Should You Season Beef When Browning

Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.

Set for a more than flavorful addition to your recipes? Acquire how to cook ground beef the correct way with our pace-by-step guide.

Many recipes begin by telling readers to "chocolate-brown the basis beef," but don't explain how. Is information technology piece of cake? Yes—merely there are still means it can get wrong. Here's how to melt ground beef the correct way, so information technology's tender, total of flavor and ready to use in your favorite ground beef recipes.

Use this method whether you need to know how to cook ground beef for tacos, how to cook ground beef for spaghetti, or any other dish you're peckish for dinner.

How to Cook and Brown Basis Beef

This recipe is for i pound of ground beef and is set in viii to 10 minutes. For larger amounts of meat, employ a large skillet or dark-brown the meat in batches.

Ingredients

Nancy Mock for Taste of Dwelling house

• 1 pound basis beefiness
• Common salt and pepper, to flavor the beef in one case cooked

Editor'south Tip: If using very lean ground beef or a stainless steel skillet prone to sticking, add together a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil to the pan before adding the beef.

Tools You'll Demand

• A stainless steel, bandage iron or nonstick skillet is a must. Look for a good-quality pan that distributes oestrus evenly.
• A sturdy wooden spoon or spatula like this one is perfect for breaking up the ground meat during cooking.
• This gadget helps to easily drain grease from the pan. A colander will also do the trick.

Directions

Footstep ane: Heat your skillet

Set a medium- to large-sized skillet on a burner set to medium-high oestrus. Allow the pan to get hot.

Step 2: Intermission upwardly and add the beef

Nancy Mock for Gustatory modality of Home

Tear the ground beef into chunks and add to the hot pan in a single layer.

Step three: Let the beefiness to cook

Nancy Mock for Gustatory modality of Domicile

Allow the beef cook without moving information technology for the first 5 minutes. The beef will begin to brownish and develop color along the bottom.

Pace 4: Break up and motility beef around

Nancy Mock for Taste of Home

Utilise a wooden spoon to suspension up the larger chunks of beef and gently move the beef around. You don't want to overwork the meat; just move information technology plenty to brown it evenly. If the bottom is getting as well dark, turn the estrus downward to medium.

Step 5: Bleed the grease

Nancy Mock for Taste of Dwelling house

Cook the beefiness a few minutes more until it's browned and no pink colour remains. Use a draining utensil, a strainer or fifty-fifty a small plate to pour off near of the grease into a heat-proof container. (Never pour grease downward the drain!) Continue a minor corporeality of fat in with the beef; this volition aid the meat stay moist and flavorful.

Use your browned meat right abroad in one of these creative ground beefiness recipes or, if saving it for afterwards, allow it to cool. And then spoon it into a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Learn how to tell if ground beef is bad.) To freeze it, put the cooked-and-cooled beef in a freezer-safe  zip-close bag and press out all the air. Keep information technology frozen for up to 3 months.

Tips for Cooking with Ground Beef

Defrost Frozen Ground Beef Kickoff

Ideally, for meat that is evenly cooked and moist, you lot want to brown footing beef that is completely thawed. Here'southward how to defrost ground beef:

• Fridge method: 24 hours before cooking, remove the ground beef package from the freezer, put information technology in a bowl or zip-elevation bag, and identify it in the refrigerator. Your beef should be completely defrosted by the time y'all're ready to cook.
• Water method: If you only have an hour or two, place your frozen ground beef package into a zip-pinnacle bag, pushing out as much of the air every bit possible. Then, place the bag into a basin total of cold water and let the meat defrost for an hour. You should change the h2o around the thirty-infinitesimal marker to keep it cold.
• Microwave method: Transfer the frozen ground beef to a microwave-safe plate and identify it in the microwave. Set your microwave to the defrost setting and microwave the beef in twenty-30 second internals, flipping the beef each time. Information technology should take about 5 minutes or so for the meat to defrost. Note: The edges of the beef might get-go to cook as they beginning to defrost. This is fine as long every bit you lot fully cook the ground beef right later on.

