Beef burgers are very popular, whether you have them at home cooking them on the barbecue, or out at a restaurant. You can get them as fast food or even in upmarket restaurants.
They can be served as they are or with fried onions, melted cheese, salad ingredients, and sauces. Perhaps you like ketchup or mayonnaise or brown sauce. Maybe you like to have a double burger piled high with other fillings (see also Is Freezing McDonalds A Good Idea?).
However, what if you have a barbecue at home and have leftovers? Alternatively, minced meat might be on sale and you’ve stocked up. How can you keep beef burgers without them spoiling? The answer is simple. Freeze them.
You can freeze either uncooked or cooked beef burgers (see also Freezing Beef Steak), and in this article, we will tell you how to do it.
How To Freeze Cooked Beef Burgers
1.Cool down the beef burgers.
Put the burgers on the countertop and allow them to cool. Put them on a cold plate to speed up the cooling process. They should be cold within two hours. After this time there is a danger that bacteria could develop, and you could become sick after eating the burgers.
2. Wrap the beef burgers.
Wrap the burgers individually in foil. If you don’t wrap them separately, they will stick together, and you won’t be able to take out the number of burgers you want. You don’t want to waste any.
3. Put the beef burgers in a freezer bag.
Squeeze out as much air as possible from the freezer bag to stop freezer burn from occurring. The burgers will still be safe to eat but they will lose taste, texture, and color. Put a label on the bag so that you know when you put it in the freezer. You will want to use the burgers by the use-by date.
4. Put the bag in the freezer.
How To Freeze Uncooked Beef Burgers
1. Make your beef burger patties with your favorite seasonings.
2. Flash freeze the beef burgers.
Get a baking tray and put a sheet of parchment paper on it. Lay out the beef patties on the tray. Make sure that they aren’t touching each other so that they don’t stick together when they are bagged up. Put the tray in the freezer and freeze for around one hour until the burgers are firm.
3. Wrap the beef patties in aluminum foil.
Wrap the patties individually so that you can take out as many or as few as you need. This will avoid wastage.
4. Put the patties in a freezer bag.
Squeeze the air out of the freezer bag so that freezer burn doesn’t occur. Put a label on the bag with the date you put the bag in the freezer.
5. Freeze.
Tips For Freezing Beef Burgers
- Wrap the burgers tightly in aluminum foil. If you don’t, they will probably end up hard. Double wrap them to be extra sure.
- Squeeze the air out of the freezer bag so that freezer burn doesn’t occur.
- Cooked beef burgers only last for a day or two in the fridge so if you don’t want to eat them within this time, freeze them quickly. It is best to freeze them as soon as they have cooled down. This ensures that they don’t spoil.
- Raw beef burgers freeze better than cooked (see also Freezing Cooked Beef). Obviously, if you have cooked leftovers, you can still freeze them but if you are making burgers from scratch to freeze, freeze them uncooked. The reason for this is that moisture is lost during the cooking process so cooked burgers won’t be as juicy when they are defrosted and cooked.
For How Long Can You Freeze Beef Burgers?
You can freeze beef burgers for four months (see also How To Freeze Beef Brisket) whether they are cooked or uncooked. Remember to put a label on the freezer bag so you know when you put the burgers in the freezer. If you keep them in the freezer for over four months they will start to spoil, and you could become sick when you come to eat them.
Can You Refreeze Beef Burgers?
Yes, you can. It is completely safe to refreeze beef burgers. However, cooked beef burgers will start to deteriorate in texture if they are frozen, defrosted, and frozen again. Moisture is lost and the burgers will end up dry. Raw burgers fare better if they are refrozen but if you wrap your burgers individually, you can take out only the number of burgers you need. And there will be no reason to refreeze.
Is It a Good Idea To Freeze Beef Burgers?
Yes, it is. Beef burgers freeze remarkably well whether they are cooked or raw. They are a great staple to have in the freezer if you work long hours. Put them in the fridge overnight and they’ll be ready to cook when you get in from work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you now know all there is to know about freezing beef burgers but if you are still curious about burgers, we have answered a few questions here.
Can you freeze burgers made with other meat?
Yes, you can freeze burgers made with any other sort of meat. For a change, make burgers from pork, lamb, chicken (see also Can You Freeze Breaded Chicken?), or turkey mince.
How can you make your burgers more exciting?
If you like spice, add chili, cumin, and cilantro to the mince. Put in some peanut butter if you want a nutty taste. It also adds moisture to the burger. Add some herbs like thyme and rosemary (see also Freezing Rosemary). Garlic is also a good addition.
What are good toppings for beef burgers?
We have already mentioned onions and cheese, but bacon is also a good topping as is a fried egg (see also How To Freeze Fried Eggs). If you want to be extravagant, add both bacon and egg together with fried mushrooms and tomatoes. If you want to add some veggies to help you get to your five a day, add coleslaw or sauerkraut. You can try out more exotic cheeses such as feta, halloumi, gruyere, or stilton. Chutney or guacamole are also good additions. If you want to go New York style, add pastrami and mustard and serve on rye bread.
Can you freeze smash burgers?
Smash burgers are exactly what they say they are. They are burgers that have been smashed and are an all-American classic. They can be frozen but they are delicate, so be careful when handling them. It is best to freeze them raw as flash freezing them will make them easier to handle.
