How to Cook Frozen Burgers

When you want a burger, you want a burger. Sometimes you just don’t want to wait for a full-on refrigerator thaw-out. So, what do you do?

In this blog, we’ll go over how to cook burgers from frozen.

Here at Frontière Natural Meats, we sell a variety of burger patties, pre-formed and frozen for convenient storage until you’re ready to cook them. From frozen bison burgers to organic beef burgers to frozen elk burgers, as well as all-natural beef burgers and even blended burgers, we’ve got varieties for every taste. For our purposes in this blog, we’ll use frozen bison burgers as the primary example.

Traditionally, we might suggest you place your frozen burgers in the refrigerator to thaw slowly and safely overnight. But it’s also perfectly safe to cook frozen bison burgers — or whatever type of meat you choose.

Can you safely cook a burger from frozen?

Yes, you can cook a frozen burger. There are actually a lot of different types of meat you can cook from a frozen state. It usually just takes a little extra time to make sure the meat is cooked through. The biggest risk is uneven cooking. But since our frozen bison burger patties are flat and uniform in size, it’s easier to control the end result. Give yourself a little extra time, and you'll be amazed at how juicy and tasty a burger cooked directly from the freezer can be.

Choose your cooking method

When cooking frozen bison burgers, you can realistically choose one of several cooking methods. Cook frozen burgers on a grill, in an oven or on the stovetop in a pan. One of the keys with cooking burgers from frozen is not to use super high heat. Heating too high, too quickly, can result in uneven cooking and burgers sticking to the cooking surface.

Use a metal spatula or butter knife

Our frozen burgers come two or three patties to a pack. When they’re frozen, they’re likely going to be pretty stuck together. We recommend defrosting for 30 seconds to one minute in the microwave just to soften the edges a bit. Then, using a metal spatula is a good way to separate them. Use a kitchen towel to hold the patties steady, then wedge the spatula between the patties slowly and firmly. You can alternately use a butter knife. Just be careful never to use a steak knife in order to avoid accidentally cutting yourself.

Consider adding seasoning

Seasoning is a great idea for a burger, and there’s no reason not to season a frozen burger. The only issue you might have is that it won’t stick as well to the frozen meat as it would to a burger that’s slightly thawed. Microwaving the frozen bison burgers for a short 30-second defrost in the microwave will help soften the surface, allowing the spices to adhere more readily to the meat.

When it comes to burger seasoning, consider a selection from our newest partner, Savory Spice. The Santa Maria’s Sea Salted BBQ Rub has a briney flavor with notes of garlic and pepper that pairs perfectly with beef, bison or elk. Order it on its own, or enjoy it as part of the Frontière Natural Meats Grill Master Collection.

Flip and check often

When cooking bison burgers from frozen, take care to flip the burgers every 3 to 5 minutes or so. Check the temperature periodically until the burger is done cooking — once it reaches about 160 degrees F, the USDA for beef. It may take 20 minutes or more to cook your burger this way.

The great thing is that you can cook just about any burger from frozen, whether you choose frozen bison burgers, frozen elk burgers or simply frozen beef burgers. Just give yourself a little extra time and be prepared to flip frequently. You’ll enjoy a juicy, flavorful burger just like you would if you had cooked it from a thawed state.