Short on time and need hamburgers ready ASAP? It can be a huge problem if you couldn’t get the patties ready in time, but defrosting can take its sweet time. So, let’s find a solution and learn how to cook frozen hamburger patties.
There are quite a few ways to achieve this. You could use an oven, a stovetop, a grill, air fryer, and more.
If you have time, it’s still better to go the conventional route and thaw the patties before cooking them. Use the methods here only if you find yourself short on time and in need of a quick fix.
Cooking Frozen Hamburger Patties – Methods To Use
Here are a few ways you can cook frozen hamburger patties. Choose one that works best for you. Whatever method you choose, remember that proper cooking and heating of the patties is very important for your health.
Use a meat probe or thermometer to check the internal temperature of the patties as soon as they’re cooked. This temperature should be at least 160°F. If the internal temperature hits this mark, the patties are safe to eat.
Cooking evenly and taking the heat all throughout the patties can be difficult when you’re working with frozen patties. Which is why it’s even more important to get it right.
Of course, the choice can depend on the situation and the occasion. Thankfully, there are quite a few ways to achieve this, so let’s get started!
Cooking Frozen Hamburger Patties On A Grill
The grill is useful if you want several patties ready quickly. But, it will take some time and require care to be done right. Here are the steps to follow.
- Cut open the package and pull out the frozen hamburger patties.
- You may want to give them a couple of minutes to defrost, because it will make separating them easier. Alternatively, you can get to work right away.
- Use a sturdy grilling spatula to separate the patties. Frozen patties tend to stick together quite well!
- Once separated, check if there’s any paper separator (or any other material) on the patties. If you find anything, remove it.
- Season the patties with salt and pepper.
- Take the grill to high heat.
- Put frozen patties on the grill. You’ll need to flip them every few minutes, usually 3-5 will do.
- Watch out for any flare ups. If one happens, quickly remove the patties from the grill.
- On conventional grills, it will take about 20 minutes for the patties to be ready. Remember to keep flipping them.
Well, there you have it. If you’re out having a BBQ, a shortage of patties just won’t do! This method can take some time, but it’s still quick and efficient over waiting for the patties to thaw. In fact, it could very well save the day!
Cooking Frozen Hamburger Patties In An Oven
The oven is a simple way to get the job done. It can take about half an hour to cook frozen hamburger patties and it’s fairly convenient.
There will be some manual intervention necessary, but overall, the oven will do most of the work for you. Here are the steps to follow:
- Get the frozen patties out of the packet. Allowing them to thaw for a few minutes will make it easier to pick them apart.
- Use a sturdy spatula to pry apart the patties if they’re stuck together and frozen.
- Check the patties for any separators and remove them.
- Preheat the oven to 420°F.
- Season the patties with salt and pepper.
- Cover the top of the baking sheet in aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of it.
- Put the patties in the middle oven rack and bake for 15 minutes.
- After this point, open the oven, flip the patties, and let them go for another 10 minutes.
- The patties should be cooked and ready after this time.
Cooking Frozen Hamburger Patties On A Stovetop
The stovetop is another way to get the frozen hamburger patties ready. It’s rather convenient and easily accessible too. While the grill and the oven may seem too complex or confusing to some, the stovetop is humbler and more convenient to deal with for many people.
So, let’s see how it can work out. Here are the steps to follow.
- Get the frozen hamburger patties and separate them from each other (if necessary).
- Check for any separators stuck to the patties. If you see any, remove them.
- Put some oil in a cast iron pan and put the pan on the stove.
- Turn the heat for the stove to medium-high.
- Once the oil is hot enough, place the frozen patties carefully on the pan. Some care is necessary as a small amount of oil might splutter out of the pan on contact with the frozen patty.
- So, add the patties in a slow and deliberate motion.
- You can add as many patties as the pan can comfortably hold. Don’t try to wiggle in any more space than necessary.
- Cook each patty for about 3-5 minutes, then flip.
- It should take about 15 minutes for the patties to be ready.
- A golden crust forming on the patty is a good indicator to let you know that it’s ready. Still, don’t forget to check the internal temperature of the patties.
Use An Air Fryer To Cook The Patties
Many people these days prefer to use an air fryer to do their frying and cooking. The simple reason is that the air fryer can handle frying without requiring too much oil or fat.
This makes the cooked food relatively healthier than deep frying or similar methods.
The small air fryer is not the most efficient way to cook frozen patties, since it can handle only 1-2 patties at a time. Still, there are situations when that’s exactly what you need.
Here are the steps to follow when you want to cook frozen patties in an air fryer.
- Set the air fryer for a temperature of 375°F.
- Season the patty with salt and pepper. You may also want to lightly dab on some oil.
- Put the patty in the air fryer and let it work for about 5 minutes.
- After this time, flip the patties and let the fryer work on them again for another 5 minutes.
- Repeat until the patties are ready. Usually, this should take anywhere between 20-30 minutes. The type and power of the air fryer will impact the total time taken to cook the patties.
Conclusion
There are plenty of ways as discussed in this article on how to cook frozen hamburger patties. The most important part here is to remember that the internal temperature of the patties should reach at least 160°F, especially if you’re working with meat patties.
This is challenging since the frozen patties take some effort to get uniformly cooked. So, it’s best to use a meat or probe thermometer to check the temperature of the patties as they cook.
A safer way still is to let them defrost or thaw before cooking. Once defrosted, the patties are a lot more likely to cook evenly. But even if you’re in a hurry, don’t ignore getting the right internal temperature.