How to Safely Freeze, Thaw, and Refreeze Meat

Buying meat in bulk and using your freezer wisely can save money, reduce waste, and make busy weeknight meals so much easier. If you’ve ever questioned the best ways to safely freeze, thaw, and re-freeze meat, I’ve got the answers!

No matter how many people you feed on a daily or weekly basis, meat is likely one of your biggest grocery expenses (and it just keeps getting more expensive!)

Over the last 20 years, one of the simplest “tricks” I’ve used to stretch our grocery budget and save hours in the kitchen is to buy meat in bulk (and then freeze it for later).

Freezing meat isn’t complicated, and it doesn’t even need to take much time — but I regularly get all sorts of questions about how to freeze, thaw, and re-freeze meat.

I’ve compiled many of my past freezer-related posts, as well as a bunch of helpful information I’ve learned over the years, to address the most common questions I get about freezing meat.

If you’d like to save time in the kitchen and money at the grocery store, keep reading for the best tips to freeze, thaw, and re-freeze meat!!

The Best Ways to Freeze Meats

As with most freezer foods, you want to make sure your meat is packaged well before you put it in the freezer (especially if you’re planning to keep it in the freezer for several months).

This can be as simple as buying a few packages of freezer bags, or as elaborate as purchasing a vacuum-sealing system.

It’s also best to pre-portion meat into separate containers before freezing.

For example, if you purchased 10 pounds of ground beef but will only cook 2 pounds at a time, it’s best to pre-portion 5 two-pound packages before freezing. This way, you can defrost only the meat you want to cook, instead of defrosting the entire 10-pound log and then refreezing the 8 pounds you didn’t use.

And, if you have access to a deep freezer, your meat will stay fresher longer (read more on this below).

What Happens When Meat Freezes?

When food is put in the freezer, any moisture in the cells turns into tiny ice crystals, which usually take up more space than their previous liquid state, causing tiny ruptures in the cells of the food. When the food is eventually thawed, these cells are not able to hold moisture in the same way as before they were frozen — which is why foods high in moisture (fruits, veggies, and meats) often have a different texture after they are frozen.

When you freeze, thaw, and refreeze a food, the second freeze will rupture even more of the cells, leaching out moisture and flavor, and changing the integrity of the product.

While your frozen food is likely still safe to eat after multiple freezing/thawing cycles, it won’t taste the same as when it was fresh. However, freezing and thawing meat does not change the nutritional value — in fact, freezing meat (and produce) can actually lock in more nutrients than letting it sit in your fridge for days.

All that said, freezing meat is the best, easiest, and fastest way to preserve it, as the freezing process drastically slows the enzyme activity that can lead to the deterioration of food quality. (Read more about freezing meat on the USDA website.)

Meats That Freeze Well

I’ve had success freezing almost any type of meat — spiral hams, turkeys, chicken breasts, whole chickens, shrimp, salmon filets, beef roasts, steak, sausage, bacon, hot dogs, brats, meatballs, pork loins, pork chops, venison, you name it.

Also, as we’ll discuss more below, you can easily (and safely) freeze both cooked and uncooked meats.

FUN FREEZER FACT: You can freeze almost any food, except canned foods that are still in their tins (because frozen foods expand and could create a slight “break” in the tin, which would allow air and bacteria to get inside) and eggs that are still in their shells. Other foods, like lettuce and watermelon, will not thaw well, but you can freeze them.

Here’s a giant list of freezable foods.

How to Know if Frozen Meat is Safe

Assuming your freezer stays frozen (no power outages), the food in your freezer should be safe indefinitely, as bacteria cannot grow in a frozen environment.

However, that doesn’t mean your frozen meat will taste great forever.

When a recipe suggests a certain food can be “frozen for up to 3 months”, it’s not saying the food will suddenly spoil after 3 months. It’s simply stating that the quality of the thawed food might not be as appetizing after sitting in your freezer for 3 months.

Also, these freezer guidelines are estimates that depend on how and where your food is frozen.

For example, if you package each cut of meat in a heavy-duty vacuum-sealed bag and put it in the bottom of a chest freezer that is rarely opened, your meat will last significantly longer than thinly-wrapped meat from the grocery store placed in your kitchen freezer (which has wildly fluctuating temps due to being opened frequently).

Frozen Meat and Bacteria

Contrary to popular opinion, freezing meat that is already contaminated with bacteria will NOT “kill” the bacteria; it will simply stop it from spreading any further.

As soon as the meat is thawed, the bacteria will spread again.

This should not cause you to stress or worry about the meat in your freezer — as long as you put fresh meat into your freezer.

Guidelines for How Long to Freeze Meat

When it comes to meat, these are some general guidelines (from the USDA) for how long certain cuts of meat can be frozen without drastically altering the taste and flavor of the thawed product.

