Can you freeze cooked taco meat? You can use taco meat to add flavor and taste to different dishes. For example, the condiment can be eaten as an appetizer or used with rice, lettuce wraps, and taco potatoes. It is also rich in vitamins, healthy fats, proteins, and minerals. It is generally a good food for your brain and overall health.
Taco meat is made of browned ground beef. It also consists of ingredients like tomatoes, onions, ground turkey, lentils, and beans. Most people make a huge amount of taco meat that they cannot eat in a single sitting. Therefore, you must learn how to preserve taco meat for later use.
Can You Freeze Taco Meat?
It is possible to freeze taco meat for a long time. It can last for 2-3 months in a freezer provided you store it properly. The smell, taste, and quality of the meat start declining after that. It is still edible after 3 months but will not be of peak quality anymore.
The Best Kind of Taco Meat to Freeze
The main purpose of freezing taco meat is to preserve it for future consumption and prevent it from going bad. However, cold temperatures can have adverse effects on the flavor, taste, quality, and texture of the meat after a few months.
Generally, all kinds of taco or ground meats are ideal for freezing at regulated cold temperatures. However, they should not have been in any contact with moisture. You have to properly store taco meat as well because the fillers can considerably reduce its quality.
How to Freeze Taco Meat?
You can preserve taco meat and increase its lifespan by freezing it. To get the best results out of freezing, you must be very careful while storing frozen taco meat. Some of the factors you should consider for storage include using airtight Ziploc bags, a marker for labeling, and low temperature.
Here is how you should store your taco meat.
Portion the Meat
First of all, do not start packing your taco meat before it cools down completely. Divide your taco meat into smaller portions and servings before freezing them as well.
Portioning the meat offers a lot of benefits. For example, you can only take out the amount of meat you want to use instead of thawing the entire pack. Keep in mind that the meat loses its quality and taste due to frequent freezing and thawing.
Put the Portions in Ziploc Freezer Bags
Nothing is better than Ziploc freezer bags for storing taco meat. Remove all the air from the bags by pressing them flat before you store the meat in them. You need multiple bags to store all the portions you have made.
The lack of air helps you maintain the quality, small, and savory taste of the taco meat. It reduces or prevents freezer burns as well.
Freeze the Taco Meat
Taco meat will only keep the best quality in a freezer if you store it at a regulated cold temperature. Similarly, ensure that air and moisture cannot find their way into the bags before putting them in the freezer. Constantly maintain the temperature below 0°F as well.
Another thing to do is to label the Ziploc bags. It will help you know the weight of each bag as well its date of freezing and contents.
The temperature of the freezer fluctuates near its door. Therefore, it is not the best place to store taco meat. You must always put it in the back of the freezer at a constant temperature. It is also easy to defrost taco meat frozen at a regulated temperature. Similarly, it has fewer chances of going bad or getting freezer burns.
How to Defrost Frozen Taco Meat?
You have to defrost frozen taco meat before you can consume it. You don’t need special knowledge to defrost taco meat. It is also quite easy and requires only simple instruments as well.
Some of the best methods to thaw taco meat are as below.
Thaw in Refrigerator Overnight
The best method to defrost taco meat is to put it in the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. It also helps taco meat maintains its true taste and quality because of the regulated temperature in the refrigerator.
Put the Meat in the Cold Water
Sometimes, you don’t have enough time to wait for the meat to thaw overnight. For example, you have to entertain unexpected guests or make the school lunch for your children in a hurry. In this case, the best thing to do is to put frozen taco meat in a bowl of cold water. It will defrost the meat within minutes.
Defrost in a Microwave
The quickest method to defrost frozen taco meat is heating it in a microwave or on a stovetop. Put the taco meat in a microwave-friendly container and let it heat for 2-3 minutes and you are good to go. It takes about 10 minutes to heat taco meat on a stovetop.
How to Reheat Taco Meat?
Sometimes, you defrost a portion of taco meat and still could not consume it all. So, what to do with leftover meat from the previous dinner? You can reheat the taco meat but sometimes, reheating results in the drying of the meat. However, you need not worry because the following are some great tips to reheat taco meat without drying.
Never Overheat the Meat
Taco meat or any meat can dry out if you heat it at a very high temperature. Meat loses its mixture at high temperatures and therefore, you should only use low or medium heat to reheat the taco meat.
Stir Frequently
Stirring the taco meat frequently in the pan will also prevent it from drying out. It equally distributes heat throughout the container or pan keeping hot spots at bay. As a result, the moisture fails to escape.
Cover the Pan
Reheating taco meat in a skillet requires you to cover it with a lid. The moisture cannot escape because of the lid and the meat will never dry out.
Add some Broth
If you think taco meat is drying out despite your best efforts, add some chicken or beef broth immediately. The broth will keep the meat moist by rehydrating it. Similarly, you can also add some seasonings if necessary.
Cover with a Damp Paper Towel
Microwaving taco meat can also extract a lot of its moisture. What you can do is use a damp paper towel to cover the meat. It will trap moisture besides hydrating the meat itself. However, the towel can lose its moisture because of the heat. The easy solution is to put a bowl of water next to taco meat. It will enable the towel to absorb as much moisture as needed.
Let the Meat Cool Down
Let the meat cool down for a few minutes after you have removed it from the microwave or the stovetop. It will result in juicier and tastier meat because the moisture has enough time to redistribute.
How Many Times Can You Reheat Taco Meat?
You can reheat taco meat as many times as you want. However, it is better to reheat it only once or twice. Frequent heating and reheating can make the meat lose most of its taste, texture, and smell.
How to Tell if Taco Meat is Bad?
The taco meat will eventually go bad even if you have stored it in a freezer. The easiest way to learn if it has gone bad or not is to touch and smell it. Bad taco meat will have a rancid smell besides a strange appearance and slimy texture.
The taco meat has also spoiled if its color has changed to gray or brown. The development of mold is also a telltale sign of bad meat. You should throw your meat out if you see any or all of these signs.
Also Read: Can You Microwave A Red Solo Cup?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze taco shells?
Yes, you can freeze taco shells for up to 6-8 months provided you have stored them properly in an airtight container. They will go bad much earlier in case of improper storage.
What is the best way to freeze taco meat?
You should let the taco meat cool down before freezing it. Also, divide it into smaller portions and put them into Ziploc freezer bags. Don’t forget to remove all the moisture and air from the bags. Similarly, always label the bag mentioning its weight and date of freezing. Put the bags in the back of the freezer at a regulated cold temperature.
Can I refreeze cooked taco meat?
You can refreeze cooked taco meat. However, let the meat cool down and subsequently, place it in an airtight container such as a Ziploc freezer bag. Try to eat the meat within 2-3 months if you want to enjoy its best taste and quality.
How long can you keep cooked taco meat in the freezer?
The cooked taco meat will last for 3-4 days in a refrigerator if stored properly. However, it will not go bad in a freezer for 4-6 months.
Final Thoughts
So, can you freeze cooked taco meat? You can always freeze cooked taco meat. However, keep all the instructions and tips we have provided in this article in mind while freezing taco meat. It will help the meat last longer in the freezer while maintaining its peak quality, texture, and taste.