Whether you ordered a grilled burger from your favorite burger joint or made BBQ burgers at home, you should not discard leftover burgers.
Just like reheating brisket is a relatively simple process, reheating burgers is so easy.
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Tips for Reheating Burgers
Before you reheat your burgers, there are some preparation tips that will ensure you end up with a juicy burger.
In the same way, you should not place a cold eye of round steak into a hot skillet; you should not place cold burgers onto a hot kamado grill.
Remove your leftover burgers from the fridge and let them sit for 20 minutes to come to room temperature.
Do not allow your leftover burgers to sit out for too long as bacteria may develop rapidly and cause you to develop a foodborne illness.
If you bought your burgers from a restaurant, deconstruct them before you reheat them.
The burgher bun may reheat faster than the burger patty if you reheat the entire sandwich.
By the time the burger patty reheats, the buns will be as hard as a rock.
How to Reheat a Burger
Reheating burgers is a simple process. In fact, it is as simple as reheating salmon or ribs.
How to Reheat Burgers Using the Oven
The oven is the optimal way to reheat leftover burgers.
Not only is it easy to reheat burgers in the oven, but the oven will reheat the burger patties evenly.
To reheat your leftover burgers, heat the oven to 400°F. Wrap each burger bun with aluminum foil.
Place a pan on the oven’s second rack to catch the burger drippings and arrange your burger patties directly onto the oven’s rack.
Bake the patties for 3 minutes, then turn them over and cook them for an additional 2 minutes until they have a temperature of 165°F.
Place the burger buns onto the oven’s rack, cut side down, and cook them for 2 minutes.
Remove the burger patties and buns, assemble your burgers and serve them.
How to Reheat Burgers on the Stove
Like the oven method, reheating burgers on the stove will result in evenly heated burger patties.
However, reheating burgers on the stovetop involves a few extra steps.
Place a cast-iron skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat to reheat your burger patties on the stovetop.
Depending on your skillet’s size, add 2-3 burger patties into the skillet and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water over the burger patties.
The water will produce steam, preventing the burgers from overcooking and drying out.
Alternatively, you can sprinkle 3 tablespoons of chicken, beef, or vegetable broth over the burgers to add more flavor.
Cover the burgers and cook them for 5 minutes, then remove the burgers from the skillet.
Place the burgers onto a paper towel-lined plate to catch any remaining juices.
Dry your skillet using paper towels, then place the buns cut side down in the skillet.
Cook the buns for 2 minutes until toasted.
Additionally, you can spread a layer of butter onto the burger buns before placing them in the skillet to make them extra toasty.
Assemble your burgers and serve them immediately.
How to Reheat Burgers Using a Grill
If you cooked your burgers on your natural gas grill, reheat them on your grill.
Heat your grill to medium-high heat and arrange your leftover burger patties on the grill.
Cook the burgers for 2-3 minutes, then turn them over and cook them for an additional 1-2 minutes until they have a temperature of 165°F.
Do not press your patties with a grill spatula. Pressing the burger patties will only press the moisture you are trying to preserve out of the burgers.
If you are want to turn your leftover burgers into cheeseburgers, add a slice of cheese to each patty after they have been flipped over.
Place the lid on your charcoal grilland cook the burgers for an additional 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts.
To toast your burger buns, place them on the grill, cut side down, and cook them for 30 seconds until they are toasted.
Assemble your burgers and serve them immediately.
How to Reheat Burgers in the Air Fryer
The excellent thing about air fryers is they work like convection ovens and can reheat or cook anything from a baked potato to salmon.
To reheat your burgers in the air fryer, set it to 350°F and let it run for 5 minutes.
Arrange your patties in the air fryer’s basket in an even layer.
Make sure the burgers do not overlap, resulting in uneven heating.
Cook the burgers for 2 minutes then, turn them over and cook them for an additional 2 minutes.
To toast your burger buns in the air fryer, brush the cut side of the buns with melted butter and cook them for 1 1/2 minutes.
Turn the burger buns over and cook them for an additional 1 1/2 minutes.
Assemble your burgers and serve them immediately.
How to Reheat Burgers in the Microwave
There’s no doubt that the microwave is a convenient timesaver when it comes to reheating foods.
However, the microwave should only be used to reheat foods if you do not have time to use one of the other reheating methods listed above.
The microwave does one of two things.
It dries out food, making them tough and chewy, or it reheats some parts of food while others remain cold.
However, if you must use the microwave, place your burger patties in a microwave-safe dish in an even layer.
Sprinkle a tablespoon of water, chicken, beef, or vegetable broth over each burger patty to keep them from drying out.
Wrap your burgers with plastic wrap, then place them in the microwave and press the reheat setting.
Reheat the burgers for 1 minute, then turn them over and heat them for another minute until the burgers have a temperature of 165°F.
To heat your burger buns, place the burger buns in the microwave and heat them for 20-30 seconds.
Assemble your burgers and serve immediately.
Final Thoughts
Burgers are a universal food. If you end up with leftover burgers instead of eating them cold or throwing them away, reheat them!
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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.