowl.  (Yes, even with 80/20 meat, there is still a lot of grease, which is why I use this method.)

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Spoon the beef into freezer-safe containers and let them sit on the counter to cool. Continue to finish cooking up all the meat.

I have used the same storage containers for years.  Here they are. They are sturdy and meant for the freezer. Yet, they can also be washed in the dishwasher and popped into the microwave. Wonderful!

Once all the containers are cool enough to handle, transfer them to the fridge. They should still be pretty hot. This helps them cool down some more.  You don’t want to put really hot food into the freezer.

Finally, once the meat is cooled down, put on the lids. Write the date on a piece of masking tape. Stick it on the top of the lid. The ground beef can be safely stored in the freezer for 3 to 4 months this way.

By the way, are you looking for more ways to save time and money with meal prep? Grab your free freezer and pantry inventory sheets below! 👇

Leftover grease:

In the meantime, pop the metal bowl of grease into the freezer as well.  The grease will harden into a solid block. Once it is hard, you can take the bowl out of the freezer. Turn it upside down in the sink and run hot water over the bottom.  The block of grease will pop right out.  

Simply wrap the block in several layers of plastic grocery bags. Then put it back in the freezer until garbage day, when it gets tossed with the rest of the garbage. Easy clean up, no smell of rancid grease, and no clogging of the kitchen drain. Yay!  (*Make sure there are no holes in the bottom of the grocery bags! I found this one out the hard way…)

How to use frozen ground beef:

When a recipe calls for a pound of ground beef, just grab one from the freezer. Pop the lid up on one side to vent, and microwave for 3-4 minutes.  The beef is hot throughout and ready to add to recipes. This method works fabulously for taco night or in boxed dinners like dirty rice.

Here are a couple of my family’s favorite ground beef recipes, if you’d like to try them out.

5 ingredient tater-tot Casserole

An easy casserole to throw together on a hectic night that your whole family will love.

Easy skillet spicy veggie, beef and rice

A spicy one-dish meal full of brown rice, zucchini, tomatoes, and ground beef – hearty and delicious.

Or this easy southwest chicken and rice dish. It is my go-to meal on a busy night. It’s quick and chock full of brown rice, chicken, tomatoes, Tex-Mex spices, and cheese. Yum!

It only uses one skillet on the stovetop. And there’s very little clean up, too! Yeah! Best of all, from start to finish, it only takes about 20 minutes. (And that includes all the prep.)

So, I hope you find this ground beef freezer kitchen tip helpful.  

Here are some other items that can be easily prepped and frozen in this series:

• How to freeze green peppers (and onions)

• How to freeze bananas

• How to freeze and prep chicken

I know tips like these sure save me time when I am cooking. They save me money, too. I can save a few cents per pound by buying meat and produce in bulk. And hey, when you’re feeding a family of five, every little bit helps!

Do you have any time-saving tricks of your own?  I’d love to hear about them!

~Pam

P.S. Use your freezer to make meal prep fast and easy! Get my FREE 26-page e-book of time-saving freezer tips below.