How To Freeze Meat: Tips for Freezing and Thawing Meat

Whether you’re storing chicken breasts, ground meat patties, or hot dogs, the freezer is the best place to keep meat fresh. Freezing a piece of meat is easy if home cooks follow some basic food safety and storage guidelines.

1. 1. Check the quality of the meat. The quality of the meat you buy from the grocery store will help determine how long it will last. USDA prime and choice cuts are the best quality you can purchase. In general, raw meat can stay fresh in the freezer for up to twelve months. Other cuts of meat—particularly ground meat, bacon, and sausage—will only stay fresh for up to two months.
2. 2. Freeze meat quickly to prevent ice crystals. Keeping meat at room temperature for too long will risk the meat losing freshness. In addition, storing meat quickly will prevent ice crystals from forming. If you don’t plan on eating the meat you purchased right away, be sure to freeze raw meat within a day or two of purchasing. Maintain a freezer temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit for maximum freshness.
3. 3. Portion your meat. Divide your meat into meal-sized portions to make it easier to thaw and prepare later.
4. 4. Wrap the meat carefully. Limiting air exposure is crucial to keeping your meat fresh. A vacuum sealer is ideal to store your meat, but use freezer paper and a freezer bag if a vacuum sealer is not available. Double wrap the meat in a combination of plastic wrap and aluminum foil or plastic wrap and parchment paper.
5. 5. Place the meat in plastic bags and seal tightly. Make sure that your zip-top bags are airtight. Sealing the bags tightly helps prevent freezer burn while keeping different types of meat at maximum freshness.
6. 6. Label your storage containers. Label your plastic containers with the cut of the meat and the date of purchase. Doing so will ensure that you use the meat within an appropriate amount of time and nothing goes to waste.

Consider a few chef’s tips for freezing and storing different types of meat as well as using thawed meat.

1. 1. Defrosting meat: When you’re ready to defrost the meat, place the bag of meat in the refrigerator overnight or in a water bath of cold water for a few hours. The USDA discourages thawing meat on any common surface like a countertop, as bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli could develop. Cook the meat immediately after proper defrosting to prevent spoilage.
2. 2. Freezing raw meat vs. cooked meat: Safely store cooked meat the same way you would store raw meat. For example, you can safely store an already cooked whole chicken in the freezer to thaw and reheat later. Be sure to freeze any cooked meat the same day you prepared it. Store the cooked meat for up to three months before thawing and eating.
3. 3. Freezing larger cuts of meat: Follow the same steps you would for freezing smaller cuts of meat, but be sure to securely double or even triple-wrap the large cut of meat in freezer paper and aluminum foil.
4. 4. Freezing meat with veggies or casseroles: Freezing food with meat and other ingredients can be tricky. You can freeze a meat casserole safely as long as the meat within the casserole is already cooked. Avoid freezing dishes containing raw meat. The same applies to freezing cooked meat and veggies to defrost and eat later.

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