betty_reed61•17d agoProlific Poster

I used frozen ground beef straight from the freezer in a skillet and ended up with burnt outside raw inside mess

Thought I could save time by not thawing my ground beef for tacos last night. Put the frozen block right into a hot pan and the outside charred while the middle stayed ice cold. Took forever to break it apart and cook through. Anyone else ever make this mistake or have a trick for cooking frozen ground beef properly?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_anderson17d ago

Start by breaking the frozen block into smaller chunks with a knife before you put it in the pan. I know it sounds obvious, but a lot of people skip it. Drop the whole frozen block in a hot pan and you're basically asking for burnt edges and a raw center. You gotta smash it against the counter or use a heavy spoon to crack it apart while it's still mostly frozen. Once you have a few smaller pieces, turn the heat down to medium and add a little water or broth to the pan. That liquid helps cook the inside without scorching the outside, and then it'll evaporate. It takes a few more minutes, but you won't end up with a charred hockey puck situation.

ray_king17d ago

Man I did the exact same thing last month and my dog actually ate half of it before I could even get it off the pan. I was so mad I just stood there staring at the burnt mess for like five minutes. Anyway what worked for me was throwing the whole frozen block in a pot with a lid and like a quarter cup of water on low heat first. Let it sit covered for about 10 minutes and it thaws just enough that you can break it apart with a spoon without burning anything. Then you drain the water and finish it in the skillet. It's not quicker than thawing overnight but at least you don't end up with charcoal on the outside and meat slush in the middle.