Ground beef is a staple ingredient in many households It’s commonly used to make burgers, meatballs, tacos, chili, lasagna, and so much more But because ground beef is made by grinding up scraps and trimmings of beef, it tends to spoil faster than steaks or roasts. So how can you tell if the ground beef in your fridge has gone bad?
Here are some tips to determine if your ground beef is still safe to eat or if it’s time to toss it out:
Check The Color
Fresh ground beef is bright red in color. This distinct red color comes from the iron-containing protein myoglobin in muscle fibers that reacts with oxygen to form a pigment called oxymyoglobin
As ground beef starts to spoil, the meat oxidizes and turns brown or grey in color. If you notice brown or grey spots on the exterior of raw ground beef it means it has been exposed to air for too long and has probably gone bad. Discard ground beef that is no longer bright red.
Cooked ground beef can also turn greenish in color as it spoils from oxidation. If your cooked crumbles or patties have a green tint, they are past their prime.
Feel The Texture
Fresh ground beef should have a smooth, moist texture. As it starts to go bad, the texture becomes slimy and sticky.
To check the texture, take a small amount of ground beef and gently press it between your fingers. Good ground beef will stick together in a single clump. If it feels extra slimy and falls apart easily, it has likely spoiled.
Always remember to wash your hands immediately after feeling raw meat to avoid cross-contamination.
Give It A Smell
Your nose often knows best when it comes to detecting spoiled meat. Give the ground beef a whiff right when you open the package. Fresh ground beef has a mild beefy smell.
Meat that has gone rancid has a distinctive sour, unpleasant odor. If you notice a strong, foul odor from the beef, that’s a tale-tell sign it has spoiled and should be thrown out.
Trust your senses – if it smells bad, it is bad!
Check The Expiration Date
Always check the expiration or “use by” date on ground beef packages. This date indicates when the beef is no longer at peak freshness and quality.
The general rule is you can store ground beef safely in the fridge for 1-2 days past the printed expiration date, as long as it has been kept at 40°F or below.
But remember, the expiration date alone doesn’t necessarily mean your ground beef has gone bad within that timeframe. It should be used in combination with the other methods of inspection covered here.
Know Proper Storage Times
Follow these USDA Food Safety guidelines for maximizing ground beef shelf life:
- Raw ground beef stored in the fridge: 1-2 days
- Raw ground beef in the freezer: 3-4 months
- Cooked ground beef in the fridge: 3-4 days
- Cooked ground beef in the freezer: 2-3 months
The clock starts ticking as soon as the ground beef is purchased from the store. eaten within these timeframes for best quality and safety.
Don’t Use Recalled Ground Beef
On occasion, ground beef is recalled by manufacturers and the USDA for possible E.coli or Salmonella contamination. Always check alert notices and throw out any ground beef products that have been recalled, even if you can’t see any visible signs of spoilage. When in doubt, throw it out.
Watch For Change In Color
- Fresh raw ground beef is bright red
- Brown, grey, or green spots indicate spoilage
- Cooked ground beef can turn green when it goes bad
Feel For Slimy Texture
- Good ground beef feels moist and firm
- Bad ground beef feels sticky, tacky, or slimy
Take A Whiff
- Fresh ground beef has a mild beefy scent
- Spoiled meat smells sour and unpleasant
Don’t Exceed Storage Times
- Raw ground beef: 1-2 days in the fridge
- Frozen ground beef: 3-4 months in the freezer
- Cooked ground beef: 3-4 days in the fridge
- Cooked frozen ground beef: 2-3 months in the freezer
When In Doubt, Throw It Out!
Your eyes, nose, and fingers are the best tools for determining if your ground beef has spoiled. If you notice off colors, odors, textures, or have passed the use by times – play it safe and throw it out. Eating spoiled ground beef can potentially cause food poisoning. It’s better to be safe than sick!
Following proper storage times, using your senses, and checking expiration dates will help ensure your ground beef stays fresh and safe to eat. With ground beef, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. If you have any doubts at all about your beef, don’t risk it – throw it out and buy a new package. Your stomach will thank you.
Can ground beef smell a little but not expired?
All ground beef has a slight aroma of iron. Ground beef nearing its expiration date may have a slightly more noticeable smell but is still safe to eat. However, if a product has a noticeable, pungent smell, it is most likely spoiled and should be discarded.
Why Does Ground Beef Spoil?
