How to Cook a Frozen Burger the Right Way

Have you ever been sitting in your house late at night and all of a sudden you need a big, fat juicy burger ASAP? This happened to me recently. And it wasn’t the first time.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I get these surprise burger cravings more often than you’d think.

When these burger cravings hit, I don’t always want to get in my car and drive to get fast food. It might seem like the easy way out, but let’s face it. That’s too much work. Who wants to get in the car and drive?

Not me.

When I want a burger I want it now! And I’m not talking about turkey burgers, veggie burgers or breaded chicken patties. Those all serve a purpose at some point in our lives.

What I’m talking about is ground beef… beef burgers.

That’s why I make sure I always have some frozen patties on hand. A frozen hamburger patty can really be a lifesaver on a busy weeknight when you need an easy meal.

It will also be great at midnight on a Saturday. Whether you have handmade burgers or a box of Bubba burgers in your freezer you’ll be glad.

I’m going to explain to you the best way to make perfect burgers… with frozen beef patties.

Table of Contents

My Burger Pedigree

Before we opened up Mortadella Head, Boston Burger Company was where I spent most of my time. That being said, I’ve made a lot of burgers over the years.

I’m not trying to brag, but I know how to make a damn good burger. My burgers have been featured on the FoodNetwork, The Travel Channel, Everyday with Rachael Ray and they won the title of “best burger in Boston”.

I’m only telling you this because I strongly believe a frozen burger can be a great burger. I’m not going to say it’s better than a fresh burger, but it can be really good if you know what to do.

My Frozen Burger Recipe

Let’s go over how to cook a frozen burger and get the best results. It’s really easy and you don’t need very detailed instructions.

Seasoning the burgers is important, and all you really need is salt. If you want you can use something different like Montreal steak seasoning or a simple dry rub with garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

For the juiciest grilled burgers and pan-fried burgers using frozen burger patties, just follow along below.

Cooking Frozen Burgers On the Stove

If you’re going to cook a burger patty for yourself I’d say doing it in a frying pan on the stove is the best way. You get a fast cooking time and flavorful burgers at the same time.

First, take your frozen burger patties and separate them if they’re stuck together. Do it with a butter knife and peel off any butcher paper that is between the patties.

Now take a frying pan or cast-iron skillet and put it on medium-high heat. Add a little bit of oil to the pan.

When the pan is hot, put in your frozen patties. Season them with lots of Kosher salt and leave them alone for a few minutes.

When you start to see the juices come out of the top of the burger, and it is no longer stuck to the pan, give it a flip.

Season the other side with salt and let it cook for another couple of minutes.

When there is about a minute left to cook the perfect juicy burger, add a slice of cheese and cover the pan with aluminum foil. The cheese will begin to melt perfectly.

This cooking process doesn’t take a long time at all.

Cooking Frozen Burgers On the Grill

Everyone loves cooking on the grill. It’s a lot easier in the Summer when you’re spending a lot of time in the backyard anyway. This is also the time of year when people have parties and get-togethers to take advantage of the nice weather.

It’s also common to have people show up at your house unannounced during the Summer. What should you do if you have to feed them?

You may not have fresh hamburger meat on hand and won’t be able to make your own hamburger patties.

But if you’re smart, you’ll have some frozen hamburger patties ready to go.

If a crowd shows up at your house and you have a box of frozen burgers, a hot grill might be the easiest way.

You can use a charcoal grill or a gas grill.

First, preheat your stove to 350° F. The temperature of the grill should be really hot.

Now brush some oil on the grill grate. In a single layer, place patties over direct heat. Don’t start moving them around because you’ll ruin the nice grill marks.

When the burgers start to show signs of the juices and blood coming through the top, flip them.

Cook them for another 3 or four minutes and add your cheese slices.

Remove them from the grill and let them rest on a plate for a few minutes.

Always avoid the urge to press down on your burgers. This will let out all of the fat and juices leaving you with dry burgers and flare-ups on the grill.

If you have a meat thermometer you can check to see if they are ready before you remove them from the grill. According to the USDA, the safe minimum internal temperature for a burger is 160 degrees to avoid harmful bacteria.

What You Can Do With Your Burgers

If you have company over, butter and grill some hamburger buns and put out your favorite toppings. Everyone loves a burger bar. Put out some simple sides like potato chips and coleslaw.

Add a slice of cheese to your cooked hamburger and have it over a salad. This is a great way to make an easy low-carb dinner. Even though burgers are considered fatty foods they can still be a healthy way to get lots of protein.

Put the burger on a toasted piece of bread and smother it with tomato sauce, mozzarella and grilled pepperoni to make pizza burgers.

Serve your hamburger with mashed potatoes and gravy and make it a Salisbury steak.

Serve your burger on a soft potato roll with barbecue sauce, pickles and a side of french fries. You can’t go wrong with this combination. Air frying your french fries is quick and easy. You can also cook onion rings in the air fryer basket.

How to Cook a Frozen Burger the Right Way

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• Author: Mortadella Head
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 burgers 1x

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Description

Have you ever been sitting in your house late at night, and all of a sudden you need a big, fat juicy burger ASAP? This happened to me recently. And it wasn’t the first time.

In these cases, a frozen hamburger patty can really be a lifesaver. Who wants to get in the car and drive in the middle of the night?

So here’s how to cook the perfect frozen burger on the stove or on a grill grate, in the comfort of your house.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

4 frozen burger patties

4 slices of cheese 

Kosher salt to taste

a drizzle of olive oil

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

On the stove:

1.  Take your frozen burger patties and separate them, peeling off any butcher paper in between.
2. Put a frying pan or a cast-iron skillet on the stove at medium-high heat and add a bit of oil.
3. When the pan is hot, put in the frozen patties and season the upper side with the salt.
4. When you start to see the juices come out of the top of the burgers and they are no longer stuck to the pan, give them a flip.
5. Season the other side with salt and let it cook for another couple of minutes.
6. When there is about a minute left to cook the perfect juicy burger, add a slice of cheese and cover the pan with aluminum foil. The cheese will begin to melt perfectly.
7. Let the burgers rest on a plate for a few minutes and enjoy.

On a grill plate:

1. Preheat your stove to 350° F, with the grill inside. The grill needs to be really hot.
2. Brush some oil on the grill grate, then place the patties over direct heat without moving them around, and season them with salt.
3. When the burgers start to show signs of the juices and blood coming through the top, flip them and add salt to the other side. Avoid the urge to press them down: this will let out all of the fat and juices, leaving you with dry burgers.
4. Cook them for another 3-4 minutes and add your cheese slices.
5. If you have a meat thermometer, check to see if they are ready. The safe minimum internal temperature is 160°F degrees.
6. Remove the burgers from the grill and let them rest on a plate for a few minutes.
7. Enjoy.

 

Notes

Cooking your burgers on a grill grate may require a few more minutes than the other method, as the time necessary to preheat the grill will be longer (about 10 minutes).

• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 15
• Category: Hamburgers
• Method: Cooking (stovetop or grill grate)