Ground beef is a kitchen staple for many home cooks. Its versatility allows you to quickly whip up tasty burgers meatballs tacos, and so much more. However, with its exposed surface area, ground beef spoils faster than steaks and roasts. Within just two days, raw ground beef can go bad in the fridge.
Luckily, there are clear signs that indicate when ground beef has spoiled and is unsafe to eat. Being able to identify these changes in appearance, texture, and smell can help you avoid foodborne illness. This article will cover the top 4 signs of bad ground beef and provide tips on proper storage and handling.
1. Change in Color
The first thing to inspect is the color of the ground beef When fresh, raw ground beef is bright red or purplish-red. This distinct color comes from myoglobin, a protein found in muscle tissue. When myoglobin is exposed to oxygen, it becomes oxymyoglobin and produces the bright red hue.
Over time, ground beef will turn brown or greyish-brown as it spoils. This color change occurs as myoglobin oxidizes. If you notice dull, brown meat throughout the package—not just in the center—it means the ground beef has started to go bad. Mold growth can also cause spoiled cooked beef to appear blue, green, or grey.
2. Foul Smell
Your nose is a great tool for detecting rancid ground beef. Fresh ground beef has a slight iron-like smell that’s barely noticeable. However, spoiled raw beef gives off a tangy, putrid odor as bacteria multiply. Cooked rotten meat also smells off and sour.
Trust your senses—if you detect a nasty, rotten stench from ground beef, it has gone bad and needs to be discarded. Don’t risk eating it just because the color still looks okay.
3. Slimy Texture
Grab a small pinch of ground beef to check its texture and moisture level. When fresh, raw ground beef should feel firm and barely moist. As bacteria grow, the texture becomes sticky, slimy, and excessively wet. Cooked rotten beef may also be mushy.
Sliminess indicates spoiled bacteria are breaking down tissues. err on the safe side and throw it out if you notice an abnormal texture. Always wash hands immediately after feeling raw meat.
4. Expired Date
Finally, the quickest way to identify bad ground beef is checking the label for the expiration or sell-by date. Raw ground beef lasts just 2 days in the fridge after purchase. It shouldn’t be cooked or eaten past 1-3 days after that original sell-by date, even if it looks and smells normal.
For optimal freshness and taste, cook ground beef by the use-by date. But you can still safely freeze ground beef 2 days after the sell-by date for later use.
Key Tips for Handling Ground Beef
To prevent ground beef from going bad prematurely, follow these safe handling practices:
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Refrigerate raw ground beef within 2 hours of purchasing it. Freeze for longer storage.
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Place ground beef on a plate or tray on the bottom shelf of the fridge to contain leaks.
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Separate raw meat from other foods to avoid cross-contamination.
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Thaw frozen ground beef in the fridge, not at room temperature.
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Cook ground beef within 2 days of thawing in the fridge.
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Use or freeze cooked ground beef within 3-4 days. Discard leftovers after that.
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Verify ground beef reaches an internal temperature of 160°F when cooking.
Being able to identify bad ground beef can prevent foodborne illness. Trust your senses—if you notice funky colors, smells, or texture, play it safe and throw it out. Follow proper storage times and cooking temperatures, and your fresh ground beef will retain its quality and taste.
FAQ
How can I tell if ground beef is bad?
What does unsafe ground beef look like?
Always keep an eye on raw beef. Avoid eating anything that seems to have gone gray, is growing mold, or has an unpleasant scent. It’s best to play it safe with meat in general — and if you find yourself questioning whether or not it’s good, err on the side that it probably isn’t.
What color is bad ground beef?
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Fresh Ground Beef:Should be bright red or pink, possibly with a grayish-brown interior if not exposed to oxygen.
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Spoiled Ground Beef:Will turn gray or brown on the outside, and may have a slimy texture or an off odor.
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Mold:If you see any fuzzy blue, grey, or green spots, it indicates mold and the ground beef should be thrown out.
Is it okay to eat brown ground beef?
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Color:A bit of brown is fine, but if it’s fully gray-green, especially with a bad smell, it’s likely spoiled and should be discarded.
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Smell:A fresh ground beef smell is neutral or slightly “iron-like”. If it smells sour, sickly sweet, or rotten, it’s not safe to eat.
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Texture:Fresh ground beef should be firm and not slimy.
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Expiration Date:Check the expiration date and remember that “best by” dates are a guideline, not a safety date.
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Proper Storage:Ground beef should be kept refrigerated properly (ideally at 40°F or below).
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Freezing:Freezing can extend the shelf life of ground beef, but it’s best to cook it within a couple of days if it’s been in the fridge.
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Cooking:Ensure ground beef is cooked thoroughly to a safe internal temperature (160°F).
How do you know if ground beef is bad?
Meat that has turned bad will feel sticky, tacky, or slimy and should be thrown out. You can also use the color of the meat as a guideline. Ground beef that is brown or gray is still safe to eat, but if it is turning green, you should throw it away. Read on for tips on storing ground beef to keep it from spoiling!
Does cooked ground beef go bad?
Raw or cooked ground beef has gone bad if it smells funky, changes color, and/or feels slimy. Don’t cook with ground beef that’s more than 3 days past its sell-by date. Store raw and cooked beef in the fridge to keep it as fresh as possible. If you can’t cook or eat it right away, freeze it for future use.
How do you know if ground beef has spoiled?
This test is probably the easiest and fastest way to determine whether meat has spoiled. It applies to both raw and cooked ground beef. Though the scent of fresh ground beef is barely perceptible, rancid meat has a tangy, putrid odor. Once it goes bad, it’s no longer safe to eat.
What does ground beef smell like?
Spoiled ground beef can smell like fish or sulfur, or ammonia, depending on what’s eating it. Bacteria like Pseudomonas spp. and Lactobacillus spp. are two common invaders that love to get into your beef and smell it up as they spoil it. In general, if your ground beef smells a little sour, tangy or putrid, it’s probably not safe to eat.
What color should ground beef be?
When Purchasing: When selecting your ground beef, look for beef with a bright cherry-red color, not brown. Sealed bags of ground beef can have a darker purplish-red color — and that’s okay! Once the ground beef is exposed to the air, it will turn that bright red you’re used to seeing.
Why does ground beef look funky?
If it looks funky, it probably is. A package of fresh ground beef should be relatively dry, though a small amount of red liquid is normal. This moisture is not blood but a mixture of water and the protein myoglobin, which gives beef its red or purple color. Leaner beef tends to have more because there’s less fat to bind to it.