Once summer is upon us and grilling season returns- almost every family will soon get out their grills and spatulas to whip up their favourite grilled food item, burgers! Grilling burgers is probably one of the most easy, convenient and accessible methods of cooking frozen patties and it is also perfectly safe when done well. Moreover, grilling patties provides a subtle smokey and natural flavor that everyone tends to enjoy. In this article, you will find all the information you require for grilling frozen burgers to perfection, that will leave everyone wanting for more!
Can You Grill Frozen Burgers?
Yes, you can grill a frozen burger. However, keep in mind that the patty will take much longer to cook in comparison to a defrosted patty and so you can allow the burger to thaw. If you’re in a hurry and you do have the time to allow your frozen burger patties to thaw, you can grill them directly from the freezer. Make sure you pre-heat your burger, separate and spread your burger patties and also flip them occasionally.
Grilling Frozen Burgers | A Step-By-Step Guide
Grilling burgers is not a difficult task once you get a hang of it, however initially you may require guidance regarding the process. Below is a step-by-step guide with all the necessary details you might want to learn about how to grill frozen burgers.
What You’ll Need
- Hamburger patties
- Hamburger buns
- Salt and pepper, depending on taste
- Butter
- Cheese
- Burger toppings of your choice (tomato, onions, peppers, chiles, sauces and so on)
- Outdoor grill
- Grill spatula
How to Cook Frozen Burgers on the Grill
Step 1- Gather the ingredients and required equipment:
The required ingredients have been mentioned in the list above, and it is important and keeping these ingredients ready pre-hand makes it much easier and faster to cook.
Step 2: Preheat the grill
The first step is to make sure your grill is clean and free from food residue that can hamper the taste. Once the grill is clean, you can begin to preheat the oven to ensure the patties don’t stick and get it ready for the grilling process. The oven should be heated for 8-10minutes to about 350 degrees. Once the grill is ready, you can start immediately.
Step 3- Prepare the burger patties
You can begin by separating the hamburger patties using a spatula or a butter knife, and removing the paper separators. Also, season the patties on each side using salt, pepper and any other spices of your choice.
Step 4: Begin to Grill!
Probably the most exciting part of the process, you can grill your patties once they are seasoned and the grill is preheated. To make sure that it cooks evenly, keep it well spread and flip it every 3-5 minutes. After flipping the burger patties, you can add any sauce of your choice to add flavour to the burger but at the same time retain the moisture. Ensure that you keep moving them periodically, so that your burgers are not caught up in flares as this can affect the taste and scorch them.
Check the temperature once before serving to make sure they’re well-cooked. There should be no patties on the grill while you’re checking the temperature, as this can cause an inaccurate reading. Once it reaches a temperature of about 160 degrees, you can remove and serve your burgers. You can also add some butter and lightly heat your buns on the grill, to provide a slight toastie flavour. Keep them toasting at a lower temperature so that you don’t burn them.
Step 5: Serve!
To serve the burger patties, you start by adding the sauce of your choice to the burger buns, the sauces can be barbecue, mayo, long island, ketchup or any other sauce of your choice! Then go on to add the toppings of your choice- they could be vegetables like jalapenos, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, lettuce or condiments like cheese, bacon and so on! Lastly assemble all these on to your patties, and add your top bun! There you go, ready to serve burgers!
Grilling Store Bought Frozen Burgers Vs Homemade Frozen Burgers
homemade burgers are a more optimal choice for grilling when compared to store bought frozen burgers, the truth is that the texture of ground meat doesn’t change much with either. The difference in the feel and composition of the store bought and the homemade burgers is close to negligible. There are certain preservatives that can be found in former though, however if you do decide to grind your burger meat at home, you may be able to eliminate these concerns. Besides, if you use a personal meat grinder, owing to the multiple meat grinder plate sizes, you’ll be able to better control the grind size of the meat for your burger patties further customising them to your taste.
Grilling Frozen Burgers – FAQ
What Temperature to Grill Frozen Burgers?
Since you are cooking burgers that were previously frozen, it is important to cook them at a minimum temperature of 160°F for food safety reasons. You can preheat the cooking grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, and grill these frozen hamburger patties, at 350ºF until done. It’s important to keep them at an ideal temperature, that is medium-high or lower. If the temperature is higher than needed, it’ll cook the outside but the inside of the patty will remain raw. That’s why ensure you keep the temperature balanced and move the burgers around.
How Long to Grill Frozen Burgers?
The time you need to grill your burgers depends on your grill and requires you to take into consideration your individual burger thickness and how you like them done. On an average, you can grill your frozen burger patties for about 13-15 minutes, while flipping and moving them around for every five minutes. The moment they start releasing moisture from the outer surfaces, you could cut them right from the centre to see for any pink spots. If you do not notice any, your frozen burgers are done and ready to be assembled.
Should You Thaw Frozen Burgers Before Grilling?
Yes, it is important to thaw your burger patties for a couple of minutes, so that it becomes easier to separate. Even if you don’t want to completely thaw your patties, spending a little bit of time on letting them thaw will shorten the amount of time you’ll need to grill them. Moreover, if you have unseasoned patties, thawing them will make the outer layer of the patty more receptive to seasoning- especially salt and pepper.
How to Separate Frozen Burgers Before Grilling?
The separation process depends on how they are packaged. You can use paper separators to remove the patties and leave them to thaw. You can also use a spatula to aid the process. A little time given them to thaw makes it a lot easier to separate frozen burgers before grilling.
Can You Eat Frozen Burgers Medium Rare?
It’s not safe to consume frozen burgers that are medium rare, because they were previously thawed during the process. Cooking them to an internal temperature of 160ºF ensures that all the bacteria are eliminated, which is not done if the patties are undercooked or medium-rare. If you eat a frozen burger medium rare, there is always a possibility of getting food poisoning.
How to Know if Frozen Burgers are Completely Cooked?
When burger patties are completely cooked, you’ll be able to see moisture released and rise to the surface of the patties. When you see an adequate amount of juice being released, you can say that your patties are cooked. Ensure that the burgers don’t dry out completely in the process, you don’t want them to overcooked either. It is hence, of utmost importance for you to figure, just how long to cook frozen burgers on the grill!
Grilling Frozen Burgers | Final Thoughts
Hopefully after this article, you feel much more equipped and confident when it comes to grilling frozen burgers at home! It can be a task initially to ensure things like the meat is well-cooked and the flavour is absorbed. However, like any other recipe- grilling frozen hamburger patties becomes easier with practice. The key is to be patient and keep a key eye on the patties, and in no time, you’ll master the process!
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Last updated: September 24, 2023