Freezing meat is something Ree Drummond loves to do (she lives way out on the ranch, after all!). Buying chicken, steak, or ground beef in bulk and freezing it can save you so much money, plus extra trips to the grocery store. But it has happened to the best of us: You thawed some steak you intended to use for a delicious steak dinner recipe, then you didnt get a chance to cook it and now youre wondering: Can you refreeze meat? Is it OK to just pop it back in the freezer for another time?
Just like freezing cheese, the answer is a little complicated and depends on a few factors. Keep reading to find out if you can refreeze meat and the best ways to do it. Also, a quick tip: Its a good idea to check your freezer temperature—it should be at 0˚ or below for safe freezing.
If it was treated safely – I.e following guidelines in terms of proper refrigeration and storage AND it was not left a long period before being refrozen, then it should be fine although possibly one might want to break up the meatballs and use in a Bolognese sauce instead of as meatballs.
Can you refreeze meat after thawing?
According to the USDA, meat should be thawed in the refrigerator and never at room temperature. If you didnt thaw your meat in the fridge, you should toss it and not refreeze it. If you did thaw it in the fridge, then you can refreeze the meat as long as it hasnt been sitting in the fridge for too long after it thawed (the longer the thawed meat sits, the longer bacteria has to form on it). If the meat has thawed and has been sitting in your fridge longer than 36 hours, we dont recommend refreezing it.
Why is it bad to freeze meat twice?
If the meat is raw, then follow the guidelines above. If the meat is already cooked, you will lose a lot of the texture and flavor if you thaw and refreeze it again, so we do not recommend refreezing cooked meat. You should also not freeze (or refreeze) any meats that have been sitting at room temperature for longer than 2 hours or at a 90˚ or higher for more than 1 hour.
How to Freeze Meatballs
FAQ
Is it safe to refreeze thawed meatballs?
Can you refreeze ground meat after thawing?
What foods Cannot be refrozen after thawing?
Why thawed meat should not be refrozen?
Can You refreeze thawed meatballs?
You can also refreeze meatballs that are previously thawed in the fridge for more than two days, as long as they are properly packaged and cooked before expiration date. The bottom line is that as long as the meatballs were thawed and stored properly, then they can be refrozen. Can you refreeze meatballs if they are not fully cooked?
Can You refreeze thawed meat that wasn’t cooked?
You might be surprised to learn that you can also refreeze thawed meat that wasn’t cooked. Confusion arises because unsafely thawing meat causes bacteria to multiply, thus increasing the bacterial content with the second thawing. You can refreeze uncooked meat again, as long as it is within 3 to 4 days of defrosting, notes the USDA.
Can You refreeze fried meatballs?
If the fried meatballs were previously frozen and then thawed in the fridge for more than two days, it can only be refrozen if they can be cooked before expiration date. The bottom line is that as long as the fried meatballs were correctly thawed, you can refreeze them without a problem.
Can cooked meatballs be refrozen?
If you have cooked meatballs that were previously frozen and then was thawed, it is safe to be refrozen. But of course, this will depend on how they were thawed. If left at room temperature for more than two hours, then refreezing them is not advisable.