How should I pre-cook a burger to be micrwaveable?

How should I pre-cook a burger to be micrwaveable? - Positive ethnic cook in apron standing at counter in food truck and giving delicious hamburger to anonymous woman customer in daytime

Start with a generic 1/3rd lb patty of ground beef, either frozen or fresh.

Normally I follow the advice from How do you grill a perfect burger?, however, I want to make many. How can I cook and store the extra patties for lunch the next day or more? Given that at work, I only have a microwave to reheat the meaty goodness.

Step 1. Cook beef patty
Step 2. ???
Step 3. Profit


Best Answer

I think a microwaved, reheated burger is probably not going to compare favorably to a freshly-cooked burger. With that said, I think the main thing for the pre-cooking is that it would need to be start off a little undercooked, otherwise the heating process is going to result in it being overcooked (since you're saying you're looking for some pink in the middle).

Other than that, I think the key is more in how you microwave it. Obviously, you want it to cook evenly. I'm assuming you're starting from refrigerator-cold. If you start from frozen it is going to have a lot more trouble heating evenly. Also, it might go without saying, but I'd cook the meat on its own (no bun or condiments).

Most microwaves tend to have hot spots in certain areas. There is a pretty interesting (IMO) blog post that demonstrates this using papadam (those crispy lentil crackers you get at many Indian restaurants). The ones tested in that experiment, seemed to mostly be good directly in the center of the tray, so that might be the best placement. If you want to be really super-scientific about it, you can try to replicate that method and figure out how to arrange your food in your microwave.

But if you don't have any papadam handy and you don't know what your office microwave is doing, you may want to find a supposedly-microwave-safe plate that still tends to get hot in the microwave and heat your burger on that. I think the plate is going to transfer heat more evenly to the burger than the microwave would. (On the other hand, I sometimes question whether dishes that get really super hot in the microwave are, indeed, as microwave-safe as they claim to be, so use caution....) Using a real plate, though, instead of a paper plate should help with the evenness of the heating.

I'd also suggest cooking it in short bursts (15s at a time) and letting it rest in between, or cooking it on low if your microwave has power settings (which just does the same intermittent power thing anyway).




Pictures about "How should I pre-cook a burger to be micrwaveable?"

How should I pre-cook a burger to be micrwaveable? - Photo of Beef Patties Being Grilled
How should I pre-cook a burger to be micrwaveable? - Crop anonymous male cook pouring mayonnaise sauce from bottle to fried pulled pork on bun in kitchen
How should I pre-cook a burger to be micrwaveable? - Frying pan with patties in kitchen



Can you microwave pre cooked burgers?

Nuking something in the microwave is always a quick and easy way to reheat leftovers, and burgers are no different. With this method, you can place the patty in the center of a microwave-safe plate or paper towel. Foodiosity recommends placing a bowl over the burger to keep the released moisture from escaping.

How do you pre cook burgers?

  • Lightly dampen your hands and shape the hamburger into patties. ...
  • Cover the dish with plastic wrap or a paper towel to prevent splattering. ...
  • Leave the hamburgers in the microwave for one to two minutes after the cooking time completes so the carryover heat finishes cooking the patties.


  • Can I cook burgers ahead of time?

    Don't form hamburger patties more than 24 hours in advance. At this point, the juices will begin to seep out, and the texture of the finished burgers will suffer as a result. Similarly, don't season the patties with salt and pepper until you're ready to start cooking.

    Can you microwave beef burgers?

    Can you cook a hamburger in the microwave? Yes, you sure can! In fact, it's one of the easiest ways to make a burger! All you need is a few minutes, wax paper, and a microwavable container.



    How to Warm Up a Burger : Food, Glorious Food




    More answers regarding how should I pre-cook a burger to be micrwaveable?

    Answer 2

    Form the patties and place in a nonstick pan. Once you have got all your patties in the pan (make sure they are thin) cook all the way them at 250F in the oven (make sure you watch them). Let them cool then place them in Ziploc bags. Freeze them.

    The night before work place them in bottom fridge to start thawing. On your way to work it will be still frozen (pack your lunch with ice packs). At lunchtime, place them in microwave for about a minute, then turn, cook another minute, and they'll be done:-)

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Kampus Production, Ron Lach, Kampus Production, Katerina Holmes