Skip to content
There’s nothing more disappointing than prepping for a steak dinner only to realize the meat has gone bad. Even worse? Eating spoiled steak and dealing with a stomachache or food poisoning. Knowing how to tell if steak has turned is an important part of food safety and involves paying attention to its smell, texture, and appearance.
Both raw and cooked steak can spoil, but the signs aren’t always the same. Raw steak might change color or develop an off smell, while cooked steak can grow mold or feel slimy. To help you spot these issues early and keep your meals safe, we’ve put together this simple guide to the six telltale signs of spoiled steak.
Why Does Steak Go Bad?
It’s natural for meat to spoil as biochemical reactions and microbial activity occur. Meat contains enzymes that break down the proteins and fats over time, resulting in textural and color changes and unpleasant smells. Under the right (or wrong conditions in this case), bacteria can thrive, accelerate meat going bad, and make it unsafe to eat. This is particularly true in warmer and more humid environments.
The best way to extend the shelf life of your prized steaks is to store and handle them properly. Keep steaks refrigerated at or below 40°F to slow the spoilage rate, or freeze them at or below 0°F to halt the spoilage altogether. Always keep meat separate from other foods to avoid cross-contamination, and use airtight containers or butcher paper to protect the meat from drying out or oxidizing.
Is Eating Bad Steak Dangerous? Here’s What Can Happen
Many people have been unfortunate enough to fall victim to food poisoning or eating something that made them feel ill. Spoiled steak is certainly not an exception and can have serious consequences ranging from mild discomfort to potentially life-threatening outcomes for vulnerable people. Here’s what can happen:
Severe Food Poisoning
Steaks that have spoiled can contain harmful bacteria, such as E. coli, Salmonella, or Listeria. These bacteria can trigger a severe foodborne illness and cause symptoms like fever, dehydration, and acute stomach upset. In serious cases and more vulnerable individuals, this may result in hospitalization.
Nausea And Vomiting
If you do eat steak that has gone bad, you may experience fairly immediate side effects like nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, or diarrhea. This is caused by the body’s reaction to the harmful bacteria and toxins. Waves of nausea and uncontrollable vomiting can persist for multiple days and result in dehydration.
Extreme Stomach Pain
One of the first signs of food poisoning is extreme stomach pain and discomfort. The toxins and bacteria in the spoiled steak irritate the GI tract and can lead to painful cramping. These pains are usually felt within a few hours of eating the spoiled steak and can worsen over time. Severe cases could be a sign that medical intervention is required.
Dangerous Bacteria Cause Illness
Severe food poisoning can result in pathogens damaging the intestinal lining and cause long-term systemic infections. This is especially true in situations involving E. coli or Salmonella, as they can cause kidney failure and bloodstream infections or result in long-term chronic GI issues requiring intensive care.
6 Telltale Signs Your Steak Has Spoiled
Recognizing the signs that a steak has started to turn involves assessing it with multiple sensory indicators. Often, this requires identifying more than one, as they develop over time as the meat spoils. Here are six key signs to look for when a steak has deteriorated beyond what is safe to consume:
Grey or Brown Color
A fresh steak will have a rich, bright red color due to the myoglobin protein, which turns red when exposed to oxygen. This red hue will fade to more of a brown or grey color over time as it is exposed to air. A slight discoloration may not indicate spoilage, but a significant color change shouldn’t be ignored and is a sign that the meat is no longer fresh.
Slimy Texture
Fresh steak is firm and slightly moist to the touch. If a steak develops a film or slimy texture, this could be due to bacterial growth as fats and proteins break down on the surface. A steak has probably gone bad if it is slimy or slick to the touch and should be discarded.
Hard Dry Texture
Moisture is an important contributor to steak spoilage. When allowed to dry out, a steak can lose its moisture content and become hard. The dried-out leathery texture will appear darker, indicating that the meat is no longer suitable for consumption, even when refrigerated.
