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taco meat in a wood bowl with a spoon over top
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5 from 3 votes

How to Defrost Ground Beef

Learn how to defrost ground beef safely, quickly, and easily to make amazing recipes like Slow Cooker Taco Meat you will love!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: defrosting ground beef, how to defrost ground beef, thawing ground beef
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 215kcal

Equipment

  • 6-quart Slow cooker
  • Wooden spoon

Ingredients

  • 3 Pounds 90/10 Lean Hamburger
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
  • 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
  • 2 Tablespoons Dried Chopped Onion
  • 1 Tablespoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Paprika
  • Salt to taste

See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

Instructions

  • Place fully defrosted ground beef in your crock pot, breaking it up well into small chunks with a wooden spoon.
    3 Pounds 90/10 Lean Hamburger
    Taco meat broken up in crockpot
  • Add the seasonings, stir well, then pour the water on top and stir again.
    1 Cup Water, 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder, 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder, 2 Tablespoons Dried Chopped Onion, 1 Tablespoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper, 1 Tablespoon Paprika, Salt
    Adding water to seasoned taco meat in crock pot
  • Place the lid on to the crock pot and set to High, then cook for 3 hours.
    taco meat in a crockpot
  • Once cooked, taste and adjust seasonings as desired, then serve!
    crockpot taco meat in a wooden bowl with a spoon and green onions on top

Notes

  • You will need at least a 6-quart Slow Cooker Crockpot.
  • If you want to cook the beef on low, it will need to cook for 6 hours.
  • Even if you place the meat in the slow cooker chopped up when raw, it will cook into a big disc. So, you’ll want to break it up really well so all the flavors can reach as much of the hamburger as possible.
  • The water helps the hamburger remain moist and not dry out through the slow cooking process. It’s important and shouldn’t be omitted!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 452mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 883IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 3mg