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It's so convenient, too!
Key Takeaways
- Cooking burgers from frozen might sound strange, but it delivers juicier, more tender results.
- A frozen patty takes longer to warm, helping it stay moist and develop a flavorful crust.
- Simple tips, like drying patties and flipping often, make this method easy for any grill or stovetop.
There are more tips for making the perfect burger than there are stars in the sky. Or that's how it feels, anyway, especially when summer rolls around. Everyone has their own ideas about how to upgrade the homemade burger game, so it's hard not to view another trick with skepticism.
I certainly did when I saw this trick from Chef Chris Young: cook your burgers from frozen. Wait, what? I'm allowed to do that? Every bone in my body says, "Do not cook frozen, raw meat," but the results certainly looked promising. Turns out, not only is this hack convenient, it delivers more consistently charred outside and juicy insides than other methods, whether on a grill or the stovetop.
Why Cooking Burgers From Frozen Works, According to Science
As our sister brand Serious Eats explains, muscle fibers naturally contract as they warm up. The more they contract, the chewier and tougher your burger will be. When cooking a non-frozen patty, those fibers start to contract as soon as they hit the heat. Opting for a frozen patty means the proteins inside the burger take much longer to warm and then contract, resulting in a juicier, more tender burger.
My immediate concerns were: 1. Wouldn't these burgers splatter like crazy once they hit the pan, and 2. Is your only option a rare burger? Luckily, author Leah Colins addressed both issues in her Serious Eats article. Drying off the frozen patties before cooking on a griddle or pan helps minimize splatter, and they actually flare far less when grilled than regular burger patties. She also emphasizes that you can cook the burger to any doneness you like, from rare to well-done, and still get good results.
I like that this method means a really good crust on the outside of the patty, truly the best part. This means more flavor across the board.
Tips for Cooking Burgers From Frozen
Young and Colins have some simple, handy tips for using their burger tip:
- This trick is especially great on the grill, since it greatly reduces flare-ups. It also works indoors, but you'll get a bit more splatter.
- Patties that are 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick work best. If you're making your own, separate them with squares of parchment and store them in a freezer bag. This trick should work well with store-bought frozen burger patties as well.
- Don't season the burgers until they're cooking on the grill, griddle, or pan. Salting too early can toughen the meat.
- Sear each side for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip every minute or so until the patties hit your desired temperature (medium is 135 degrees F, 57 degrees C).
Read the original article on Allrecipes