Cook the Meat Evenly

Don't drib that brick of footing beef straight into the pan! To melt the meat evenly and forbid steaming, pause upward the meat before it goes into the pan. Tear the meat into chunks by hand or with a wooden spoon and add together these to the hot skillet in a unmarried layer.

Utilise a Hot Pan

The most common mistake people make when browning ground beef is putting the beef in a cold pan. As it heats upward, the meat begins to steam, which makes information technology look wearisome or greyness. The goal is to chocolate-brown—as in sear—the meat, and to exercise this the pan needs to be hot. And so make sure your skillet is hot before you add the ground beef!

Avoid Constant Stirring

After you add the ground beef to the hot pan, allow it cook untouched for several minutes. Many cooks brand the mistake of constantly stirring ground beef as it browns, but this agitation drives moisture out of the meat, creating a tougher texture. But later on the beef has a good sear on the bottom and you see the color creeping up the sides should you begin to gently move the ground beef in the pan.

Keep Some of the Grease in the Pan

Draining the grease from cooked ground beef makes your finished dish less greasy. Withal, for moist and flavorful meat, keep a tablespoon or two of that fat in. Stir it through your browned beef. You'll withal be removing near of the fatty while stillprotecting the meat from drying out.

Drain the rest of the grease into a heat-proof container. Once it solidifies, scrape it into your trash. (Some municipal compost programs may have grease, only don't put it in your lawn compost.)

Season the Ground Beef

When it comes to seasoning your footing beef, wait until after it has been browned and drained. Calculation salt to raw ground beefiness pulls out wet, drying the meat out and creating steam while it cooks, which prevents information technology from browning properly. The same goes for other seasonings, only for a different reason. Much of the herbs and spices will drain abroad along with the grease, leaving your ground beef underseasoned.

In one case your footing beefiness has been cooked and drained, it can be seasoned with near anything. Salt and pepper are the basics and could exist paired with a taco seasoning blend, Sometime Bay, herbes de Provence or garam masala, to name a few options. It only depends what you're planning on making with the beef. For inspiration, check out our favorite ground beef recipes of the past twelvemonth.

Don't Rinse Beefiness!

I TikTok user almost bankrupt the internet when she shared a video of cooked ground beefiness poured into a strainer and rinsed under the faucet, which done all of the grease off the meat and right down the drain. (The video has since been deleted, but you can catch it in @simplyfoodbyty'due south duet with the original post.) The user claimed it was a technique learned in a nutrition form, merely you definitely should not rinse browned ground beef.

For 1, grease and fats should never be poured down the sink bleed. (It'southward one of the things plumbers want you to know.) The grease can solidify in the pipes, creating clogs and a huge mess in sewers and septic systems. Additionally, while pouring off backlog fat from browned beef makes it healthier, removing every terminal driblet of fat by rinsing it abroad will leave the beef tough, dry out and tasteless.

If you're concerned about the amount of fat in footing beef, opt for the leanest option similar ground sirloin. Or, use ground turkey or ground chicken in identify of beef, which are reasonably priced and take less fatty.

How to Cook Frozen Ground Beef

While defrosted basis beef volition take the all-time flavor and texture, you tin can cook ground beefiness from frozen. Hither'southward how:

• Heat your skillet as directed to a higher place.
• Add together the frozen ground beef, repeatedly turning the brick of meat in the hot skillet and peeling abroad the outer layers as they brown through.
• Continue until all of the beefiness is cooked.

Browning your ground beef this way should really be a last resort; information technology's more than time-consuming and all that handling will event in beef that'due south tough and unevenly cooked. Those in a time pinch will love these quick and piece of cake ground beef recipes instead.

Now that you know how to cook and brown ground beef, y'all're prepare to make our best ground beef recipes.

