While making your own burgers from scratch gives you lots of control over the final result, cooking frozen burgers can save some time when you’re in a pinch. Contrary to popular belief, you can even jazz up frozen burgers to enhance their flavor, so you don’t have to be stuck with bland burger patties.
Continue reading this guide to learn the best techniques to cook frozen burgers, whether you want to do so on the stove or grill or in the oven or air fryer.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Cooking Frozen Burgers
Here are several tips to keep in mind as you cook frozen burgers.
Do:
- Preheat whatever you use to cook your burgers, like the oven or grill. This ensures that the equipment is hot enough to give your burgers a crispy exterior.
- Season the burgers while cooking, which we describe how to do below. Frozen burgers are sometimes slightly seasoned, but they often need a little more to please the palate.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure your burgers are cooked to your liking. 160°F is considered a safe temperature for ground beef.
- Let them rest after cooking for about 5 minutes before serving.
Don’t:
- Thaw the burgers before cooking. Thawed burger patties often become mushy, which will make them fall apart easily when cooking.
- Allow the burger patties to touch when cooking. They should each have a little bit of space around them for proper cooking.
- Feel like you need to stick to the one-flip rule. With frozen burgers, you may need to flip them over a few times to ensure even cooking throughout.
How Do I Season Frozen Burgers?
Seasoning frozen burgers is simple but can make a big difference in flavor. Since frozen patties are typically too solid to season thoroughly before cooking, seasonings don’t adhere well to the surface of each patty. So, the best time to add seasoning is once they begin to thaw slightly during the cooking process. Start by heating your burger on the stove, grill, or oven, then sprinkle your preferred seasonings—like salt, pepper, garlic powder, or onion powder—on one side as the patty begins to brown. Once you flip the burger, season the other side.
Another option is to brush barbecue sauce on the patty while cooking. This is an especially good trick to use when you’re grilling the burger, as the grill’s smoky flavors pair well with barbecue sauce. If using this method, brush the patty on each side during the last couple minutes of cooking.
Ways To Jazz Up Frozen Burgers
Want to add some flavor to frozen burgers? Considering that frozen burgers can be somewhat boring compared to homemade patties, it’s good to have some ideas for enhancing their flavor, whether it’s with seasonings, sauces, or toppings. Here are a few ideas:
- Change up the bun: Think outside of the traditional hamburger bun and swap in non-traditional buns, like brioche buns, ciabatta rolls, or pretzel buns, for some extra flavor.
- Add flavorful toppings: Focus on toppings that add a lot of flavor to your burger, like caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, pepper jack cheese, pickles, bacon, or jalapenos.
- Use tasty sauces: Sauces can make or break a good burger, and plenty of them can enhance your burger instead of masking the savory burger flavor you want to keep there. Try sriracha mayo, honey mustard, or your favorite ranch dressing for something different.
- Get creative with spices: Sift through your spice cabinet to look for spices to add to your burger patties during cooking or to sprinkle on after cooking. Paprika, chili powder, or even steak seasoning are yummy options.
Choose your cooking method
In the following sections, we explain how to cook frozen burgers using four popular cooking methods — the stove, grill, oven, and air fryer — so you can decide which route to take.
Cooking Frozen Burgers On the Stove
Cooking frozen burgers on the stove is one of the easiest ways to go, as they don’t need much from you to cook besides a few flips and a watchful eye. Plus, unlike the grill, there’s little chance of a flare-up on the stove.
Start by preheating a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. You may need two skillets to fit your burgers comfortably. Otherwise, work in batches.
Once the pan is heated through, carefully add the patties, making sure they each have some room between them. Once the patties begin to thaw a bit, season the tops with your preferred seasonings. Cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the bottom side browns. Flip each patty and season the other sides. Cook for another 5-6 minutes until browned. You may need to flip the patties another 1-2 times to ensure a thorough cook, which you can monitor with a meat thermometer.
Cooking Frozen Burgers On the Grill
Grill frozen burgers to get the flavors of the grill that you might typically prefer for a backyard barbecue.
Make sure the grill grates are completely clean and oiled before heating the grill to high heat. Transfer the patties to the grill, placing them directly on the grates. Cook for 4-5 minutes over direct heat, seasoning the tops once they begin to thaw a bit. Then, flip the burgers to the other side, season, and cook for another 4-5 minutes. If necessary for additional cooking, move the patties to a low-heat area of the grill to continue cooking.
Cooking Frozen Burgers In The Oven
The oven is a good way to cook frozen burgers when you don’t want to mess with the grill or dirty the stove.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Place the patties on the tray and move the tray into the oven. After about 5 minutes or so, when the patties begin to thaw slightly, season them on the top before returning them to the oven.
Cook for a total of 20-25 minutes, flipping them once and seasoning the other side about halfway through the cooking process.
Cooking Frozen Burgers In The Air Fryer
Don’t overlook the air fryer as a viable method for frozen burgers. The appliance cooks burgers quickly and without leaving much of a mess in your kitchen.
Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for 5 minutes. Place the burgers in the basket, keeping about a ½ inch of space between each of them. You may need to work in batches for smaller air fryers.
Cook for 1-2 minutes before seasoning the tops. Then, cook for another 5-7 minutes before flipping the patties to the other side and seasoning them. Finish cooking for another 5-7 minutes or until the patties reach your preferred level of doneness.
Conclusion: Cooking Frozen Burgers
Check out our other burger cooking guides to learn how to make smashburgers, turkey burgers, hamburger steaks, surf and turf burgers, and more.
Also, consider buying gourmet burgers online from Chicago Steak Company. We have dry-aged steak burgers, brisket burgers, and more, all of which arrive flash-frozen to preserve their freshness. Now, you’ll know exactly what to do to cook these burgers from frozen if you don’t want to wait a few days to thaw them.