Freezer Burnt Beef - Now What?

March 09, 2025

We've all found a piece of meat in the freezer where the seal has popped, it happens. No matter how great the packaging is or how careful we are, when things get shuffled around, packaging becomes damaged.

So, what now?

First, what is freezer burn? Freezer burn is a term used to describe when frozen food becomes dehydrated due to air exposure in the freezer. What happens is the packaging becomes loose from the frozen meat and the air is able to touch the beef, causing it to dry, affecting texture/appearance and form ice crystals on the surface. This **can change the taste and quality of the beef.

**key word, can, not always - remember that.

We have found the most common cuts of beef where freezer burn can occur is roasts, ribs, briskets, basically any large cut of beef or any bone-in cut. These cuts seem to be more prone to freezer burn due to their size and having a bone against the packaging.

What to do if you see a seal has popped?

I am going to be honest, if I see a seal has recently popped on a cut of beef, I either get it out to cook it right away or make sure I set it on top to cook as soon as possible. If the seal just popped, there are no ice crystals present, and the beef does not appear to be dry/drying, I know I have a little time. Disclaimer, our beef is in a large chest freezer which is the best way to store frozen beef - better than a freezer attached to the refrigerator.

If you find a cut of beef where the seal has recently popped BUT you are not wanting to cook it any time soon, you need to reseal it. The best option would be to vacuum seal it. If you do not have a vacuum sealer, I would suggest utilizing one of the following methods:

Freezer Paper: Wrap beef in freezer paper and place inside aluminum/freezer bag.
Aluminum Foil: Wrap beef in several layers of aluminum foil and place inside freezer bag/freezer paper. .
Freezer Bags: Place beef in bag, use the water displacement method to seal properly. Double bagging is recommended.
- Water displacement method is when you place the beef in a freezer bag, then place the beef in a large bowl of water to help you push all the air out of bag. Be careful to not let any water enter into the bag.

No matter what method you utilize, it is important to remove from the original packaging prior to resealing.

What to do if the meat appears freezer burnt?

If the seal has popped, air has entered into the bag and maybe some ice crystals, look at the meat itself. If does not appear to be dried, your beef is fine. The steak below had the seal popped for a while. I was monitoring it and once these crystals formed and it was just about to start having the meat dry out, I took it out to grill. This steak was still amazing - the quality was not affected.

If you missed a package of beef where the seal popped and see that there is some dryness that occurred, you still may be able to utilize it. Take the beef out of the freezer and trim back the dry pieces of beef prior to cooking. We recently had a roast that this happened too and it cooked it in the crockpot. No freezer burnt taste was detected!

The variation in severity, in my opinion, occurs in the type of freezer your beef is stored and how long has it been in this state. This is where you may be "gambling" with the beef and if it tastes freezer burnt.

In my personal experience, I feel as though many are quick to throw food out and in reality, it just made need a little extra attention.

I hope this helps!

-Michaela