Nothing beats sinking your teeth into a freshly grilled burger. The char-grilled flavor from the grill is simply addicting.
Nevertheless, nothing is more frustrating than realizing you left the burger meat in the freezer after you’ve just got home from a tiresome day at work.
Although the burgers you’ve been craving are still frozen is extremely upsetting, it makes you wonder can you grill frozen burgers.
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Can You Grill Frozen Burgers?
Yes, you can grill frozen burgers. Keeping a box of frozen burgers is convenient since you can pull them out of the freezer and throw them on the grill.
Even if you make your BBQ burgers from scratch, you can make a big batch, store them in the freezer, and grill them anytime a burger craving hits.
Grilling frozen burgers does come with a few issues.
First, the cooking process is a little different since you are working with frozen burgers instead of thawed burgers.
In addition to this, if you do not know how to cook burgers, they can end up dry.
The burgers can also taste like they’ve been sitting in the freezer too long if you leave them in the freezer too long.
Is It Better to Grill Frozen or Thawed Burgers?
Truth be told, there’s nothing wrong with grilling frozen burgers since they will still be delicious.
However, grilling thawed burgers in your kamado grill will always be better.
Defrosted burgers cook more evenly, giving you a juicy, moist burger; therefore, if you have the time to defrost the burgers, thaw them in the fridge overnight.
Tips for Grilling Frozen Burgers
Grilling frozen burgers is more complicated than placing them on your natural gas grill.
That’s why you should follow these grilling tips, so you end up with the juiciest burgers.
If your burger patties are stuck together, pry them apart using a metal spatula.
Do not be afraid of seasoning the burgers. If you do not add enough seasoning to the burgers, they will not be flavorful and delicious.
If you are using pre-made patties, you should always use a brand that you know and love.
This will help you adjust the seasoning level since you are familiar with the brand.
Do not use table salt to season the burger. Always use kosher salt. Kosher salt is not as potent as table salt since the grains are bigger.
It’s best to season the burgers after they have been on your portable pellet grill for 2 minutes and you’ve flipped them over.
The seasoning will not stick to the burger’s frozen surface.
Seasoning the burgers after being on the grill allows the burger to soften, which creates a surface the seasoning can stick to.
Do not turn your grill to high heat. This will not cause the burger to defrost quicker or speed up the cooking process.
The exterior of the burger will burn, while the interior of the burger is as cold as ice.
It’s best not to cook the burgers on low heat for too long. Medium-high heat is best for grilling frozen burgers.
If you’re making a large batch of burgers, do not make them too thin.
When you cook them on the grill, they defrost, which means if the burger patty is too thin, it will be difficult to turn over.
Do not press down the burgers as they cook on the grill. You will press all of the juice out of the meat.
Additionally, when purchasing pre-packed burgers, choose burgers that are free of any fillers for the best results.
One of the biggest drawbacks of grilling is flare-ups. Flare-ups are caused by fat that drips down the meat into the fire.
As a result, an unexpected blast of heat or fire shoots up.
Flare-ups can also give your burgers a bitter unpalatable flavor.
An accumulation of grease is one of the primary reasons flare-ups occur, so make sure your grill is clean before you grill the burgers.
Whether you are searing ribeye steaks in a hot cast-iron skillet, cold smoking cheese in your electric smoker, or grilling burgers om your indoor grill temperature is extremely important.
Just because your burgers have a brown color does not mean that they are cooked.
Your burger could be undercooked on the inside.
This is why you should have an infrared thermometer handy, so you can monitor the burger’s internal temperature.
Monitoring the burger’s internal temperature will also prevent you from overcooking the meat.
How To Grill Frozen Burgers
Now that you know you can grill frozen burgers, let me show you how to grill frozen burgers.
The only drawback of grilling frozen burgers is that they will take twice as long to grill.
First, preheat your charcoal grill to 325°F. Once your grill comes up to the correct temperature, place the burger onto the grill.
Make sure you wash your hands with warm water and soapy water before and after handling the frozen burgers.
Furthermore, do not reuse the materials you used to package the meat and wash all your grilling utensils with hot soapy water.
If you are grilling other foods at the same time, make sure the burgers do not touch the other foods to limit cross-contamination.
Flip the burgers over after two minutes and season them with your preferred seasoning. Grill the burger for 5 minutes, then flip it over and season the other side.
Flip the burgers over one more time and cook it for 5 minutes until they have their internal temperature reaches 160°F.
If you are adding cheese to the burgers, add it during the last 2 minutes of grilling time.
How to Grill Frozen Burgers in the Oven
If you do not have a grill to grill frozen burgers, you can also cook them in the oven.
Simply heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet, then spray it with non-stick cooking spray and place a wire rack on top of it.
Remove the frozen burgers from their packaging and place them onto the prepared pan.
Spray the burgers with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle them with seasoning. The non-stick cooking spray will help the seasoning stick to the burger’s surface.
Bake the burgers for 10 minutes and season the burgers before returning them to the oven, and cook the burgers for another 10 minutes.
If you are using cheese, add it to the burgers during the final 2 minutes of cooking time.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know you can grill frozen burgers, you don’t have to fret the next time you forget to take them out of the freezer.
You might also be interested in the following:
- Can You Grill Frozen Shrimp
- Can You Grill Frozen Hot Dogs
- Can You Grill Frozen Corn
- Can You Grill Frozen Steak
- Can You Grill Frozen Chicken
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.