BBQ-Heroes

Can You Grill Frozen Burgers?

Sometimes, you need to grill frozen burgers. Maybe you forgot to thaw them, unexpected guests show up, or you simply crave a late-night burger after a long BBQ session. Whatever the reason, sometimes you must make do with what you have.

Do you need to thaw burgers before grilling?

Short answer? It’s better, but not necessary.

Thawing takes time. The quickest method, submerging them in cold water while still packaged, can take 45 minutes to an hour. By then, your hunger might have passed, or your guests may have run off to the nearest fast-food joint. That’s when grilling frozen burgers becomes a solid option.

Why does it take longer to grill frozen burgers?

Meat is fully cooked when it reaches the correct internal temperature. For burgers, that’s 70°C (158°F) for well-done or 55°C (131°F) if you like to live a little dangerously.

A thawed burger starts at around 6°C (43°F) and only needs to heat up about 64 degrees. A frozen burger coming straight from the freezer at -18°C (0°F) must climb 88 degrees to reach doneness. That extra time adds up.

You would think cranking up the heat might help, but that’s a mistake. The outside will cook much faster than the inside, producing a charred crust with a raw or frozen centre. By the time the inside is done, the outside is burned.

The best grill temperature to grill frozen burgers

For the best results, you grill frozen burgers over medium heat at around 180°C (356°F). A good rule of thumb is if you can hold your hand about 10 cm (4 inches) above the grill for 5 seconds, you’re at the right heat level.

If the temperature is too high, you’ll end up with dry, blackened hockey pucks that are cold in the middle.

If you’re tempted to go lower to ensure even cooking, that’s also a bad idea. Bacteria multiply fastest between 6°C (43°F) and 60°C (140°F). The longer your meat stays in this temperature range, the greater the risk of foodborne illness.

That’s different from low-and-slow cooking, where meat is brought well past 70°C (158°F) for an extended period, killing bacteria along the way.

How to prevent uneven cooking

When grilling a burger, many interesting chemical reactions take place. These reactions transform the colour and flavour of the meat. However, with frozen burgers, the side touching the grill starts this process immediately while the frozen side resists it. This can cause uneven cooking, with some parts browning or drying out faster than others.

To prevent this, you flip the burgers every couple of minutes. Forget about those perfect grill marks. Grilling frozen patties doesn’t work that way. Keep flipping to ensure even cooking.

Once one side has thawed, season it with salt. Doing this too early is pointless because the salt would just slide off the icy surface.

It helps if your burgers aren’t too lean. Fat keeps them juicy and acts as insulation, slowing down temperature changes.

An 80/20 meat-to-fat ratio is ideal, but more fat is fine too. Our burgers are made from brisket, so they’re naturally juicy. Even when cooked from frozen, they stay juicy and flavourful.

How long does it take to grill frozen burgers?

Cooking a frozen burger from -18°C (0°F) to 70°C (158°F) takes about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

Our burgers were about 2 cm (¾ inch) thick and took 20 minutes to reach doneness. That’s longer than grilling a thawed patty but still faster than thawing them first. And hey, at least you get to stand by the grill instead of waiting around.

Around the 15-minute mark, grab your instant-read thermometer and start checking the internal temp. You should never rely on guesswork, especially with frozen meat.

Imagine your guests biting into an ice-cold burger. That’s not exactly the experience you want to serve.

Things speed up quickly once the burger reaches 60°C (140°F). So this is not the time to wander off for a beer. Have your buns (toasted or not) ready, and make sure the ketchup and mayo are on the table.

That way, when your burgers are perfectly cooked, they go straight from the grill to the plates.

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