Raw ground beef (mince) keeps 1 to 2 days in the fridge at or below 4C (40F). Cooked ground beef lasts 3 to 4 days. Once you are past those windows, or if it smells sour or feels slimy, throw it out. When in doubt, throw it out.
You are standing at the fridge with a pack of ground beef in your hand, wondering if it is still alright to cook. Here is the straight answer. Raw ground beef, what we call mince over here, only keeps for a day or two once it is chilled. Cooked, you get a little longer. Below you will find the exact times, how to tell if it has turned, and how to buy yourself months by freezing it. This is food safety, so the numbers here are the authoritative USDA and UK FSA figures, not guesses.
| Type | Fridge (4C / 40F) | Freezer (-18C / 0F, quality) |
|---|---|---|
| Raw ground beef / mince | 1 to 2 days | 3 to 4 months |
| Cooked ground beef / mince | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months |
| Ground beef thawed in the fridge (raw) | 1 to 2 days | Safe to refreeze (quality drops) |
| Ground beef thawed on the counter | Cook now, do not store | Never refreeze |
How long does raw ground beef last in the fridge?
Raw ground beef (mince) lasts 1 to 2 days in the fridge, kept at or below 4C (40F). That is shorter than a whole steak or a roast, and there is a good reason for it. When beef is ground, the surface that was on the outside gets mixed all through the meat, so any bacteria that were on the surface are now spread throughout. More surface area, more places for bacteria to grow. So do not treat mince like a steak. Buy it close to when you plan to cook it, keep it on the bottom shelf so it cannot drip on anything, and use it within two days. If the sell-by or use-by date on the pack comes first, follow the date.
How long does cooked ground beef (mince) last in the fridge?
Once you have cooked it, ground beef keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge at or below 4C (40F). That covers your bolognese, your chili, your sloppy joes, your batch of taco mince. Cool it down quickly, get it into a covered container, and into the fridge within two hours of cooking. When you come to eat it again, reheat it until it is piping hot all the way through, not just warm. This 3-to-4-day window is the same whether the beef started as mince, meatballs, or a meatloaf. After four days, it goes in the bin.
How to tell if ground beef has gone bad
Trust your nose and your fingers. Fresh mince smells clean and faintly metallic. Spoiled mince smells sour, sharp, or a bit like ammonia, and that smell is your cue to bin it. Slime is the other clear sign: if the surface feels tacky or slippery, it is off. Colour is the one that fools people. Ground beef that is bright red on the outside but greyish-brown in the middle is almost always fine. That grey is just the inside meat that has not met the oxygen in the air yet, not spoilage. Colour alone is not a reliable test either way. Here is the important part: some of the bugs that make you ill, and the toxins they leave behind, are completely invisible and odourless. A pack that smells fine can still make you sick if it is past its window. So do not rely on smell to rescue meat that is a day or two too old. When in doubt, throw it out.
Freezing ground beef: how long it keeps
The freezer is your friend here. Frozen at or below -18C (0F), ground beef stays safe indefinitely, but for best quality use it within 3 to 4 months before the texture and flavour start to suffer. Cooked ground beef freezes well too, roughly 2 to 6 months for quality. Freeze it while it is fresh, not on its last day, and it will thaw better. Wrap it tightly or press it flat in a freezer bag with the air squeezed out, which also lets it thaw faster. One thing to remember: freezing stops bacteria but it does not kill them. The clock simply pauses. When you thaw the meat, the countdown starts again where it left off, so thawed mince still needs cooking within a day or two.
Thawing and the 2-hour rule
Always thaw ground beef in the fridge, never on the counter. The kitchen worktop lets the outside of the meat sit in the danger zone, 4 to 60C (40 to 140F), where bacteria multiply fast, while the middle is still frozen. Fridge-thawed mince is safe to refreeze if you change your mind, though you lose a little quality each time. Mince thawed on the counter should never be refrozen. And whether raw or cooked, do not leave ground beef out of the fridge for more than 2 hours total, or just 1 hour if the room is above 32C (90F). Past that, the safe move is to throw it out rather than chance it.
Questions we get asked
Is ground beef still good after 3 days in the fridge?
Raw ground beef is not. It only keeps 1 to 2 days in the fridge, so by day three raw mince should be thrown out. Cooked ground beef is a different story, it lasts 3 to 4 days, so cooked mince on day three is fine if it was cooled and stored properly and still smells clean.
Can you eat ground beef that has turned grey or brown inside?
Usually yes. Ground beef that is red on the outside and greyish-brown in the middle is just meat that has not been exposed to oxygen. That colour change on its own is not spoilage. Check the smell and feel instead: sour or ammonia smell, or a slimy surface, means bin it. And it still has to be within the 1-to-2-day raw window.
How long does cooked ground beef last in the fridge?
Cooked ground beef (mince) lasts 3 to 4 days in the fridge at or below 4C (40F). Cool it and refrigerate within two hours of cooking, keep it covered, and reheat until piping hot. After four days, throw it out.
How long can raw ground beef sit out on the counter?
No more than 2 hours, and only 1 hour if the room is warmer than 32C (90F). Between 4 and 60C (40 to 140F) is the danger zone where bacteria multiply fast. If mince has been out longer than that, throw it out rather than risk it, even if it looks fine.
Can I refreeze ground beef I have thawed?
If you thawed it in the fridge, yes, refreezing raw ground beef is safe, though it will lose a little quality. If you thawed it on the counter or in water, do not refreeze it, cook it first or throw it out. Freezing pauses bacteria but does not kill them, so the clock resumes as soon as it thaws.
Does ground beef last longer in its sealed supermarket pack?
Not meaningfully. Raw ground beef is still a 1-to-2-day job in the fridge whether the pack is opened or sealed. Always follow the use-by date on the packet if it falls sooner, and freeze it if you are not going to cook it in time.