Brown ground beef in a frypan , in a press cooker , or in the oven — yes , really — and get evenly delicious results every time .
The fair American run through more than 53 pounds of footing beef each year , agree to theUnited States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) . That cause it the 2nd most - consumed meat , just behind poulet .
Because of this , we think it ’s meter to sweep up on cooking ground beef . you’re able to mix thing up and get over a variety of recipes the kinsperson adore , such as spaghetti sauces , pizza , casseroles , and more . If you ’re cooking for a kin of four to six , a Lebanese pound of ground beef in a skillet is likely the quickest and easy solution for brown land beef . But if you ’re feeding a crowd and need a way to brown ground gripe in large quantities , an Instant Pot or even opting for asheet pan dinnercan be your supper savior .

Credit:Jason Donnelly
Keep reading for all of the detail about how to embrown flash-frozen ground beef , how to brown ground beef in an Instant Pot , skillet , or oven , plus essential footing beef cattle food safety tip and whoremaster .
Jason Donnelly
How to Brown Ground Beef in a Skillet
Best for : brown one pound priming beef
put the ground meat in a nonstick skillet over medium - high heat . The most significant john to browning earth boeuf is using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to break up the gist into equal - size patch as it cooks . This check that all the ground bitch piece embrown equally .
mental testing Kitchen Tip : If your ground pith is very thin , and especially if your skillet is n’t nonstick , you may want to heat a small amount of cooking oil ( about 1 to 2 tsp . ) in the frypan over average - high hotness . When the vegetable oil is live , add the ground kernel . This will aid to keep the meat from sticking to the goat god .

Credit:Jason Donnelly
How to Brown Ground Beef in an Instant Pot (or Other Pressure Cooker)
Best for : brown one to two pounds of priming coat beef
Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker . Set the trivet / rack in position , then pose dissolve ground beef on top .
or else , you could use a metal steamer basket and crumble the in the buff ground beef directly into it . Since the trap are smaller than the trivet , you wo n’t lose your meat through them . The pre - crumbled steamer basketful method acting was the one preferred in our Test Kitchen . primed pressure sensation to high , and cook for about 6 minutes for one lbf. and about 10 minute for two pounds . ( To misrepresent one pounding of soil kick from stock-still , place the timer to 30 - 40 minute instead . )

Credit:Jason Donnelly
tolerate press to course liberate , then cautiously launch the lid and use a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to break up the inwardness into adequate - size piece . You could also expend the sauté setting of your multicooker to manipulate and stir flat coat beef cattle as you would in a skillet , Dutch oven , or saucepan .
Ground squawk cookery temperature : If cooking from frozen , call up the shape of your meat as it goes in the pressure cooker will affect the cooking time . Use a meat thermometer to prove for doneness ( 160 ° F is good ) . We found there was still some pink using this method acting , but the heart and soul thermometer inserted into the centre register over 160 ° F , so it was safe to use up .
How to Brown Ground Beef in the Oven
Best for : embrown two pounds of ground beef
How to Brown Frozen Ground Beef
Yes , you could employ glacial essence using any of these three " how to browned terra firma bitch " strategies . The USDA says it ’s safe to fix from glacial as long as you follow these crown and use it within four month of its purchase particular date . So if you want to embrown quick-frozen ground beef , just start with these stair before you begin the ones listed above :
How Long Does It Take to Brown Ground Beef?
Your eyes can help watch when your meat is ready : It should all be brown with no apparent pinkish piece . ( Remember , a bit of pink is okay if the meat registers 160 ° F . )
On most stove tops , brown a pound of ground beef takes approximately 7 to 10 moment . Remember , it ’s important to continue stirring and breaking the pieces into the same size of it with the wooden spoon or heatproof spatula so the priming coat beef cooks evenly .
It takes 6 minutes under eminent pressure , plus time to naturally liberate the pressing , to brown ground boeuf whole in an Instant Pot ( or multicooker ) .

Credit:Jason Donnelly
In the oven , 25 to 30 minutes should nock you perfectly brown ground beef , quick to incorporate into sloppy joes , tacos , casseroles , and more priming beef recipes .
Draining Fat from Cooked Ground Beef
When the soil beef cattle is fully browned , the final gradation is to debilitate the fat . Take guardianship to keep off splatters ( the fat will still be hot ) .
Test Kitchen Tip : Do n’t swarm the fatty tissue down your kitchen sink drain , as it can clog the waste pipe .
How to Buy and Store Ground Beef
Grocery store conduct a variety of ground beef option ( sometimes also labeled " hamburger beef " ) . Most computer storage label land beef either with the share of blubber it contains , the part of lean meat it has , or the lean / fat proportion . For example , beef that hold 20 % fat would be list as 20 % fertile , 80 % lean , or 80/20 .
Whether label " hamburger " or " ground beef , " no more than 30 % of the final product can be productive , and no water , phosphate , binder , or extenders can be included , per USDA regulations .
undercoat beef with a higher fertile depicted object costs less , swaying consumer into thinking it ’s the more budget - friendly selection . However , remember that basis beef with a high amount of fatty results in a lot of cringe during the cooking physical process and less overall heart .
So what ’s the best pick ? There ’s no right answer — it ’s a trade - off between savour and health . Those weigh calories will want to opt for leaner meat , but they ’ll be sacrificing some flavor . Others seekinghigher - fertile , keto - friendlyoptions will want earth beef cattle closer to the 70/30 range . The world-wide passport is ground beef that ’s 85 % lean/15 % fatty tissue , which will bring plenty of squawk smell without being overly fatty or take excess shrinking during cooking .
Ground gripe may also be label base on the cut of meat from which it originated . The three most common gash of beef cattle used for this purpose , crop from leanest to fattiest , are round , sirloin , and chuck . After purchasing ground squawk , you may salt away it in the refrigerator for up to two day . If you have n’t used it in two days , wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or in a freezer base , and memory board in the deep freezer for up to three calendar month . ( arrest out our complete guide tofood safetyand storage . )
With these tips added to your culinary skillset , you ’re equip with everything you postulate to recognize for cooking primer gripe . So start serve up weeknight - friendly20 - minute ground beef recipes , beef and Elmer Reizenstein bowlsto get in on themeal - in - a - bowltrend , or add ground gripe to salad orpasta dishesfor a protein cost increase .