The precise answer to the question “How long does cooked ground beef last?” depends to a large extent on storage conditions — refrigerate ground beef / hamburger within two hours of cooking.
To maximize the shelf life of cooked ground beef, refrigerate the cooked meat in shallow airtight containers or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
To further extend the shelf life of cooked ground beef, freeze it; freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer wrap.
How long does cooked ground beef last in the freezer for safety purposes? The freezer time shown is for best quality only — ground beef / hamburger kept constantly frozen at 0° F will keep safe indefinitely.
How long does cooked ground beef last at room temperature? Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F; cooked ground beef / hamburger should be discarded if left for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
How to tell if cooked ground beef is bad? The best way is to smell and look at the ground beef: discard any ground beef/hamburger with an off smell or appearance, do not taste the ground beef first.
Sources: For details about data sources used for food storage information, please