Defrosting Mince
There are so many high quality frozen uncooked mince products that can be bought straight from the supermarket and used to prepare delicious meals, cutting both food waste and household bills.
All of our tips are for using mince, commercially frozen – this is uncooked mince that has been frozen by the manufacturer, ensuring it is of the highest quality and can be safely cooked from frozen.
Mince can be defrosted in the fridge or in the microwave, but should not be defrosted at room temperature as this is where bacteria can multiply rapidly.
Defrosted mince should not be re-frozen unless it has been thoroughly cooked through.

Option one – in the fridge
- Do not remove packaging where possible
- Place on plate in the bottom of the fridge
- Leave until fully defrosted – this should take around six hours per 100g so it’s best to separate into small batches before freezing.
Option two – in the microwave
- Always refer to microwave instructions
- Place on a microwave proof plate
- Microwave on defrost setting for two minutes, and check
- Return to the microwave and repeat until fully defrosted
- Cook immediately.
Never defrost mince at room temperature. Defrosted food should not be re-frozen until thoroughly cooked.
Defrosting mince in the fridge
- The temperature of the refrigerator should be kept at 5°C or below, as anything above this may allow the multiplication of bacteria.
- Keep mince in its packaging where possible
- Place on a plate at the bottom of the fridge to catch drips when thawing, keeping away from ready-to-eat foods
- Leave until fully defrosted
Defrosting mince in the microwave
- Check your microwave’s instructions as some appliances have different settings
- Use the instructions on the product packaging for accurate results
- Place the mince on a microwave-safe plate
- Microwave on the defrost setting in two minute intervals until fully defrosted
Want to read more? We’ve created guides on how to defrost chicken, fish, sausages, turkey and mince.