# Frying a frozen hamburger patty. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 29, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725 "2005-03-29T03:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/1 "2005-03-29T03:28:02Z")
Is there a secret I don’t know about? I’ve tried thawing first, not thawing, salt, no salt, and different temps. They always finish tough. All the way from med rare through well makes no difference. They fare slightly better in my George Forman grill, but are still pretty tough. Fresh hamburger is no problem, only patties that have been frozen. Wendy’s does it! I’m single. I _have_ to eat frozen hamburger patties. ;j With cheese. Please help. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/2 "2005-03-29T03:34:11Z")
What brand of patties do you buy? My ostrich burgers are always dry, but ostrich just isn’t a juicy critter. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/3 "2005-03-29T03:44:06Z")
Please, please, please tell us you got a new [set of pans](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=198659&highlight=fried+semen) in the last year or so. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/4 "2005-03-29T03:57:34Z")
I marinate mine in worchestershire sauce and any other thing that sounds yummy at the time. And I cook 'em fast. I like them kinda pink in the middle. Incidentally, if you are cooking them well done they likely will be tough. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/5 "2005-03-29T03:59:08Z")
Defrost overnight in the sink. Store in the frig during the day. Cook at night. Lather, rinse, repeat. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/6 "2005-03-29T04:02:37Z")
> [@Large Marge](#): > > I like them kinda pink in the middle. > > Incidentally, if you are cooking them well done they likely will be tough. It’s true. _Samonella enteriditis_ lends a wonderful moistness to the meat. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/7 "2005-03-29T04:05:43Z")
Boca burgers can be microwaved from frozen, a point that makes up for their non-meat taste, IMHO. But my favorite are Gardenburgers. I really think vegetarian food should stop trying to imitate meat. Gardenburgers are delicious with a flavor all their own. Just ideas if you’re like me and have cats who nibble on meat you leave out to defrost overnight, or a fridge that likes to hide thawed meat until it spoils. ---
**Author:** ![Squonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squonk)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/8 "2005-03-29T05:13:50Z")
I have the same problem with frozen hamburgers. I found the best way of dealing with it is being too drunk to drive. Otherwise I go to Wendy’s. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/9 "2005-03-29T05:16:10Z")
I cook frozen HB patties fairly often. What works for me is a med/low heat and it takes awhile. If the heat is turned up too high, but the time the inside is done, the outside is burnt. Also you might consider adding a small amount of water to the pan (couple of tablespoons, no more) and covering with a lid, the steam generated will help thaw the burger. ---
**Author:** ![mcott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@mcott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcott)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/10 "2005-03-29T06:46:43Z")
The question is, do you make your own patties? The large chain grocery store near me (Loblaws) has boxes of 8 quite tasty burgers in many tasty combinations (Sirloin; Portobello / Swiss; Pork / Beef / Onion; Cheddar Cheese inside; etc.). They are designed to be cooked from frozen, in about 10 minutes. Got a local store with boxed meat? ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/11 "2005-03-29T07:08:04Z")
Foreman Grill wise (pretty much my own manner of cooking) I find it depends heavily on the meat thickness. If you go to Wally World they sell boxes of about 30 patties which are fairly thin. I find those work pretty well, though you may have to eat two at a time to satisfy the manly hunger. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/12 "2005-03-29T09:58:38Z")
Defrost in the microwave, making sure to periodically flip the patties and rotate the plate, so that they don’t start spot-cooking. If you do this right, there should be no hard semi-frozen spots, nor partially cooked spots. Then slather 'em with some good barbecue sauce and pop 'em into the Foreman grill. I’ve found that the BBQ sauce helps provide more contact surface for the heat to cook the meat more quickly and keeps the outside of the burger from drying out and burning. From frozen hockey puck to tender burger in 10 minutes or less. Just make sure to clean that grill before it cools off, or else that BBQ sauce is a bitch to clean off once it hardens. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/13 "2005-03-29T13:04:45Z")
I never seem to have trouble… frozen or fresh, they turn out okay. I own a Foreman grill as well, but it seems to dry the burgers out too much. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/14 "2005-03-29T15:08:17Z")
It’s because they’re made with the worst possible grade of meat, then mashed mercilessly into shape, then frozen. Here’s a thought: Buy your own decent grade of ground meat, make your own patties, then…wait for it…_freeze them yourself!_ ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/15 "2005-03-29T15:38:26Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Here’s a thought: Buy your own decent grade of ground meat, make your own patties, then…wait for it…_freeze them yourself!_ Oh the humanity of it!!! But that’s an extra 10 minutes of work! Ok, that’s what Mrs. Butler and I do. We actually buy all of our meats in bulk (no, not truckload bulk, rather “family size” packages) and seperate and freeze them ourselves. Saves a boatload of money, and gets us better quality meats. Our hamburger is ground by the FIL, which makes it even cheaper, and extra tastey, and higher quality. As for the prefrozen hamburger pucks, unless a proper butcher did the forming, or they are high quality frozen burgers, they will be tough, as described by _ **Chefguy** _. ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/16 "2005-03-29T16:15:33Z")
How I do mine: place frozen patty in a small pan with a lid on medium-hi heat add a little water, prepare bun, slice onion and tomato, remove lid, flip burger wait impatiently 1-2 minutes, remove burger from pan, assemble and eat. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/17 "2005-03-29T16:32:15Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Just make sure to clean that grill before it cools off, or else that BBQ sauce is a bitch to clean off once it hardens. Clean a Foreman grill? Never thought to do _that_. Doesn’t its next use “heat it clean”? ---
**Author:** ![Fanny\_May](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3be4f8/32.png) [@Fanny\_May](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fanny_May)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/18 "2005-03-29T16:38:38Z")
You should put a little water in the pan, then it will steam the patty through. After I turn it, I add a bit of italian dressing on top. You’d be amazed how that simple step makes it taste moist and flavorful. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/19 "2005-03-29T16:47:16Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > Clean a Foreman grill? Never thought to do _that_. Doesn’t its next use “heat it clean”? OMG. That is the exact reason I got rid of my GF Grill and got a Hamilton Beach model from Target last week (just $50). Too hard to keep clean the GF and the cat keeps licking and knocking over the grease catcher. The Hamilton Beach Grill has removable heated plates, the grease catcher is contained in the unit and it even has a mechanical (dial) timer. Much better than even the so called “next generation” GF grill IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Hecubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ec9cab/32.png) [@Hecubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hecubis)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725/20 "2005-03-29T17:35:07Z")
I know you said fry but I always cook them in the oven on the broiler pan. I cook them from frozen and they always turn out fine and the bonus is you can add the cheese and then switch the oven to broil to get a nice melty cheese. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frying-a-frozen-hamburger-patty/296725.md?page=2)