Use it up · Meats and poultry

Ground beef

Have extra ground beef? Here’s how to choose, store and prep ground beef, plus 11 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Look for bright red meat (the inside can be darker; that is normal) and a package that is cold, tight and not leaking. The label tells you the lean-to-fat ratio: 80/20 for juicy burgers, 90/10 or leaner for sauces and casseroles.

🧊 Storing it

Fridge: 1 to 2 days raw
Freezer: 3 to 4 months for best quality

Freeze it flat in a zip-top bag so it thaws fast in the fridge.

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from FoodSafety.gov.

🔪 Prepping it

Brown it in a hot skillet, breaking it up, then drain the fat if the recipe says so. Cook ground beef to 160°F.

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Ground beef, 80% lean. 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	254 kcal	13%
Protein	17 g	34%
Total fat	20 g	26%
Saturated fat	7.6 g	38%
Total carbohydrate	0.0 g	0%
Dietary fiber	0.0 g	0%
Total sugars	0.0 g
Sodium	66 mg	3%
Calcium	18 mg	1%
Iron	1.9 mg	11%
Potassium	270 mg	6%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 174036 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

11 recipes, the ones that use the most ground beef first.

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

More meats and poultry

Beef steak Beef roast and stew meat Chicken Ground turkey and chicken Turkey breast Pork chops and tenderloin Pork roast and ribs Ground pork Sausage Bacon Ham Lamb All ingredients →

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.