Unfortunately, all meat will eventually go bad. Still, it’s helpful to know exactly what’s going on when inspecting your beef and even trying to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. Meat is generally susceptible to a variety of bacteria, especially pathogenic and spoilage.
Pathogenic won’t cause any odors, color changes, or noticeable changes in your meat. However, it will certainly still cause illness. Meanwhile, spoilagebacteria will cause observable effects on your ground beef that we’ll discuss further in this article.
It’s important to keep both of these bacteria in mind when inspecting your ground beef. Both will make you sick, but only one will show signs.
This may be the first thing you notice if your beef has gone bad, even before you open the fridge. Spoiled beef will develop a scent to it similar to ammonia or sulfur. In short, it won’t smell good.
Occasionally ground beef will develop a light smell if it’s been in airtight packaging, and that’s alright. But if you take a whiff and you’re immediately making a face, that’s your bodys natural reaction to something that should not be consumed.
Healthy ground beef will be pink with strips of white fat running through it. Oxidation — AKA overexposure to oxygen — will lead to a bit of grayness, which isn’t necessarily the end of the road.
However, if your meat is turned fully gray, has patches of dark gray, or has started to develop any amount of mold, it’s time to throw away the entire package. Do not be tempted to remove the mold you can see and salvage the ground beef remaining. There very well may be more mold growing beneath the surface.
If your ground beef has a funky odor and looks unappetizing, it’s safe to say that it’s gone bad and should be tossed out. However, if you need more confirmation, you can always check the meat’s texture.
Healthy ground beef will be smooth, and you should be able to make an indent when you push your finger into it. If the meat has gone bad, the surface will feel slimy and wet.
You shouldn’t feel any wetness on ground beef, particularly raw beef.
As we mentioned, some bacteria don’t show any observable signs of spoilage. It wont smell, look, or feel different. But you can always double-check the time that the beef has been on the shelf and use that number as your final decider.
Raw beef should be consumed within 3 days of getting it into your fridge since it was recently packaged. Always double-check your ground beefs packing and expiration dates, whether you get it at a grocery store, butcher it, or have it delivered from a high-quality local farm.
Here’s How To Tell If Ground Beef Has Gone Bad
FAQ
How to tell if raw ground beef is bad?
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EatingWellhttps://www.eatingwell.comIs It Safe to Eat Ground Beef That’s Turned Gray? – EatingWellApr 13, 2025 — Texture. Fresh ground beef should have a relatively firm consistency, and when squeezed, it should naturally break apart. If the ground beef has a s…
What does bad ground beef smell like?
- Fresh ground beef: May have a slight iron aroma, but often has no noticeable smell.
- Spoiled ground beef: Will have a strong, foul odor, often described as rotten, sour, or tangy. It may also smell like ammonia or sulfur.
Does raw ground beef go bad in the fridge?
Raw ground beef is generally safe to consume for 1 to 2 days when stored in the refrigerator. After 3 days, it may not be safe to eat, even if it looks and smells fine. Bacteria can grow on meat over time, so it’s best to err on the side of caution. If you’re unsure, it’s safer to discard it.
What color is ground beef when it goes bad?
- Fresh ground beef: should be a bright red color.
- Vacuum-sealed ground beef: may appear reddish/purplish, which is normal.
- Spoiled ground beef: will turn brown or gray, indicating oxidation.
- Mold: on ground beef can also cause spoilage and can appear as fuzzy blue, grey, or green spots.
- A slimy or sticky texture: is another sign that the ground beef is spoiled.
- Smell: Spoiled ground beef will have a rancid, sour, or rotten smell.
How do you know if ground beef has gone bad?
But if your ground beef is gray or brown all over, inside and out, that’s a sign it’s gone bad, so throw it away. Another sign of spoilage is a slimy texture. When you touch raw or cooked ground beef, it should feel firm. So any sticky meat should be discarded as it’s likely already spoiled.
Why does ground beef smell so bad?
If it smells funky or off, it’s spoiled. The smell is caused by the gases produced by the bacteria. Finally, ground beef can change color when it spoils, going from the familiar rust-red color (produced by iron, the same ingredient that gives blood its color) to a flat gray color.
Is ground beef safe to eat?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the ground beef was shipped to restaurants and retail locations throughout the country. The FSIS has issued a health alert for the following products: NATURAL 5 LBS. The labels for these products can be found on the FSIS website.