can you refreeze meat

Yes—you can refreeze meat if it was thawed safely in the refrigerator and hasn’t sat out too long, but the quality may drop a bit. Meat thawed on the counter, in warm conditions, or left out for more than 2 hours should not be refrozen.

Quick rules

• Safe to refreeze: raw meat thawed in the fridge, or cooked meat that was thawed in the fridge and kept cold.

• Do not refreeze: meat thawed at room temperature or left out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour if it was above 90 F.

• Expect some quality loss: refreezing can make meat drier and less tender.

Practical tip

If you know you won’t use it soon, cook the meat first, then freeze the cooked portions instead of repeatedly thawing and refreezing it.

When to toss it

If the meat smells off, looks unusual, or was handled unsafely during thawing, it’s better not to risk it.