We’ve all been there before: faced with the dilemma of having more food than expected, and the challenge of keeping it at the ideal temperature until the guests arrive.
When grilling hamburgers, this problem is heightened by the desire to deliver that sizzling, just-off-the-grill perfection to every guest.
After all, hamburgers just don’t taste the same when they’re kept in the fridge and taken out and reheated. The juices from the meat deplete, resulting in a drier and less flavorful experience.
And if you let the hamburgers cool down, they won’t only be less appetizing but also increase the risk of foodborne illnesses. That’s certainly not what you want in a family cookout!
So the question now is this: how do you keep hamburgers warm without compromising their texture and flavor? I’ll answer this question and more in this article, including safety precautions, how to prepare the meat, and some interesting FAQs you don’t want to miss.
Once you know the best ways to keep your burgers warm, you can try out the process with my favorite burger recipes:
- Oberon Beer Burgers with Caramelized Onions
- Beer Can Burgers on the Big Green Egg
- Esman’s Fire Burger
- And don’t forget to try Chopped Cheeseburgers on a Hoagie Bun!
Safety Precautions When Grilling Hamburger Patties
Before we discuss the many ways to keep hamburgers warm, it’s important to focus on the safety precautions that you need to consider when grilling the hamburger patties.
First and foremost, careful handling is of the utmost importance.
Keep surfaces clean and separate raw meat from other ingredients to prevent any potential cross-contamination. It’s also wise to wash your hands when handling raw meat—it’s a simple yet effective step to maintain good hygiene in the kitchen.
Next, keep a food thermometer handy to maintain the right internal temperatures during cooking.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, ground beef should reach a temperature of at least 160°F to destroy all of the harmful bacteria that are found within the meat. If you use turkey as the main meat, the temperature should be 165°F.
Ensuring your meat is cooked through not only amps up the flavor but also keeps it safe to consume.
How to Prepare Burger Meat Properly
Upon making the burger patties, keep them in the refrigerator for around 24 hours. Any longer, and the juices will start secreting out of the meat, resulting in a drier burger.
You also have to sprinkle the pepper and salt properly on either side of the patty before you decide to cook.
Adding the salt and pepper just before cooking, ideally around 15 to 30 minutes before, allows you to enjoy the benefits of seasoning without compromising the meat’s moisture content.
This way, the salt has enough time to dissolve and penetrate through the surface, enhancing the patty’s flavor while preventing the risk of excessive dehydration.
3 Best Ways to Keep Your Hamburgers Warm
Here are some important steps for keeping hamburgers warm and moist:
1 – Aluminum Tray
One of the best ways to keep hamburgers warm while making the rest is to place them on a heated aluminum pan.
You can “preheat” the pan by placing it in the oven at around 125°F. This method ensures that the burgers stay at an ideal temperature without overcooking, preserving their juiciness and flavor.
Many ovens also come with a proper “keep warm” setting, so you can use that as well. The oven will adjust the temperature automatically and keep it around 125°F.
But be aware that you can’t leave the oven running on this setting for long periods of time. This is only suitable for keeping the hamburgers moist and warm for around three to four hours.
As soon as you’ve prepared the first batch of hamburgers, remove the heated aluminum tray from the oven and transfer the burgers there. The heat radiated from the warm tray will keep the hamburgers moist and warm for a good amount of time.
To retain the heat, cover the tray with aluminum foil and form somewhat of a tent by folding the rest under the edges. This will increase the warmth and ensure the hamburgers don’t get cold anytime soon.
One thing to keep in mind is to place the hamburgers on the aluminum tray as soon as they’re taken off the grill. Don’t put them on a plate for a while before moving them to the tray.
2 – Using a Crock-Pot
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of using a tray to keep hamburgers warm, using a Crock-Pot is the next best option. It doesn’t always have to be a Crock-Pot either: any slow cooker will do the trick if you know how to regulate the temperature.
After grilling, transfer your hamburgers directly inside a Crock-Pot and put on the cover. Then, set the temperature to 125°F to 150°F, or switch it to the “Warm” setting.
Avoid the “High” or “Low” settings on your Crock-Pot, as both excessive heat and low heat tend to dry out hamburgers. There’s also a risk that the hamburgers will continue to cook until all of the juice has been released from the patty.
For extremely picky eaters, replacing the taste of a hamburger fresh off the grill is virtually impossible. To keep the hamburgers fresh for more than an hour, it would be a wise idea to keep an oven-safe bowl inside the Crock-Pot.
It’s important to note that cookers placed on an open flame are likely to become hotter due to uneven heat distribution.
Therefore, you’ll have to keep rotating the burgers otherwise the ones at the bottom may sear and char. It’s also a wise move to fill a small bowl with water and keep it in the pot to ensure the moisture in the burgers doesn’t decrease significantly.
The moisture will continue to evaporate, and this is going to retain the moisture in the hamburgers as well. Just make sure to not use this method for extended periods of time, as leaving your burgers in the slow cooker for more than an hour will turn your burgers soggy.
3 – Burger Bath
Another excellent method to keep your freshly grilled burgers warm is to try a burger bath. Not only is this technique effective but it’ll also add considerable flavor and moisture to your burgers.
To make this bath, fill a grill-safe pan with beer or beef broth.
Any flavorful liquid can be used, as long as you know how it’s going to affect the taste.
Add the grilled meat into the burger bath and let the pan heat safely. You can likewise place the pan on the grill, but keep it at a distance from the direct heat.
This will keep the meat warm and moist, and you’ll notice that the liquid will also have some additional flavor, which can be used as a sauce later on as well.
FAQs
Can I refrigerate or freeze leftover cooked hamburgers?
Yes, you can both refrigerate and freeze leftover cooked hamburgers.
Store them in the refrigerator for up to three to four days; any longer, the taste will start to turn unpleasant, and the risk of bacterial growth increases.
For longer storage, freezing is a great option.
Wrap the cooked hamburgers individually or separate them with layers of wax paper to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Then, place the wrapped burger in a freeze-safe container or resealable plastic bag. Store for up to two to three months.
Can I reheat frozen burgers without thawing them first?
Yes, you can reheat frozen burgers without thawing them first. However, I’d advise against it as doing so will result in a dry and unevenly reheated burger. Thawing before reheating ensures more even warming and helps maintain the desired texture of the burgers.
What’s the best way to keep burgers warm during a picnic or outdoor event?
Since you most likely don’t have access to an oven or electric appliance while on a picnic, you can use insulated containers or cookers.
Arrange the wrapped burgers in the insulated container or cooler, layering them with additional insulating materials such as towels or newspapers to help retain heat.
Then, place hot packs or thermoses filled with hot water in the container alongside the burgers.
What’s the best way to enhance the moisture of hamburgers?
One simple technique to enhance the moisture of burgers is to opt for ground beef with slightly higher fat content.
Despite the general preference for lean ground beef, choosing beef with a slightly higher fat content is ideal for hamburgers as it enhances both the flavor and moisture.
High-fat beef is also less likely to dry out when reheated.
Final Thoughts
There you have it; a comprehensive guide on how to keep burgers warm and delicious.
As a final note, you should know that once you’ve made the hamburgers and put them in the buns, they can’t be kept moist and warm for a longer period of time. The buns will become soggy and the burgers won’t taste the same.
You should only put the patties together on the buns to ensure that they remain as fresh as possible.
Even if the meat is excellent, nobody likes soggy buns.
If you want more backyard tips including recipes, how-tos, and more, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel!
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
--
If you want more backyard tips including recipes, how-tos and more, make sure you subscribe to my youtube channel