Fuzzy Mold Spots
Like any food, always check for visible signs of mold that appear as fuzzy or powdery white, green, or black spots. The presence of mold is a clear sign of advanced stages of spoilage and should be discarded, as even mold spores can be harmful and produce toxins.
Very Strong Bad Smell
It might be hard to imagine wanting to consume meat with a sour, rancid, or putrid smell, and you would be right to be cautious. Fresh steak should smell slightly metallic and mild. As it spoils, bacteria produce unpleasant odors. Make sure always to discard foul-smelling steak.
Sticky Surface
Bacteria decomposition will create a tackiness or sticky surface outside of a steak. This is very different from the slightly moist feel to a fresh one. Discard any meat that feels like it has an adhesive quality when touched, as it is likely spoiled.
How to Store Steak the Right Way (And Keep It Fresh)
Proper storage is critical to food safety and extends how long steak stays fresh while minimizing the risk of cross-contamination and unchecked bacterial growth. Here are some key tips to ensure you can enjoy quality delicious meals:
Keep Temperature Below Forty Degrees
Refrigerated steak needs to be kept below 40°F to slow the growth of harmful bacteria. Above this temperature, bacteria can grow astronomically fast and spoil meat within hours. For longer storage, freeze steaks at or below 0°F to halt bacterial growth and significantly lengthen the time steaks can stay fresh.
Wrap Tightly In Butcher Paper
Butcher paper protects steaks from moisture and oxygen while allowing air circulation to keep them fresh. It can also extend a steak’s shelf life, especially when well-wrapped using high-quality butcher paper.
Place In an Airtight Container
Airtight containers and vacuum-sealing steak can help protect against freezer burn and reduce the risk of cross-contamination with other nearby foods. They can also prevent humidity changes and oxidation exposure, speeding up the spoilage rate.
Store Away From Other Foods
Raw meat poses a risk for cross-contamination and should be stored separately or away from other foods. This helps reduce the risk of spreading potentially harmful bacteria. Designating a space for storing raw meat is a helpful food safety practice.
Use Within Three to Five Days
If you aren’t going to cook and eat your steak within three to five days, you should consider freezing it until you are ready to consume it. After a few days, a steak should be discarded even if it is refrigerated as it’s past its shelf-life for safe consumption, no matter how well you cook it.
How Long Is Steak Safe at Room Temperature?
Steak doesn’t take long to spoil when left out. Bacteria grow rapidly between 40°F and 140°F, a range often called the “danger zone.” At room temperature, steak can only sit out for up to 2 hours before it becomes unsafe to eat. If the temperature is above 90°F, that time shrinks to just 1 hour.
Humidity and warmth speed up spoilage, so it’s best to refrigerate or cook steak as soon as possible to keep it safe.
Does Discolored Steak Always Mean It’s Bad?
Sometimes, a steak’s appearance can be misleading. That’s why it is important to use all your senses to evaluate the freshness and quality of a steak before eating it.
Something like a small surface discoloration on its own may not mean a steak has gone bad, whereas that same discoloration combined with an off-putting smell or slightly slimy texture may be a sure sign to throw it out.
Never ignore a strong odor, sticky texture, or significant color change, and make a cautionary judgment about the safety of eating the steak before taking an unnecessary risk.
Bottom Line
At The Meal Kit Review, we strive to help you make informed choices about meal planning, storage, and food safety with expert tips and practical advice. Enjoying a delicious steak safely depends on recognizing the signs of spoiled meat and practicing safe food-handling skills. It requires using multiple senses, such as evaluating the steak’s color, texture, and smell, to determine its freshness and detect when it may have gone bad.
Proper storage and handling of steak will also help prevent the meat from spoiling, ensure you enjoy your meal, and avoid the dangerous implications of foodborne illness and risks of bacterial growth. When in doubt, always err on the side of caution and discard any questionable meat so you don’t fall victim to the dangers of steak gone bad.