• Uncooked Bacon and Sausage = 2 months
• Ham, hot dogs, and lunch meat = 2 months
• Cooked meats (ground beef/turkey, shredded chicken) = 3-4 months
• Uncooked ground meats = 4 months
• Cooked or uncooked seafood = 4 months
• Uncooked Roasts, steak, chops = 4-12 months (depending on how it’s packaged)
• Uncooked Poultry = 4-9 months (depending on how it’s packaged)
• Uncooked Wild game = 8-12 months

Again, this does NOT mean that your meat will suddenly go bad after the allotted time in the freezer, but simply that the thawed version of your meat might not taste as good as before it was frozen.

I can personally attest to the fact that bacon, sausage, ham, hot dogs, and lunch meat can all be frozen for significantly longer than the suggested 2 months, yet still thaw wonderfully and taste great.

The Difference Between Deep Freezers and Frost-Free Freezers

If you plan to freeze a significant amount of food, you will definitely want to invest in a deep freezer as soon as possible.

A deep freezer (either a chest or an upright) is designed for long-term, bulk storage at a constantly low temperature. This saves on energy costs and prolongs the onset of freezer burn for meats and other frozen foods.

The freezer attached to your refrigerator is a “frost-free freezer,” as it doesn’t get that frosty build-up that you can sometimes find inside deep freezers. However, in order to maintain a “frost-free” environment, the freezer uses automated, periodic heating cycles to prevent ice buildup. This is convenient for the user, however those constant temperature fluctuations can cause freezer burn.

Frost-free freezers are best utilized for short-term freezer storage of items you will eat within a few weeks, not store for months.

But again, I want to reiterate that your meat will not “spoil” or be filled with bacteria if you freeze it in a frost-free freezer for 12 months. It simply might be a little tougher, a little dryer, maybe a bit more freezer-burned.

How to Safely Thaw Frozen Meat

Let the record show that thawing meat by setting it on the counter for several hours is apparently not safe… however, I will admit to thawing plenty of frozen meat on the counter over the last 20 years, and we’re still here to tell about it. ☺️

That said, here are the 3 safest ways to thaw frozen meat.

1. Thaw Meat in the Refrigerator. 

This is the best and most highly recommended method to thaw frozen meat as it assures the meat will never get warmer than 36ºF (the temp inside most refrigerators). Keeping the meat consistently cold throughout the thawing process means there’s less chance of bacteria multiplying or spreading within the meat.

However, thawing meat in the refrigerator also requires the most planning ahead. Large cuts of meat could easily take 2-4 days to fully defrost in your refrigerator — which is why advanced meal planning comes in handy. That said, if you defrost meat in the fridge, it can sit in the fridge for several days after it’s thawed, as the temperature has stayed consistent throughout the entire defrosting period.

CON = it takes a long time

PRO = it’s the most “hands-off” method and produces the best-tasting meat. It also gives you some wiggle room as to when you use the meat after thawing.

2. Thaw Meat in Cold Water.

A slightly faster way to safely thaw meat is to put the meat in a water-tight plastic bag and submerge it in cold water. (35-40º)

It’s suggested that you change the water every 45 minutes so it stays cold enough to prevent bacteria from growing. You’ll also want to make sure no water gets in with your meat, as soggy meat is not that appetizing.

CON = it requires a lot of hands-on time to constantly change the water.

PRO = it’s faster than in the fridge (especially for smaller cuts of meat like bacon, sausage, etc.)

3. Thaw Meat in the Microwave. 

I was honestly surprised to find that thawing meat in the microwave is considered “safe “(from a bacteria standpoint). It’s also a much faster option… however, if you care about the taste or texture of your meat, you most likely won’t want to use the microwave, as it does alter the texture of the meat.

Also, if you are defrosting ground beef or ground turkey to use in burger patties or meatloaf, it will NOT stick together to form patties or a loaf if it has been defrosted via the microwave (yup, I know this one from experience too!)

CON = it can change the texture of the meat, and you need to use the meat right away after thawing.

PRO = it’s the fastest method if you’re in a pinch

Can I Re-Freeze Meat After it Thaws?

The short answer is “yes”.

However, there are a few caveats…

You can safely re-freeze uncooked AND cooked meats as long as they are properly thawed (see guidelines above).

You can also safely re-freeze uncooked meats that are fully cooked and cooled before re-freezing.

Here are a few examples: 

TURKEY: When I buy a frozen turkey, I defrost it in the fridge for several days, then roast it. After I roast it, I shred the meat, portion it out into 2-cup freezer bags, and put it back in the freezer. (See photo above).

COOKED GROUND BEEF: I regularly defrost and cook several pounds of ground beef to make soups, tacos, and casseroles. Once it’s cooked, I drain it and package it into 2-cup bags for the freezer.

UNCOOKED GROUND BEEF: I defrost several pounds of ground beef to make a few meatloaves. Once the meat is defrosted, I add the ingredients to make my meatloaf, form the meatloaves, cook one for dinner, and wrap the other UNCOOKED meatloaves in several layers of plastic wrap and put them in the freezer (still uncooked) for future meals. (See photo below).

More Freezer Posts

I’ve saved so much time, money, and energy by utilizing our freezers over the last 20 years — here are all the posts I’ve shared about freezer cooking.

Do you have any tips to safely freeze or thaw meat?