How to Brown Beef on the Stove
How to Cook and Dark-brown Ground Beef the Best Manner
Get perfectly browned meat for tacos, chili, and more.
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Browning ground beef is a skill every domicile melt needs in their tool kit. And while it might seem fairly intuitive, there's a lot that can go wrong without proper technique.
Ever wonder why your basis beef turned out more than gray than brown? Proceed reading to learn how to get perfectly browned ground beef using a skillet. Plus, refer to our troubleshooting guide for all your footing beef questions.
How to Buy Ground Beef
Cooking the best ground beef starts with choosing the correct meat at your supermarket. Basis beef only lasts nigh ii days in the refrigerator, which means y'all'll want to choose the freshest meat possible, and utilise it as before long equally you tin can. That is, unless you plan to freeze information technology (more on that to come).
Fresh ground beef should be bright red in color. You should as well refer to the sell-by date on each package. Choosing the meat that has a sell-by appointment furthest from today'due south engagement volition ensure your ground beefiness won't go bad on you too soon.
You'll also desire to consider fat content. The higher the fatty content, the more than flavorful and juicy the meat. Nigh ground beef you find at the supermarket has a beef to fat ratio of 85/15. This is a good choice for nigh culinary purposes. All the same, if you're wanting the juiciest burgers possible, y'all tin opt for a higher fat content similar 70/thirty or eighty/20.
Lean or actress-lean ground beefiness on the other paw is best for taco meat, since it won't shrink upward when cooked quite as much as beefiness that is higher in fat. Really, information technology comes down to personal preference and how you intend to employ it.
How to Cook and Brown Ground Beef
The skillet method is the tried and true way to brown footing beef. Here we'll intermission downward the best way to cook ground beefiness using a skillet.
Credit: Marty Baldwin/Meredith
Here's What You'll Need:
- A large, stainless steel or cast iron skillet
- A spatula, sauté paddle, or wooden spoon
- 1 ½ lb fresh or thawed ground beef
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Other spices (optional)
Instructions:
- Allow your meat to sit down at room temperature for about xv minutes.
- Oestrus the oil in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. If you're using a nonstick pan you don't accept to use oil (unless yous're using extra-lean footing beef). Bandage iron and stainless steel are the best choice for getting that cute, brown sear.
- Once the pan is hot, add together the meat, and use a spatula to break it upwardly into pieces.
- Permit the meat brown without touching for virtually five minutes. This gives the meat more than contact with the pan, and thus, a better sear.
- Sprinkle table salt and any other spices (like taco seasoning). Go along to permit the meat brown, stirring once after every minute, until all the moisture has evaporated.
- Make sure there are no signs of pink, and pause up any larger pieces. Yous've done information technology! Now information technology'due south fourth dimension to drain the fat. (More on that below.)
How to Drain Fatty from Cooked Ground Beefiness
Fatty is an inevitable by-product of cooking ground beef. One time your ground beef is completely browned, your next stride is to carefully split up the fat from the meat. Hither'due south how:
- Tilt the pan to one side so that the liquid is on one side and the meat is on the other. Watch out for whatever splatters of hot fat.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the ground beefiness and place it on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Allow the remaining fat to sit in the skillet until completely cooled. Discard it in the garbage. Never dump it downwards the drain! Whether solid or liquid, fat will clog up your bleed and lead to a time to come plumbing headache.
Ground Beef Troubleshooting Guide: 3 Common Mistakes To Avoid
1. Y'all put common cold meat in a hot pan.
Pulling basis beef straight from the refrigerator and placing it in a hot pan is going to cause the meat to release those juices immediately. For all-time results, allow your meat to sit at room temperature for about fifteen minutes before cooking. But never exit ground beef out at room temperature for more than ii hours.
two. Y'all overcrowded the pan.
If you desire to achieve that crisp, brown crust, overcrowding the pan is simply going to work against you. Because the meat doesn't have enough contact with the pan, it'southward non going to sear — information technology'due south going to steam. The result? Wet and grayness ground beef. No thanks.
If yous're cooking a big amount of ground beef, either cook it in batches or make sure yous have a skillet that's large plenty to conform information technology.
3. You use a nonstick pan.
Okay, you can use a nonstick pan to chocolate-brown basis beef if that's what yous prefer. It's certainly user-friendly. But for truly the best sear, you'll want to go with cast iron or stainless steel. The reason is nonstick pans merely don't retain heat as well. And not all nonstick pans can handle the high heat that'southward required for browning meat. To forbid the meat from sticking in stainless steel or cast fe pans, simply use a little oil and make certain your cast fe is well seasoned.
How to Store Ground Beefiness
Raw ground beefiness can exist stored in the fridge for upwards to two days or in the freezer for upward to three months. To freeze, wrap the package tightly in freezer wrap or transfer to a freezer-safe pocketbook and characterization with the date.
Cooked ground beef, like many other leftovers, will last iii to four days in the refrigerator, or three to iv months in the freezer. Keep it stored in an airtight container or freezer bag.
5 Succulent Footing Beef Recipes That Aren't Burgers, Tacos, or Meatballs
- Piece of cake Korean Ground Beefiness Bowl: Ground beef is flavored with garlic, fresh ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, brownish sugar, red pepper, and green onions to brand a quick and easy dish that'southward prepare to serve over rice in about 25 minutes.
- Beef and Bean Chimichangas: Shake up Taco Tuesday with chimichangas! Ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and corn go spiced up with taco sauce, chili pulverisation, garlic salt, and cumin, then rolled into tortillas spread with a layer of refried beans. To crisp them upwardly, brush with butter and bake in the oven.
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup: Everything you love about lasagna, but in soup class. Cooking this comforting soup in your Instant Pot slashes the fourth dimension down to most 45 minutes from starting time to stop.
- Kibbee Lebanese Fashion: This Middle Eastern recipe calls for ground lamb, simply you tin can substitute ground beefiness if yous like. Ground meat is combined with bulgur, onion, and fragrant spices, and layered with pine nuts in a baking dish. Scoring the ground meat mixture into a diamond blueprint before baking gives it centre appeal and makes it easier to cut and serve.
- Blimp Peppers: Whole bell peppers are hollowed out and blimp with a mixture of ground beef, rice, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, common salt, and pepper earlier baking under a blanket of more than sauce.
Related:
- xx Footing Beef Dinners for Beginner Cooks
- 15 Budget-Friendly Basis Beef Recipes
- Scan our entire collection of Ground Beef Recipes.
Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-cook-ground-beef/