Can You Microwave Frozen Burgers?

Can You Microwave Frozen Burgers?

The rate at which burgers are consumed in America is quite amazing. It is estimated that Americans eat about 50 billion burgers each year – which is definitely a whole lot of burgers. Regardless of the unhealthy effects associated with eating so many burgers, people still can’t help themselves.

If you aren’t a vegan, you’ve most likely had your fill of burgers from different fast-food chains across the country. Undeniably, burgers are quite juicy and delicious to eat; why else would people be eating so many of them? 

Burgers are sold at affordable prices and even come in packaged combo deals. Because of how much we’ve grown to love burgers, it’s no surprise how often we crave them. You could just be watching a movie and want to have a burger at that moment.

Thankfully, frozen burgers are made available so that anyone can quickly cook their own burger at home. 

There are different ways of cooking a frozen burger at home, but have you ever tried microwaving?

Lots of people ask: can you microwave frozen burgers? Yes, you can microwave frozen burgers. Set the microwave on high and heat each burger patty at 40-second intervals. After the first 40 seconds are up, flip the patty over and heat for the next 40 seconds. To avoid overcooking the burger, use an instant-read thermometer to confirm the burger’s temperature – the minimum safe temperature that ground beef should be heated to is 160⁰F. 

If done correctly, your frozen burger will have a juicy and delicious taste when cooked in the microwave. So that you don’t make mistakes, I have written this guide to help you cook frozen burgers in the microwave.   

What to Know when Microwaving Frozen Burgers  

Microwaving is a preferable means of cooking frozen burgers because of how fast it is. By using the microwave, your hamburger will be fully cooked in a few minutes. Burger patties made from ground beef cook fast in a microwave because of their soft texture. Cooking frozen burgers in the microwave is also a neater alternative to other available methods. 

Depending on how much fat is present in the meat patty, the burger will either cook fast or a little slow. Lean meats don’t have much fat; hence they’ll cook slower than fat-filled meat. In addition to their slow cooking, lean meats aren’t as delicious and juicy as fatty meat. However, you should know that your fatty meat patty will most likely shrink in size after being subjected to the high microwave heat. 

One other factor that determines how well a frozen burger cooks in the microwave is its brand. There are some cheap frozen burger brands that don’t give great results after being microwaved. It is better to go for the quality frozen burgers that have great customer feedback. Some frozen burgers are made for the microwave, while others don’ list microwaving as part of the cooking options on the packaging. 

How to Cook Frozen Burgers in the Microwave 

Although certain brands don’t suggest microwaving as a cooking option for their frozen burgers, it doesn’t mean that they can’t actually be cooked in a microwave. The process of cooking frozen burgers in a microwave is quite simple. Here’s what you should do: 

  1. Take the frozen burger out of its original pack and place it on a microwave-safe dish. After removing the frozen burger from its pack, you must cook it within the next 2 hours so that they don’t go bad. Perishable foods that have been exposed to room temperature beyond 2 hours should be disposed of.    
  2. Put the microwave’s heat setting on high. Grab the microwave-safe dish with the frozen burgers on top and place it inside the microwave to cook for the next 1 ¾ minutes. Note that this cooking time is for quarter pounder beef burgers – smaller burgers should be cooked for a shorter time. After cooking for the first 1 ¾ minutes, turn off the microwave for a minute before flipping the burger over and heating again for another 1 ¾ minutes.  
  3. During the short time that the microwave is turned off, you can quickly get other ingredients ready. Once you’ve checked and confirmed that the burger patty is well cooked, put it along with other ingredients inside the bread roll and serve for eating.    
  4. Be careful not to get the burger dry and overcooked.  

Alternative Cooking Methods for Frozen Burgers   

The microwave isn’t the only available method for cooking frozen burgers. You can cook frozen burgers on a grill, in the oven, and you can also BBQ the frozen burgers. Here are some short steps to follow when using any of these methods: 

  • Cooking Frozen Burgers in the Oven – Start by pre-heating your oven to 270⁰F. Remove the frozen burger from its packaging and put it on a baking sheet. Allow the burger to cook in the oven for 6 minutes and then flip it on its side to cook for another 6 minutes. Once the burger is well-cooked, remove it from the oven, put between bread rolls, and serve it on a plate to eat.
  • Cooking Frozen Burgers on a Grill – Start by pre-heating the grill. Once the grill is hot enough, grill the burger for about 15 minutes. During that cooking time, the burger should be flipped on its side and turned at regular intervals. 
  • Cooking a BBQ Burger – Get the BBQ’s coals burning with a smokey grey glow. After that, take the frozen burgers out of their pack and place them on the BBQ grill. Turn the burgers over from time to time till they’re completely cooked and ready to eat. Put the burger between bread rolls with other ingredients of choice and take the first bite. 

Related Questions:

Common questions that people ask concerning the cooking of frozen burgers include:  

How can you tell if a burger is done? 

Put an instant-read thermometer in the center of the burger to check its temperature. The minimum safe temperature for a cooked burger is 160⁰F – make sure your burger is above this temperature after being cooked. 

How long can frozen burgers sit out?   

Once the pack is opened, frozen burgers will be good for only 2 hours. Once 2 hours have lapsed, the burger will go bad and will have to be discarded. 

How long do frozen burgers cook in the microwave?     

Frozen burgers will cook fully in the microwave within 2 – 3 minutes. Turn the burger on its side at regular intervals for the best result.