How long can ground beef be kept in the fridge?

really not worth the risk especially if it smells

WAIT!!! I'll eat it!

okay, I think I will toss it....Thanks everyone!

Yes, 3 days is conservative, 5 days is on the outside. Fresh or not fresh honestly doesn't matter, as long as the meat had consistently been kept outside the TDZ, temperature danger zone of above 41 degrees. Seriously, in a grocery store, they likely receive ground meat in large "chubs" which they break down into consumer-sized packs. And all that after considering how long you may have had it outside refrigeration during the trip home. When in doubt, throw it out. And consider it cheap insurance.

I think the smell test can be more than a little subjective, depending on how sensitive your nose is. I have a super sensitive nose and I can smell ground beef turning after 3 days for sure (my husband on the other hand would go 10 days probably). Kansas State has a good guide http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/store/ksu_refrig_freeze.pdf and they suggest 1- 2 days. Based on the potential hazards in ground beef generally, I'd go on the safe side and toss the meat.

Agree with sam1148. Give it the smell test. When in doubt, throw it out. Consider it cheap insurance.

Add your answer here

Smell it. That's the best way to tell. It should be okay if it was actually fresh. (which is rare for ground beef at a supermarket).
If it smells okay. brown it up and freeze it instead of freezing raw. Use that for chili, pasta, tacos etc.