Taste of Home

Sloppy Joe Pie

To be honest, I don't hear many compliments on this dish...folks are e'er too busy eating! I developed the recipe past grabbing ingredients from my fridge and cupboards ane "crisis fourth dimension" when I needed an easy dish fast. —Kathy McCreary, Goddard, Kansas

Get Recipe If you're a sloppy joe fan, try out this loose-meat sandwich recipe.

Spaghetti Meatball Supper

Information technology was such a joy to come dwelling and find my mom making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. This recipe has always been dear to my heart. —Debbie Heggie, Laramie, Wyoming

Cheesy Fiesta Beef Goulash

Over the years I've tweaked this recipe to cease upward with a wonderful, quick weeknight meal. Feel free to spice it upwardly with jalapenos, if you lot prefer a little more than heat. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

Easy Beef Soup

This colorful, easy beef soup comes together in minutes. Even my hubby, who admits he'southward no melt, makes it on occasion." —Agnes Bierbaum, Gainesville, Florida

Meatball Cabbage Rolls

My mother oft had these cabbage rolls simmering in her slow cooker when my family and I arrived at her house for weekend visits. The mouthwatering meatballs tucked inside made these stand out from whatever other cabbage rolls I've tried. —Betty Buckmaster, Muskogee, Oklahoma

Find more ground beef Crockpot recipes.

One-Pot Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

When the weather's as well dank to grill, I whip upwards a large pot of this cheesy pasta. Believe it or not, it tastes just like a bacon cheeseburger, and it'southward much easier for my young children to relish. —Carly Terrell, Granbury Texas

California Burger Wraps

I love the style these fresh flavors blend. It'south a snap to throw these wraps together for a quick, salubrious lunch. The burgers can also exist served on buns if yous like. —Rachelle McCalla, Atlantic, Iowa

Easy Stuffed Poblanos

My partner adores these saucy stuffed peppers—and I love how chop-chop they come together. Top with low-fat sour cream and your favorite salsa. —Jean Erhardt, Portland, Oregon

Ability Lasagna

When my hubby and I wanted to alive healthier, our first step was to eat more power foods, such as whole grains, fresh veggies and poly peptide. Combined with our dearest for Italian food, this tasty lasagna is i of the nutritious results.—Jennifer Yaden, Richmond, Kentucky

Sassy Salsa Meat Loaves

Here's a twist on classic meat loaf. You tin brand these loaves ahead, and they'll terminal for a few days. Brand meat loaf sandwiches with the leftovers, buns and a little Monterey Jack cheese. —Tasha Tully, Owings Mills, Maryland

Beefy French Onion Potpie

I came upwards with this dish knowing my husband loves French onion soup. It's a adept base for this hearty, meaty potpie. — Sara Hutchens, Du Quoin, Illinois

Double-Crust Pizza Casserole

After my husband and I got married, this beige pizza solved the what'southward-for-dinner problem. As our family grew, I simply made bigger and bigger batches. It never disappoints!—Pat Crane, Pino Metropolis, New York

Saucy Skillet Lasagna

Thanks to no-melt noodles, this skillet lasagna makes a fresh, filling, flavorful and fast entree for any Italian meal. —Meghan Crihfield, Ripley, Due west Virginia

Taco Stew

The ingredients are simple, but together they make this awesome stew. If you want to a piddling added crunch, beat out a few tortilla chips on pinnacle of each bowl. —Suzanne Francis, Marysville, Washington

Frito Pie

Frito pie is legendary in the Southwest for being spicy, salty and cheesy fabled. Hither'southward my easy accept on this crunchy classic. —Jan Moon, Alamogordo, New United mexican states

Vegetable Beef Goulash

This piece of cake i-dish recipe has been a family favorite ever since my husband'south aunt handed it down to me 35 years ago. Endeavour calculation whatever vegetables you take on hand. A simple salad goes nicely with this dish. —Evangeline Rew, Manassas, Virginia

Slow-Cooked Enchilada Casserole

Tortilla chips and a side salad plough this savory casserole into a fun and festive meal with very little effort. —Denise Waller, Omaha, Nebraska

