Should You Rinse Ground Beef Before Cooking?

While rinsing may wash away a small amount of surface grease after cooking, experts note that washing raw ground beef offers little benefit and can create unnecessary mess and contamination risks.

Those looking to reduce fat intake can instead:

• Choose leaner ground beef
• Drain excess grease after cooking
• Blot cooked meat with paper towels if desired

These methods are generally considered safer and more effective.

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Simple Ways to Handle Ground Beef Safely

To reduce the risk of contamination, experts recommend:

• Keeping raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods
• Washing hands thoroughly after handling raw beef
• Cleaning and sanitizing surfaces and utensils
• Refrigerating meat promptly
• Cooking beef thoroughly to the recommended temperature

These steps provide far greater protection than rinsing meat under running water.

The Bottom Line

While rinsing ground beef may seem like a harmless kitchen habit, food safety experts say it does not remove harmful bacteria and may actually spread them around the kitchen.

The safest approach is simple: skip the rinse, practice good kitchen hygiene, and rely on proper cooking temperatures to make ground beef safe to eat.