I Cooked Burgers in Eating places for Years. This Rule-Breaking Trick Nonetheless Shocked Me.

I’ll admit, I raised an eyebrow once I first heard Modernist Delicacies co-author and culinary innovator Chris Younger recommend you may cook dinner burgers immediately from frozen. Cooking frozen meat appears like breaking a sacred kitchen rule. However deep down, I knew he was onto one thing. Years in the past, I labored as a line cook dinner at a high-volume on line casino restaurant in Philadelphia. We might grill lots of of burgers to order each night time, and guess what? We cooked each single one from frozen.

Why? Not as a result of we have been simply chopping corners. It was sensible, constant, and quick. No danger of meat going dangerous within the walk-in fridge, no sticky patties fusing, no last-minute scramble to thaw the burgers. And the frozen burgers? They cooked virtually as shortly as these pulled out of the fridge, and so they have been arguably juicier too. Again then, I did not know the science. I simply knew it labored.

Now I do know the science, and I perceive why cooking burgers from frozen may be the neatest transfer you can also make at residence, whether or not on a grill or stovetop.

Why Frozen Works

Whenever you cook dinner a uncooked burger from the fridge, the muscle fibers (primarily composed of myofibrillar proteins) start to contract as they heat. This contraction pushes out inner moisture, leaving you with a drier patty, particularly in case you barely overshoot your inner temp.

However once you begin from frozen, the middle of the burger takes longer to warmth up. That delay postpones the moisture-squeezing section, giving the burger time to sear and agency up on the surface earlier than the within catches up. As chef Younger explains in his video on Instagram, this thermal lag is essential: “Frozen meat offers you a noticeable bump in juiciness,” as a result of it would not spend as lengthy within the zone the place liquid is misplaced.

My Aspect-by-Aspect Assessments: Frozen vs. Chilly

To see for myself, I ran side-by-side checks with an identical patties in two totally different setups:

Take a look at 1: Frozen vs. chilly on a blazing-hot forged iron griddle

Take a look at 2: Frozen vs. chilly over direct warmth on a fuel grill

Griddle Take a look at Outcomes: On forged iron, each patties browned effectively, however the frozen one had the sting. The longer cooking time gave it a deeper crust and extra developed taste (courtesy of the Maillard response), whereas nonetheless sustaining a medium-rare inside. The chilly patty regarded comparable, however was noticeably drier and barely harder, particularly across the edges.

The frozen patty precipitated a bit extra preliminary splatter when it hit the recent oil, however nothing dramatic— simply sufficient to note. It is the results of floor frost assembly scorching fats. To reduce this, I like to recommend patting the burgers dry earlier than placing them on the griddle, evenly oiling the griddle (with out overdoing it), utilizing a splatter display in case you’re indoors, or reaching for a high-sided cast-iron pan to assist comprise the splatter. With a little bit of care, the additional splatter is well managed, and the flavour payoff is value it.

Grill Take a look at Outcomes: That is the place the frozen burger shone. The refrigerated burger hit flare-up metropolis inside a minute—rendered fats began dripping, and flames adopted. The frozen patty? No flare-ups. It remained extra compact, browned extra slowly and evenly, and in the end ended up juicier, pinker, and better-textured within the heart. Bonus: It held collectively fantastically, which is good news for these (elevating my hand right here!) nervous about burgers falling aside on the grill.

Find out how to Grill (or Griddle) a Frozen Burger Like a Professional

This is the overall approach I like to recommend, with suggestions tailored from Chris Younger’s technique outlined in his video:

1. Begin with patties which can be 1/2- to three/4-inch thick. Flash-freeze them flat on a tray, then stack with parchment in a zip-top bag.

2. Do not season earlier than freezing. Salt pulls moisture out over time. Season as soon as the floor is involved with the pan or grill.

3. Get your pan or grill blazing scorching. Forged iron ought to shimmer with warmth. If grilling, use direct warmth and clear, oiled grates.

4. Pat the patties dry and place the frozen patty on the grill or a evenly greased griddle, then depart it for 2 to 3 minutes. Let the crust construct earlier than flipping. In a griddle pan, you’ll have some preliminary splatter, however nothing you may’t handle.

5. After the crust has constructed on one aspect, start flipping the burgers about each 60 seconds, adjusting warmth as wanted. This encourages even cooking and helps stop scorching.

6. Use a thermometer to make sure doneness: 125 to 130°F for medium-rare, 135°F for medium.

What If You Desire Your Burgers Nicely Performed?

This technique additionally works simply fantastic for well-done burgers. Simply prolong the cooking time and monitor the inner temperature. You may nonetheless get nice crust growth and even cooking from edge to heart, with out the danger of burning the surface earlier than the within is prepared.

It is also value noting that the USDA recommends cooking floor beef to an inner temperature of 160°F for meals security, since dangerous micro organism (comparable to E. coli) may be current all through the combination, not simply on the floor. When you choose your burgers uncommon or medium (I all the time do), know that you just’re stepping outdoors these tips. That is a private selection—I am not right here to let you know what your burger ought to appear to be within the center, simply that will help you cook dinner it higher, nonetheless you prefer it.

Remaining Takeaway: Frozen Is Not a Hole Hack—It is a Higher Technique

Cooking burgers from frozen is not only a shortcut—it is a approach grounded in strong thermal physics and backed by hands-on testing. It solves issues most residence cooks do not even notice they’ve: unpredictable cook dinner occasions, flare-ups, moisture loss, and mushy facilities. It is excellent for weeknight cooks who forgot to thaw, meal-preppers who like having frozen patties able to go, yard grillers uninterested in battling flare-ups and dry edges, and crust-chasers who crave deep browning with out sacrificing juiciness. It is also excellent in case you ever get a longing for a solo burger—simply maintain some patties in your freezer, and pull one out everytime you need one. 

This system is not one thing made up by a beginner meals influencer—it is championed by among the most science-savvy cooks on the market, together with Chris Younger, whose content material first impressed me to attempt it. If you have not tried it but, seize a frozen patty, fireplace up your pan or grill, and see for your self. Want a strong baseline? Begin with our grilled burger recipe and check out it frozen—you would possibly by no means return.

July 2025