Can you grill frozen burgers?

Can you freeze frozen burgers? Yes, it is safe to grill frozen burgers without having to thaw them beforehand. However, it will take you longer to cook.

You may have frozen burgers in your freezer and wondering if it’s even safe to grill them straight from the freezer. Can you grill frozen burger? Yes. It is an easy recipe and safe. They will also cook well under the heat of the grill. you won’t have many preparations on your hands. However, ensure you only use the exact number of patties that you need. When you have leftovers, you will not be able to freeze them again.

Things you need to do before grilling frozen burgers

Choose the right patties

The ingredients used to make patties play a major role in how you cook your burger. Beef patties are recommended for grilling while frozen. Ensure the patties are lean-to at least 90%.

What ingredients are required to make perfect patties for grilling? If you decide to buy patties from a store or make them at home, these ingredients are necessary. Look out for Ground beef, For seasoning; minced onions, minced garlic, salt, and ground pepper. When you make them on your own from home, you will need to include a mixing bowl, cookie sheet, parchment paper, and air tight bag. Mix all the ingredients, make small balls and flatten them out the form burger patties. Use the parchment paper to separate them and stack them in airtight bags. Freeze them for when you need to make burgers.

Avoid searing

Cooking frozen patties over direct flame should be avoided. Do not use too much heat or too low heat. You will end up with undercooked or overcooked patties. Maintain medium heat for an evenly grilled burger.

Use thick patties

Thin patties are not recommended for grilling. They might cook too fast and overcook. They are also challenging to flip too. Thick patties on the other hand are easy to turn. Also, refrain from pressing down the patties on the grill as you can strain the juices out making the patties dry.

Prepare the patties

Burger parties are stacked together, you will need to separate them. You can choose to grill them as rock-solid as they are or you can thaw them.

Here is how to thaw frozen patties before grilling

• You can put them in a refrigerator. It takes a maximum of 24 hours which is a long time if you are in a hurry to start grilling.
• Put the patties in cold water. You will need to put them in an airtight plastic bag. Ensure it’s completely submerged. You can keep them there longer, however, within 10 minutes they should be ready for grilling. Cook them as soon as possible after this.
• Microwave is the fastest way to go about it. You will only need to put them in the microwave for only two minutes.

For now, we will be looking at grilling rock-solid burgers without thawing them. It can be hard to separate frozen patties. You can twist that slowly and carefully to avoid breaking them. To make it quicker, you can use an object like a spatula or a knife. You will also need to remove the separators if any. After you have successfully separated the patties, you will need to decide to either season them or not. You can keep the seasoning to as simple as salt or pepper.

Prepare the grill

Preheating the grill is necessary whether you are using a charcoal or a gas grill. The right temperature should be about 300-400 degrees Fahrenheit. The frozen burgers will take more time to cook therefore you will want to have enough heat to start cooking immediately. You can also choose to preheat the grill as you separate the patties. It will be even easier if you separate the grill into the hot side and not so hot side. For the charcoal grill, you will need to use more charcoal on one side than the other. If you are using a gas or electric grill, set the temperature at different degrees on the different burners.

Grill the frozen burgers

When you are ready, place the frozen burgers on the grill. Turn them gently at intervals of 5 minutes until they are well cooked. They will be releasing juices. Do not let the juices dry out since it’s a sign of overcooking. It is advisable to use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking.

While grilling frozen burgers, you might encounter flareups. You need to avoid flareups since they can make your burgers crispy on the outside and undercooked on the inside. When this happens, you will need to move your burger to another side of the grill. Move the burgers around the grill until they subside.

Serve

When your burgers are cooked you are ready to eat them. You may choose to assemble them to make them tastier. You will need buns, vegetables, sauce, cheese, and of course the grilled patty. Spread the buns, add your favorite sauce, add your preferred vegetables, cheese, and the patty. You can use these ingredients as generously as you like. You can also include fries on the side and not forget your favorite drink.

Final word

While grilling frozen burgers is one of the easiest recipes. You will need to be keen while at it to ensure you get the best results. If you have done everything correctly you will have a tasty burger experience in minutes.

FAQ

How can you prevent burgers from shrinking while grilling?

Burgers will likely shrink since they are made of fats and water and will melt when you grill. You can prevent them from shrinking too much by ensuring they are at room temperature before you place them on a grill. You might not have enough time for this if you are using a frozen Pattie.

How long will it take to grill frozen burgers?

Frozen burgers take twice as much time as it takes fresh ones. At medium heat, you will cook them for 15-20 minutes. Within this time, you will need to concentrate and flip them frequently.