Can You Freeze Meat Twice?

“Whole meat (steaks, chops, large cuts) can be frozen four to 12 months and maintain the same quality,” Sims says, because it has a relatively high water content and will retain its texture and moisture for longer in the freezer.

When raw, meat contains more moisture, which helps it stay in better shape when frozen. Cooking from frozen generally takes at least one and a half times longer than thawed meat. If you buy frozen meat from a store and your journey home takes longer than two hours, it may not be suitable to freeze the meat again.

You can freeze meat twice, provided you follow some simple but important rules about handling frozen food. Double the Danger Zone Freezing meat poses no safety risk in itself. However, as soon as you remove a piece of meat from the freezer it enters the “danger zone.” This is a temperature range between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can refreeze cooked meat and fish once, as long as they have been cooled before going into the freezer. If in doubt, do not refreeze. Frozen raw foods can be defrosted once and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before they need to be cooked or thrown away.

Can you refreeze meat after thawing?

According to the USDA, meat should be thawed in the refrigerator and never at room temperature. If you didn’t thaw your meat in the fridge, you should toss it and not refreeze it.

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.

If you froze ground beef and thawed if safely (in the refrigerator), then you can refreeze it. We do not recommend doing this more than once, as it will cause freezer burn and a loss of taste and texture when you cook the meat.