Q: How many recipes start by saying “brown the ground beef”? A: A lot!
Q: What does that mean? A: See below!
browning ground beef properly so that it really browns and falls apart into crumbles is very easy. All you really need is a pan, a spoon, the right sized pan, and the right level of heat.
Browning beef is very simple and if just takes about 5 minutes for a pound of ground beef. If your pan is nonstick, you’re all set; if not you may want to give a spray of nonstick cooking spray.
How to Brown Ground Beef on the Stove
Heat a large skillet or pan over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add the beef. Season with salt and pepper. If you are preparing ground beef for a recipe, the recipe may direct you to add other seasonings, or other ingredients, like onions or garlic.
Stir the beef periodically, breaking up the meat into crumbles. Don’t stir it constantly; you want to give the meat a bit of time to sit in contact with the hot pan so that it browns. Keep stirring until it is all browned and crumbly.
How to Brown Ground Beef on the Stove (with a Video!): For all those recipes that start by telling you to:’brown the beef on the stove’, here’s how to do it!
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Carefully drain the fat in a colander. Proceed with your recipe! There are all kind of ways to use ground beef, in recipes from quesadillas to enchiladas.
Tips for Browning Beef
Don’t crowd the pan. Make sure the meat is no more than 1/2 inch thick across the bottom of the pan, or it will steam instead of browning evenly
Start with a hot pan, and keep the heat medium high. Too low, and the beef will steam. To high and it will start to becomes quite brown in spots and toughen before the rest of the meat cooks.
Take breaks when stirring; allow the meat a bit of time to sit in contact with the hot pan so that it browns.
Browning Ground Chicken and Turkey and Pork
The method is much the same, though you will surely want to give the pan a very good spray of nonstick cooking spray. It’s best to heat up a tablespoon of oil in the hot pan before browning chicken and turkey, which are much leaner than beef. Pork is also usually leaner, and can benefit from a little oil in the pan to prevent sticking.
Freezing Browned Ground Beef
As long as the meat has not been previously frozen, you can freeze it once it’s cooked. Just allow it to cook in the pan or in a bowl and transfer it to a sturdy freezer-proof zipper-top plastic bag. Label the bag with the words browned ground beef, and the date, press out any excess air, and seal the bag. This can be frozen for about 4 months. Defrost in the fridge before using. If you are adding it to a big pot of something, like chili or pasta sauce, you can even add it frozen, and stir so that the crumbles break up into the chili or sauce.
And then you are on your way! Here are 10 Things To Make With Leftover Ground Beef.
