Why You Shouldn't Cook Frozen Burgers On A Gas Or Charcoal Grill

While there are quite a few fast food restaurants that serve burgers made from always-fresh, never-frozen beef patties, there are just as many, if not more, that still cook patties that have been stored in the freezer — and that's okay. It isn't so much whether or not you use frozen meat that matters, but how you choose to cook it. If you were tempted by the convenience of pre-formed frozen burger patties (or you made them yourself and then froze them), you might be wondering if you can skip the thaw and cook them directly on your gas or charcoal grill. Food Republic spoke with Abe Kamarck, founder and CEO at True Made Foods (where they're "Bringing BBQ Back to its Roots"), who told us, "I would not recommend using frozen burgers on a gas or charcoal grill."

At-home grilling aficionados may want to think twice before tossing a frozen patty onto the grill. "Frozen burgers were designed for the food service industry, and were meant to be used on flat top grills that cook and sear evenly," the expert shared. He explained that this same design is not true of charcoal or gas grills, "where there are different [temperature] exposures as the burger is exposed to an open flame and a hot metal bar at different intervals." While it is safe to grill frozen burgers directly on the grates from a foodborne illness perspective, it can obviously take a lot longer and it tends to result in uneven cooking.

Before you abandon your grill completely (or avoid freezer-bound patties), there are ways that you actually can use your grill to cook frozen hamburgers, but you'll want to put something between the flames and the chilled meat. "Ideally, you want to use a flat, cast iron top like a cast iron pan or a Blackstone," according to Abe Kamarck. And as an added bonus, you won't have to deal with grilling flare-ups. If you have this cook top on hand, then the expert actually recommends preparing your patties without defrosting. "It's better to cook them straight from frozen," Kamarck shared. "They are designed to be cooked that way."

His advice was to create two zones: A hot zone to get the burgers cooking (up to 110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit), and a warm zone to finish them off. What you don't want to do is put them on a screaming hot surface, as that will likely char the outside in no time, while leaving the inside uncooked or undercooked, especially if the burgers are thicker. To ensure your patties are cooked properly, Kamarck advised, "The most important step is to use a meat thermometer to constantly check on the internal [temperature]." The safest temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit — that's well-done — but it's up to you and your risk threshold if you want to enjoy a bit of pink in the middle.