How do you drain fat after cooking ground beef?

Draining excess fat after cooking ground beef is an important step for healthier eating and better-tasting food. Ground beef often releases a good amount of grease and fat when cooked, which you’ll want to remove before using the cooked meat in recipes. Here’s a look at some effective ways to drain fat from ground beef.

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Why Drain Fat from Ground Beef?

There are a couple key reasons you’ll want to drain off excess fat from cooked ground beef:

Removes extra calories and saturated fat – Ground beef contains a high amount of fat mixed right into the meat. Draining off what cooks out can remove up to half the fat grams.
Improves flavor – Excess grease can make dishes taste overly fatty and heavy. Draining it leaves just enough fat to keep things moist and flavorful.
Prevents sogginess – Fat that remains in cooked crumbles can make dishes like tacos, nachos and pizza toppings wet and soggy. Draining helps keep them crisper.

Avoids greasy pans and dishes – Pouring off extra fat prevents it from pooling at the bottom of pans and baking dishes, which can be tough to clean up later.

When to Drain Ground Beef

It’s best to drain ground beef immediately after cooking it. This ensures you remove all the excess fat before it has a chance to re-absorb into the meat.

Here are the main instances when you’ll want to drain cooked ground beef:

Browning beef for casseroles, pasta dishes, etc. – Drain once initially cooked before adding other ingredients.
Making crumbles for tacos, nachos, etc. – Drain in the pan after browning the beef.
Cooking beef for burger patties – Drain on a plate lined with paper towels after cooking.

Browning beef for chili – Drain excess fat before adding tomatoes, beans, etc.

How to Drain Cooked Ground Beef

Here are some of the most common and effective ways to drain fat from cooked ground beef:

Drain in a Colander

A simple colander placed in the sink is one of the easiest tools for draining. After browning ground beef on the stove:

Pour the cooked beef into a colander placed in the sink.
Let the fat drain through for 30-60 seconds, shaking the colander occasionally.
Transfer the crumbled beef to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any remaining grease.

Use a Slotted Spoon

A slotted spoon allows you to drain beef right in the pan you cooked it in:

Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into crumbles as it browns.
Once fully cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef crumbles to a bowl or plate, leaving the fat behind.

Optional: Pour off fat from the pan into a heat proof container for disposal.

Drain with Paper Towels

Lining a bowl or plate with paper towels absorbs extra grease from meat:

Cook ground beef in a skillet and transfer to a bowl or plate lined with 2-3 paper towels.

Let sit 1-2 minutes for paper towels to soak up fat.
Discard used paper towels.

Use a Fat Separator

A fat separator makes it easy to pour off fat while retaining the meat in the pan:

Cook ground beef in skillet and transfer hot drippings and meat to a fat separator.
Let sit 1 minute so fat separates and rises to top.
Slowly pour beef crumbles from the spout back into the pan, leaving fat behind.

Tips for Draining Fat from Ground Beef

Follow these tips to drain fat most efficiently:

Use very lean ground beef. Fattier blends will release more grease.
Cook just until no longer pink. Avoid overcooking, which releases more fat.

Drain immediately after cooking while fat is hot and liquid.
Don’t rinse with water, which washes away flavor. Drain fat only.
Blot up grease under crumbles with paper towels.

Use a deeper pan or pot when cooking to contain splattering.
Chill broth after cooking to easily remove solidified fat.

How Much Fat to Drain

Draining away all visible fat from beef crumbles provides the greatest health benefits. However, you may want to leave a little bit behind for moisture and flavor.

Here are some guidelines for how much fat to drain:

Casseroles, pasta dishes: Drain all fat for a healthier lean option.
Tacos, burritos: Drain until about 1-2 tbsp fat remains for flavor.

Burger patties: Drain on paper towels until no visible grease remains.
Chili: Drain all but 1-2 tsp fat per pound of meat.

Storing and Reusing Drained Fat

While it’s often discarded, some people opt to save the fat drained from ground beef to reuse:

Refrigerate – Chill drained fat in an airtight container up to 3 months.
Freeze – Freeze in portions up to 6 months. Thaw before using.
Sauteeing – Reuse in place of oil to sautee veggies, sear meats, etc.

Roasting – Toss potatoes or vegetables in a little beef fat before roasting.
Flavoring – Add a spoonful to boost flavor in soups, stews and gravies.

Discarding Unused Fat

To safely get rid of fat drained from ground beef that you don’t plan to reuse:

Pour into a heatproof container and let cool until solid.
Scrape into the garbage or compost once completely cooled and solidified.
Mix with an absorbent material like coffee grounds or kitty litter before disposal.

Wipe out any remaining oil in the pan with paper towels.

Conclusion

Draining excess fat after cooking ground beef provides big benefits to health, taste and texture in finished dishes. Allowing the fat to drain through a colander, using paper towels, or employing a fat separator makes removing grease easy. In general, draining away all visible fat is best for casseroles and leaner dishes, while leaving a bit behind adds juiciness to things like burgers and tacos. With a few simple techniques, you can cut the fat without losing flavor.