Burgers have got to be one of the best things ever created on this earth. If you get the right one, even if it is from Burger King, McDonalds or any of the specialty joints, it is always a good experience and something that will satisfy your craving.
So for whatever reason you have a hamburger that you did not finish or stored it in the fridge and you want to heat it up, then consider yourself lucky you ended up on this page.
Reheating burgers are a very tricky process and if you want to capture even 50% of the essence when you first bought it, then follow some of the steps below.
Why Reheat a Burger?
Sometimes, life can come at you fast. You might have a left over burger from last night’s dinner or you freeze some burgers from IN n Out or Five Guys, just so you could have a stash to grab at when you get that burger craving.
People have many reasons why they would want to reheat a burger. Whatever it is, the reheating process is not difficult to do and the result will vary from ‘ok’ to this is ‘actually pretty good’
How to Reheat a Burger in the Oven?
For most people the oven/toaster oven would be a good option to try if you are reheating a lot of burgers/patties.
While the oven will be able to reheat the patties, as well as toast the burger buns, it does take some time to get everything warmed up, so take that into consideration.
Steps to Follow
- Separate your burger. It is a good idea to disassemble your burger before placing it in the oven. Take off the buns, scrape off the condiments (ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard). Also take off the pickles, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. Place everything to the side. If there is cheese, you can leave it on the patty.
- Reheat the patties. Place the burger patties in an oven safe dish. Heat the oven to 400 F. You can place the patties in there to heat up for about 10 – 15 minutes.
- Reheating the buns. 4 or 5 minutes before the patties are done, you can place the burger buns inside the oven. The key is to make sure that you get the buns nice and toasty.
- You can now re-add all the pieces together and you should be back in business.
How to Reheat a Burger on the Grill?
If you want to retain that smoky taste and flavor, then the grill is the perfect option for reheating your burger.
Steps to Follow
- Separate the burger. In this first step, only the buns and patties will be going on the girll. This means, taking the buns, putting them to the side scrape off all condiments like mayo, mustard, ketchup and pickles off the patties and have the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions aside as well.
- Reheat the patties. Heat up the grill with a medium flame and place the patties on it. Put the patties on for about a minute or two. Remember, the patties are already cooked, so you do not want to recook them again, as this will dry it out.
- Reheating the buns. This is pretty quick as after the patties are finished, you can place them on the grill for about a minute and some change to get them toasty.
- You can now re-add all the pieces together and enjoy your burger.
How to Reheat a Burger in the Microwave?
While the microwave is not the greatest thing to reheat your burger, it can be done, just note that the results might not be the same as if you were using the grill or oven.
Steps to Follow
- Separate the burger. Take out all the lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles. Put the bun and patties aside.
- Reheat the patties. The microwave is pretty easy, as you can zap them till they are finished (Usually about 30 secs – 1 minute at high heat).
- Reheating the buns. Reheating the buns can be tricky in the microwave. You do not want to keep them in too long as they will become soggy, so 10-15 seconds on a low heat.
- You can now re-add all the pieces together and enjoy your burger.
Use Caution When Reheating With the Microwave
If you are even considering putting your burger in the microwave to heat it up, then you might end up with something in-edible. The microwave can be a horrible option and if not done correctly, the food is going to be mushy and disgusting. The bread will get super soggy, the veggies will also become soggy, it is just an overall fail. Stay away if you can, you have been warned.
What About Fries?
If you have fries that need to be done, then you can take a look at my quick guide to warming up french fries. Cold fries are awful, but if you follow the steps that I lay out in the article, you should have your meal warmed up and ready to go.
Just to let you know that anything warmed up will not have the same taste as when you first bought it. However, you do not want to throw away your investment, especially if it is very yummy. So hopefully this helped you out, so prepare for a nice meal in a few.
Hi, Jeremy, thanks for sharing this. I always bring the burger from refrigerator to the room temperature. After it comes to normal condition, separate the buns, vegetables, condiments, and patty. I always prefer a Microwave for reheating the burger.