When you’re making, for instance, hamburgers, it doesn’t seem much likely that you would end up with some leftover ground beef – the vast majority of people would rather explode than not finish their burgers.
Still, it can happen, and there are also obviously many other cases in which it, on the other hand, seems impossible that all of the ground beef would get eaten. Because of that, it might come in handy to know the answer to this question:
How long does cooked ground beef last? Cooked ground beef lasts for up to four days, provided that you always keep it in the fridge as you should. But if you leave it to sit out at room temperature, the cooked ground beef might be dangerous to eat just after more than two hours.
This was just to put it extremely quickly, though, and if we want to really understand this topic, we’re going to have to dive a bit deeper into it.
So without any further hesitation, let’s just get started!
Table of Contents
- How long does cooked ground beef last in the fridge?
- Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 1 day
- Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 2 days
- Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 3 days
- Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 4 days
- Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 5 days
- Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 6 days
- Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 7 days
- How long does cooked ground beef last at room temperature?
- How long does cooked ground beef last in the freezer?
- How long can you eat ground beef after it’s cooked?
- Can cooked ground beef sit out overnight?
- How to tell if cooked ground beef is bad?
- What happens if you eat bad cooked ground beef?
- What is the best way to store cooked ground beef?
- Summary
- Resources
How long does cooked ground beef last in the fridge?
Knowing how long cooked ground beef can be stored before it goes bad is absolutely crucial if you don’t want to get sick from eating it. So how is it then? To put it simply, cooked ground beef lasts something around three to four days in the fridge.
And now, let’s take a closer look!
Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 1 day
If you’ve had your cooked ground beef in the fridge for 1 day, there’s absolutely nothing at all to be worried about – this ground beef is still in more than good shape and can be safely eaten.
Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 2 days
And nothing changes the next day – cooked ground beef in the fridge for 2 days is still undoubtedly good and entirely safe to eat because it takes at least three days in the fridge until the ground beef becomes uneatable.
Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 3 days
As explained above, ground beef is good for at least three days after cooking. Hence, cooked ground beef in the fridge for 3 days is assumed to be safe to eat; however, you should do so as soon as possible because the meat won’t stay good for much longer.
Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 4 days
In most cases, ground beef lasts something between three and four days. Because of that, cooked ground beef in the fridge for 4 days is a bit risky. Most likely, it will still be good to go, but you have to remember that the 4 days mark is a turning point, and eating the ground beef can also be dangerous.
Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 5 days
If you’ve had some cooked ground beef in the fridge for 5 days, you should rather throw it away because it has probably spoiled. Yes, there is still a chance it’ll be good, but since ground beef isn’t guaranteed to be safe for any more than four days since cooking, we definitely recommend you not to eat it.
Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 6 days
Having cooked ground beef in the fridge for 6 days means one and only thing – it’s time to throw that ground beef away. Why? Well, not even in the fridge does cooked ground beef last more than four days, which means that after 6 days, it might very likely be dangerous to eat.
Cooked ground beef in the fridge for 7 days
As we’ve already explained, ground beef doesn’t last much longer than four days. Hence, cooked ground beef in the fridge for 7 days is more than surely spoiled, and you should rather just throw it out as soon as possible.
How long does cooked ground beef last at room temperature?
According to what the United States Department of Agriculture says, no perishable food should ever be left out for more than two hours. Because of that, cooked ground beef lasts only two hours at room temperature before it is dangerous to eat.
How long does cooked ground beef last in the freezer?
If you need to store ground beef for quite some time, freezing it is the best way to do it. In the freezer, cooked ground beef lasts for up to four months, which means you don’t have to worry about having to gobble it!
How long can you eat ground beef after it’s cooked?
As we have explained above, cooked ground beef lasts for something around three days in the fridge or even as long as four months in the freezer. Because of that, you can eat ground beef even four months after it’s cooked, provided you carefully store it in the freezer!
Can cooked ground beef sit out overnight?
No, cooked ground beef cannot sit out overnight. The reason is that the USDA says it is dangerous to leave any perishable food out of the fridge for just more than two hours. So even though the cooked ground beef would probably last a bit more than two hours, leaving it at room temperature overnight is simply far too much.
How to tell if cooked ground beef is bad?
Believe it or not, telling bad ground beef from the good one isn’t anything hard at all. To tell if cooked ground beef is bad, you just have to check its smell and appearance thoroughly – if you smell or see anything weird, it’s time to throw the beef out. Otherwise, it should be good to go, though.
What happens if you eat bad cooked ground beef?
As you have probably guessed, if you eat bad cooked ground beef, chances are you’re going to be sick. But, what does that mean specifically? Well, you may experience some of the classic symptoms of food poisoning like vomiting or stomach ache.
What is the best way to store cooked ground beef?
If you have some leftover cooked ground beef, the best way to store it is by carefully sealing it into some airtight containers and then putting it into the fridge. That way, the meat will stay good for up to four days.
But what if that isn’t enough for you? Don’t worry, the cooked ground beef can also be frozen – in the freezer, it will last as long as four months!
Summary
There are many ways to store cooked ground beef – the most obvious is putting it into the fridge. However, that way, it’ll stay good for only something between three and four days, so if you need to store it for a longer time, you can also put it into the freezer. You can expect the meat to stay suitable for up to four months when you do that!
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- How Long Do Cooked Mushrooms Last?
- How Long Are Blueberries Good For?
Resources
Image credits – Canva
