Treating yourself to a delicious fillet or sirloin at the end of a busy week at work is one of lifeās simple pleasures. But if you have some steak leftover, how do you preserve it so it doesnāt go bad?
Can You Freeze Steak?
Yes, you can freeze steak for up to 6 months. Raw steak freezes better because the meat retains more nutrients and is much juicier. To freeze steak, wrap it tightly before placing it in a freezer-safe bag.
Do Does Steak freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Steak? No
How to Freeze Steak
Freezing any cut of beef is an excellent way of preserving it for longer than it would last if you kept it in the freezer. The good news is that you can freeze any cut of steak, be it fillet, sirloin, or T-bone, for instance.
To ensure you freeze your steak the right way, we introduce the steps you need to follow to freeze both uncooked and cooked steak below:
How to Freeze Uncooked Steak
If you can pick a way to freeze steak, then opt for uncooked, using this method:
- Wrap: Place your steak in a sheet of tin foil or cling film and wrap it tightly. If youāre freezing more than one uncooked steak, you must wrap each of them individually.Ā
- Place in a Freezer Bag: Once your steak is tightly wrapped, place it in a suitably sized freezer-safe bag.
- Label and Freeze: Write the date that you purchased the steak and the use-by date on the front of the freezer-safe bag, and place your steak in the freezer. You can freeze uncooked steak for up to six months without issue.
How to Freeze Cooked Steak
If your steak is already cooked then you’ll have to opt for this approach:
- Cool: Regardless of your cooking method, you will need to leave your steak to cool before you freeze it ā you should never place warm or hot meat in the freezer; doing so is an absolute no-no!Ā
- Wrap: Wrap your cooked steak in a tin foil or cling film, ensuring it is tightly wrapped and protected from freezer burn. Again, if you have more than one cooked steak to freeze, you must wrap them individually.Ā
- Place in a Freezer Bag: Once your steak is wrapped, seal it in a freezer-safe bag and seal it.Ā
- Label and Freeze: Write the date that you cooked the steak and the use-by date on the front of the freezer-safe bag, and place your steak in the freezer. You can freeze cooked steak for up to three months without issue.
3 Tips for Freezing Steak
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing steak to have the best results:
Uncooked is Best
Although you can freeze cooked steak without issue, itās much better to freeze uncooked steak. This is because the steak retains many of its nutrients and juices when it is uncooked.
Undercook It
We advise you undercook steak slightly if you’re freezing it. So, if you like your steak medium, you should cook it enough so that it is rare, as this will prevent you from overcooking it when you heat it for a second time. Overcooked steak is tough and rubbery and should be avoided.Ā
Only Freeze Once
You should only ever freeze steak once. If you have a particularly big cut of steak that you donāt think you can manage in one sitting, you should portion it before you freeze it, as this will allow you to remove smaller portions at any given time and save you from wasting your steak.
How Long Can You Freeze Steak?
You can freeze uncooked steak for around 6 months and freeze cooked steak for up to three months.
The difference in the freezing time is essential, as cooked steak will start to deteriorate in taste and flavour more quickly than uncooked steak.
So, if youāre hoping to preserve your steak for a more extended period in the freezer, itās best to leave it uncooked.
Cooked steak will last in the fridge for around 3 days. It should be kept on a covered dish.
Raw steak can be kept in the fridge for around 5 days. It should be wrapped in baking paper or cling film to keep it protected.
How Do You Defrost Steak?
The best way to defrost steak is to remove it from the freezer and transfer it to the fridge the night before you plan to enjoy it.
While you can defrost steak in the microwave, we wouldnāt recommend doing so as you can affect its taste and texture. You should never defrost steak ā either cooked or uncooked ā at room temperature.
Can You Refreeze Steak?
No, you should only freeze steak once.
While it might, in some instances, be safe to refreeze steak, doing so can affect its overall consistency once it is cooked or reheated, so itās best to avoid doing so.
As mentioned above, if youāre worried about wasting steak, itās best to split it into smaller portions before you freeze it, as this will enable you to take out only the portion you need at any given time.
Does Steak Freeze Well?
In most cases, uncooked steak freezes really well, and you wonāt notice any discernible difference in taste or texture when compared to steak that is fresh.
Cooked steak that has been frozen might not taste as succulent, but it should still be delicious, providing you have undercooked it slightly and donāt keep it in the freezer for longer than three months.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing steak or steak in general, then these may help:
Yes, sirloin can be frozen for around 6 months. It should be wrapped in foil or cling fil before being popped into the freezer.
Ribeye can be frozen for up to 6 months when wrapped well in foil or cling film and then stored in the freezer.
With less fat to protect it, fillet should only be frozen for around 2 to 3 months. Like other cuts, it should be wrapped tightly to protect it.
Sources
We have verified the information on this page using the following resources:
