Eating freezer burned meat is a common concern for many home cooks. When meat has been stored in the freezer for an extended period, it can develop freezer burn, which causes dry, brown patches on the surface of the meat. While freezer burn impacts the quality and taste of meat, is it actually dangerous to eat? Here’s a closer look at whether or not freezer burned meat can make you sick.
What is freezer burn?
Freezer burn refers to the dry, brownish patches that can develop on frozen meat over time. It is caused by air reaching the surface of the meat and oxidizing the proteins. This oxidation causes the meat to take on a dry, frosted texture.
Freezer burn only impacts the surface layer of meat. It does not affect the condition of meat through the entire cut. So while the exterior may be dried out, the interior layers of meat can still be high quality if frozen properly.
Is it safe to eat freezer burned meat?
From a food safety standpoint, it is generally safe to eat meat with freezer burn. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms that freezer burned meat poses no health risks if handled properly. Freezer burn simply dries the meat out but does not make it unsafe.
As long as the meat was stored frozen at 0°F and there are no signs of bacterial growth like mold, foul odors, or slime, you can safely eat freezer burned meat. The quality may be lower but it is not dangerous.
Should you eat heavily freezer burned meat?
While meat with light freezer burn is safe to eat, heavily burned cuts should be avoided. Heavily burned sections will taste quite dry and unpleasant. The texture may also become completely dried out and inedible.
If there are sections of meat that are badly burned with thick layers of hard, dehydrated meat, it’s best to cut those portions away. Trim off any hard, tasted burned sections before thawing and cooking the meat.
Can you make freezer burned meat taste better?
There are several tricks you can use to improve the flavor and moisture of freezer burned meat:
- Marinate it. Letting meat soak for a few hours or up to overnight in a marinade will allow the liquid to rehydrate dried out areas.
- Use a moist cooking method like stewing, braising or slow cooking. Low moist heat over several hours will make the meat tender again.
- Cut away badly burned sections so they don’t impact the taste as much.
- Use strongly flavored marinades and rubs to mask any off-flavors.
- If the meat is heavily burned, use it in recipes where it will be chopped or ground like chilies or casseroles.
How to prevent freezer burn
Properly packaging meat before freezing is the best way to prevent freezer burn in the first place. Here are some tips to keep meat in optimal condition in the freezer:
- Use air-tight freezer bags or vacuum seal packages. Remove as much air as possible.
- Wrap meat in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before placing in bags.
- Avoid overfilling packages which can lead to tears.
- Apply freezer tape over bags to seal out air.
- Freeze meat as quickly as possible to prevent large ice crystals from forming and damaging tissue.
- Avoid opening the freezer frequently. The more warm air enters, the faster freezer burn develops.
- Use frozen meat within recommended time frames. Ground meat should be used within 3 months. Red meat lasts around 6-12 months.
What causes freezer burn?
Freezer burn is a result of air reaching the surface of frozen meat. As air makes contact with the meat tissues, it causes dehydration and oxidation, creating the characteristic dry, brownish patches.
Some of the main causes of excessive air exposure that leads to freezer burn include:
- Poor packaging – Using permeable materials like plastic grocery bags allows air to penetrate.
- Gaps in packaging – If bags aren’t tightly sealed, air can get in.
- Frequent freezer door opening – Each time the freezer is accessed, warm moist air is introduced which damages meat.
- Long frozen times – The longer meat is frozen, the more opportunities for air exposure over time.
- Improper freezing – Large ice crystals damage the structure of the meat, making it more permeable.
Freezer burn only affects the outer layer of meat that gets dehydrated, not the interior portions. That’s why you can safely eat cuts with light freezer burn by trimming away the damaged areas.
What does freezer burned meat look like?
You can identify freezer burned meat by looking for a few visual signs on the surface:
- Dry, shriveled texture – Dehydration causes meat to become dried out and tough on the exterior.
- Brown or gray patches – The oxidized areas appear discolored.
- Chalky, frosted layer – In severe cases, the meat develops a dry, crusty layer from freezer burn damage.
- Changes in color – In addition to brown or gray patches, red meats may turn more brown in burned sections.
The extent of the damage depends on factors like the length of frozen storage, number of times the freezer door was opened, and effectiveness of packaging. Light surface changes may impact flavor but not make the meat unsafe.
Does cooking freezer burned meat make it safe?
There are no safety issues inherent to meat that has developed freezer burn. The dry, brownish patches are purely a quality issue, not a food safety one. So, while cooking will impact the eating experience, it does not make the meat safer or more dangerous to consume.
Freezer burned meat never becomes “unsafe” from a bacterial standpoint. The concern is just that the taste and texture is compromised the more it dries out. Cooking damaged meat does not mitigate any risks since it was always safe to eat even when raw if properly frozen.
What types of meat get freezer burn?
All types of meats are susceptible to freezer burn if not stored properly. However, there are a few factors that make some meats more likely to be affected:
- Ground meats – The processing exposes more surface area to air during freezing.
- Fatty meats – Higher fat content causes more oxidation. Fatty parts of steaks are often the most affected.
- Thin cuts – There is less meat to protect interior sections from air exposure.
- Frozen meats used often – The more the freezer is opened, the more burn develops over time.
While any meat left in the freezer too long can develop burn, ground meats like hamburger and sausages tend to be most vulnerable. Packages that get opened frequently also see more damage.
Does washing help freezer burned meat?
Washing meat will not improve the quality or taste of freezer burned sections. Since the issue is dehydration and oxidation, not bacterial contamination, washing will do little to “fix” damaged meat.
In fact, letting meat thaw enough to wash it will likely exacerbate the problem. More moisture will be lost as the ice crystals convert to water. And introducing additional warmth can increase oxidation as well.
The best way to improve the flavor and moisture content of freezer burned meat is through techniques like marinating, stewing, and using flavorful sauces and rubs when cooking.
Can you still freeze and re-freeze freezer burned meat?
Freezer burned meat can be safely refrozen as long as it was kept frozen consistently at 0°F without thawing. However, the quality will continue degrading with each additional freeze-thaw cycle.
Refreezing may be a good option if you thawed the meat but did not end up cooking it – for example, if your plans changed at the last minute. But the taste and texture will become progressively worse if refrozen and thawed multiple times.
Ideally, meat should only be frozen once before use. But from a safety standpoint, repeatedly freezing and defrosting is not hazardous if done properly. The quality will just steadily decline the more times it’s frozen.
Does cooking make freezer burned meat safer?
Cooking freezer burned meat does not inherently make it any safer. Meat with freezer burn is not considered unsafe to begin with provided it has been stored continuously frozen.
The only reason you may want to take extra precautions when cooking severely burned meat is if it also shows signs of potential bacterial spoilage like off odors, unnatural colors, or slime. Those issues would require cooking to a safe internal temperature.
But freezer burn alone does not contain pathogens or toxins that are neutralized by cooking. The cooking process will not eliminate freezer burn or make the degraded meat any higher quality.
Can you still use freezer burned meat in recipes?
Freezer burned meat is still usable in recipes, though the quality of the end result may be lower. Heavily damaged cuts with thick, dried out sections are best avoided. But meat with some minimal surface freezer burn can still be cooked.
Try trimming away badly burned portions to reduce the undesirable changes in taste and texture. Use strongly flavored marinades, spice rubs and sauces to mask any off-flavors.
Freezer burned meat works best in applications like:
- Chili, stews, and casseroles where it will be chopped or shredded
- Marinated and cooked slowly like in braises and pot roasts
- Cooked and chopped meat like for sandwiches or tacos
Avoid eating badly burned meat plain without any additional flavorings or sauces. The extent of trimming and creative use needed depends on the severity of the freezer damage.
Does cooking freezer burned meat remove the bad taste?
Cooking can reduce or mask some of the taste changes from freezer burn but it does not completely eliminate the degraded flavor. The oxidation causes irreversible changes to the meat tissues.
Short fast cooking methods like grilling, broiling or sautéing will likely accentuate the undesirable flavors. Long slow cooking, the use of marinades and bold spices can help mitigate the taste defects.
While the odd texture and flavor cannot be entirely removed, the right cooking techniques and flavor pairings can still make moderately freezer burned meat worth using.
Conclusion
Freezer burn on meat primarily affects quality and taste, not safety. As long as frozen meats are properly stored at stable freezing temperatures, freezer burn does not make them dangerous to eat. However, the oxidation can cause dryness and off-flavors.
Light freezer burn is easily trimmed away. Heavy burn may make the meat too unpalatable to eat plain. Marinating and slow moist cooking methods can improve flavor and moisture.
Preventing freezer burn in the first place with airtight packaging, limited freezer access, and controlling freeze times results in much better quality. But meat with some freezer burn can still be safely consumed if cooked properly and combined with sauces and seasonings.