Upside-Down Meat Pie

This recipe, which my sister gave me more than 30 years agone, is perfect whenever friends drop past. It mixes upwardly in a jiffy, yet it's substantial and satisfying. —Cora Dowling, Toledo, Ohio

Cheeseburger Skillet Dinner

This skillet dinner is doubly quick. The leftovers-if there are whatever-tin can exist reheated to brand a second repast equally tasty equally the kickoff. —Karen Grimes, Stephens Urban center, Virginia

Chili Beef Cornbread Casserole

This recipe is my potluck standby. And when I hear that someone may need a comforting habitation-cooked meal, I bring them this goulash. —Lorraine Espenhain, Corpus Christi, Texas

If you similar this casserole, you'll dear this beef chili recipe!

[rms_recipe id=15037 slide_no=24 ]

[rms_recipe id=12244 slide_no=25 ]

[rms_recipe id=13584 slide_no=27 ]

[rms_recipe id=79284 slide_no=28 ]

[rms_recipe id=18167 slide_no=29 ]

[rms_recipe id=18254 slide_no=30 ]

[rms_recipe id=39416 slide_no=31 ]

[rms_recipe id=40568 slide_no=32 ]

[rms_recipe id=36333 slide_no=33 ]

[rms_recipe id=31029 slide_no=34 ]

[rms_recipe id=4166 slide_no=37 ]

[rms_recipe id=16478 slide_no=38 ]

[rms_recipe id=49479 slide_no=39 ]

[rms_recipe id=162004 slide_no=40 ]

[rms_recipe id=19801 slide_no=42 ]

[rms_recipe id=13685 slide_no=43 ]

[rms_recipe id=34412 slide_no=44 ]

[rms_recipe id=149306 slide_no=46 ]

[rms_recipe id=20932 slide_no=47 ]

[rms_recipe id=10550 slide_no=48 ]

[rms_recipe id=40731 slide_no=49 ]

[rms_recipe id=144129 slide_no=50 ]

[rms_recipe id=15634 slide_no=51 ]

[rms_recipe id=192468 slide_no=53 ]

[rms_recipe id=151395 slide_no=54 ]

[rms_recipe id=137693 slide_no=57 ]

[rms_recipe id=40353 slide_no=58 ]

[rms_recipe id=48810 slide_no=59 ]

[rms_recipe id=165379 slide_no=sixty ]

[rms_recipe id="156809" title="Mexican Tater-Topped Casserole" cta_text="Go to Recipe" image="https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Mexican-Murphy-Topped-Casserole_exps156809_SD2401787A04_18_2bC_RMS-2.jpg" image_alt_text="Mexican Murphy-Topped Casserole Recipe photograph by Taste of Dwelling house" link="https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/mexican-spud-topped-casserole/" slide_no="61"]Tater Tots, cheese and a mouthwatering basis beef mixture: What's not to dear in this delicious casserole ane tester called "the ultimate comfort food"? —Simple & Delicious Test Kitchen

Curried Beef Pitas with Cucumber Sauce

A good friend gave me this recipe when I commencement got married. I was a flake apprehensive to try it since the ingredients weren't that familiar to me, but, years later, it's at present ane of our family favorites. —Shannon Koene, Blacksburg, Virginia

Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet

This is the ultimate uncomplicated and fulfilling dinner that uses items I typically accept in my closet. It's then like shooting fish in a barrel to fix and cooking all in one skillet makes it a snap for clean upwardly. —Juli Meyers, Hinesville, Georgia

Beef & Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

This recipe is special to me because it's an like shooting fish in a barrel ane-pot meal that tastes similar y'all spent the whole day in the kitchen. My family loves it. —Lynn Bowen, Geraldine, Alabama

jeffriestescomirce.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-to-brown-ground-beef/#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%20seasoning,prevents%20it%20from%20browning%20properly.

Share this post