Is It Okay To Cook Ground Beef That Smells A Little?

Picture this: You've got a skillet on the stovetop and a plan to make a meat sauce for pasta. As you open the package of ground beef, a strange smell hits your nose. It's not exactly rotten, but it's definitely off. The meat isn't green or moldy, but something feels wrong. How bad does bad meat really smell? Is it safe to use if it just smells a little weird? In an interview with Tasting Table, Chef John Politte, founder and host of It's Only Food, had a quick and simple answer: "Absolutely not! When in doubt, throw it out."

Bad beef doesn't always smell rotten or putrid; instead, it can give off a sweet or sour odor that signals bacterial growth. If you're rolling the dice on whether ground beef is good enough to eat, there's a chance it could make you and the rest of your family incredibly ill. It could even be deadly. Nothing is worth that risk.

If you can't tell if your meat is spoiled based on smell, Politte has some other red flags to look for. "Fresh beef is typically bright red due to its exposure to oxygen. Spoiled beef may turn brown, green, or gray." Those color changes can indicate the presence of dangerous bacteria. "A thin, sticky, or slimy layer on the surface of the beef suggests bacterial activity. Fresh beef should feel moist but not sticky or slippery," Politte adds. Be on the lookout for any moldy spots, too.

Using beef past its prime is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when cooking ground beef. Don't just focus on the meat itself, but also on what surrounds it. "Pools of liquid in the packaging, especially if cloudy or with a strange odor, can indicate spoilage," Politte told us. If the look and smell of the beef leave you unsure, the chef suggests some other things to pay attention to. "Beef that is mushy or overly soft may have started to break down due to bacteria or enzymes."

Ideally, if any of these signs are present, you will see that the beef is spoiled and throw it out. But it may have slipped under the radar, or someone else prepared it for you. If that's the case, there may still be other warning signs related to the taste. "While you should not taste beef that you suspect is spoiled, an unpleasant or sour flavor is another sign of spoilage if discovered inadvertently," Politte says. If it tastes off, spit it out and rinse your mouth. Don't continue eating it.

If you think you ate bad beef, pay close attention to how you feel. Mild cases of food poisoning often feel like a stomach flu. Symptoms may take one to three days to appear, but they can also show up within minutes or hours. Remember to stay hydrated. If symptoms worsen or are severe, make sure you get to a doctor and explain what happened.