I’ll admit, I raised an eyebrow once I first heard Modernist Delicacies co-author and culinary innovator Chris Younger recommend you’ll be able to cook dinner burgers instantly 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 would grill a whole bunch of burgers to order each evening, and guess what? We cooked each single one from frozen.

Why? Not as a result of we had been simply reducing corners. It was sensible, constant, and quick. No threat 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 nearly as shortly as these pulled out of the fridge, and so they had 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 is likely to be the neatest transfer you can also make at residence, whether or not on a grill or stovetop.

Why Frozen Works

Once 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 should you barely overshoot your inner temp.

However while you begin from frozen, the middle of the burger takes longer to warmth up. That delay postpones the moisture-squeezing part, 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 Facet-by-Facet Checks: Frozen vs. Chilly

To see for myself, I ran side-by-side assessments with equivalent patties in two totally different setups:

Check 1: Frozen vs. chilly on a blazing-hot forged iron griddle

Check 2: Frozen vs. chilly over direct warmth on a fuel grill

Griddle Check Outcomes: On forged iron, each patties browned properly, 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 seemed comparable, however was noticeably drier and barely more durable, particularly across the edges.

The frozen patty triggered 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 attenuate this, I like to recommend patting the burgers dry earlier than placing them on the griddle, calmly oiling the griddle (with out overdoing it), utilizing a splatter display should 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 price it.

Grill Check 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 finally ended up juicier, pinker, and better-textured within the middle. Bonus: It held collectively fantastically, which is good news for these (elevating my hand right here!) apprehensive about burgers falling aside on the grill.

How you can Grill (or Griddle) a Frozen Burger Like a Professional

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

1. Begin with patties which are 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 in touch 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 calmly 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’ll be able to’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 Want Your Burgers Effectively Performed?

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

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

Closing Takeaway: Frozen Is Not a Hole Hack—It is a Higher Methodology

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 understand they’ve: unpredictable cook dinner occasions, flare-ups, moisture loss, and mushy facilities. It is supreme for weeknight cooks who forgot to thaw, meal-preppers who like having frozen patties able to go, yard grillers bored with battling flare-ups and dry edges, and crust-chasers who crave deep browning with out sacrificing juiciness. It is also good should you ever get a longing for a solo burger—simply preserve some patties in your freezer, and pull one out everytime you need one. 

This method is not one thing made up by a beginner meals influencer—it is championed by a number of 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 take a look at it frozen—you may by no means return.

July 2025