Raw hamburger meat and cooked hamburger have different refrigerator limits. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below: cook or freeze raw ground beef within 1–2 days, and use or freeze cooked ground beef within 3–4 days.
Raw versus cooked hamburger
Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours of purchase or cooking, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat food and contain leaking juices. Use an appliance thermometer to check the refrigerator; the control dial alone does not establish its temperature.
Divide cooked hamburger into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Hot food can go directly into the refrigerator in suitable portions; do not wait for it to reach room temperature. Cover leftovers. These practices follow FDA safe food handling and USDA leftover guidance.
Freeze and thaw hamburger
If you will not use it within its refrigerator window, freeze it while it is still safe. Wrap securely and label the package. Food kept continuously frozen at 0°F remains safe indefinitely, although quality declines; freezing does not rescue meat already mishandled.
Discard meat that has exceeded safe handling or refrigerator-storage limits, even if it seems normal. Spoilage odors or slime are reasons to discard it, but their absence does not prove safety. A grayish-brown interior in raw ground beef can result from limited oxygen and is not, by itself, proof of spoilage. Never taste meat to test safety. Read FDA food storage advice.
