Can You Freeze Marinated Beef?

4 minutes

Marinating beef before cooking it is a great way to ensure the resultant dish is tasty and tender. Whether you rustle up a delicious homemade BBQ recipe or marinate beef in a shop-bought sauce, you might be wondering how best to preserve it.

How to Freeze Marinated Beef

Freezing marinated beef isn’t any different from freezing normal beef. Obviously, the only difference is in the preparation, and you need to make sure you marinate it in advance, so the flavours can infuse with the meat.

Here’s what you need to do to marinate and freeze beef: 

1. Marinate
   Using a sauce or marinade of your choice, marinate your beef a couple of hours before you plan to freeze it. You can then cover it and place it in the fridge, as this will allow enough time for the delicious flavours to infuse into the meat. 
2. Wrap
   Next, place your piece of marinated beef on a sheet of foil and wrap it tightly, ensuring there are no rips or tears in the wrapping. You can slice it before this if you wish, but it’s entirely up to you. 
3. Bag Up
   Once wrapped, place the marinated beef in a suitably sized freezer-safe bag. Then, press out as much air as you can before tying the bag, as this will protect the meat from freezer burn. 
4. Label and Freeze
   Finally, write today’s date and the use-by date on the front of the bag and place it in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze marinated beef for around three months.

3 Tips for Freezing Marinated Beef

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing marinated beef to have the best results:

Refrigerate First
When you’re marinating beef, the key is to leave it in the fridge for several hours before freezing it. This will be sufficient time for the meat to take on the delicious flavours from the marinade, meaning it will taste delicious when you come to use it in the future. 

Thaw Before Cooking
Some people will be happy to cook frozen marinated beef immediately after removing it from the freezer, but it’s best to thaw it fully in the fridge before cooking it. Sometimes, if you don’t allow the meat to thaw, it may affect its texture, so it’s definitely worth defrosting it beforehand. 

Freeze Once Only
Marinated beef should only be frozen once. This is true for any type of beef, so if you have a particularly big joint that you don’t think you will enjoy at one time, it’s best to slice it into individual portions so you don’t need to worry about freezing it for a second time. 

How Long Can You Freeze Marinated Beef?

You can freeze marinated beef for around three months. As is the case with freezing any type of meat, it’s best to get it in the freezer quickly to ensure it’s super fresh when you come to enjoy it at a later date.

If you leave beef in the fridge for a few days, it won’t be as fresh as you might have liked.

Once you have refrigerated your marinated beef for a couple of hours, wrap it up and get it in the freezer for the best results.

You Can Freeze Marinated Beef for up to 3 Months

How Do You Defrost Marinated Beef?

When it’s time to cook your frozen marinated beef, remove it from the freezer and place it in the fridge. It’s best to do this the night before, so it thaws completely before you set about cooking it.

You should never defrost marinated beef at room temperature, as doing so can cause the beef to spoil. Equally, it’s best not to thaw it in the microwave, as you may affect its tenderness.

Can You Refreeze Marinated Beef?

No, you should only freeze marinated beef once. If you have a particularly big portion of beef, you should slice it up before freezing it. Y

ou can then wrap each of the portions individually, which will make your life so much easier when you come to thaw it in the future and means you don’t need to worry too much about wasting the meat.

Does Marinated Beef Freeze Well?

Overall, marinated beef freezes really well, and you will almost certainly be pleased with the resultant texture and taste. The key is to portion it and wrap it well, and your marinated beef will be good in the freezer for around three months.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing marinated beef or beef in general, then these may help: