Best Way to Freeze Homemade Hamburger Patties

Making hamburger patties in bulk and freezing them is one of my favorite ways to save money and make busy weeknight dinners easier. After feeding a large and busy family for many years, I’ve found that keeping things SIMPLE is the best way to freeze hamburger patties and cook the best!

I’ll show you how to form, flash-freeze, separate and store homemade hamburger patties so they don’t stick together or fall apart.

I’ve been asked many times how I make such a nice juicy burger and go about making mass quantities of homemade hamburger patties and freezing them…ever since I started creating these recipes using frozen hamburger patties.  

You can save a ton of money by buying ground meat in bulk at the grocery store, making your own Homemade Hamburger Patties, and freezing them for later. This beef patties recipe has super simple ingredients and makes yummy juicy burgers when you are ready to cook!

It’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner! Sometimes it’s worth it to make your own homemade foods and other times the effort isn’t cost-effective…but this one is!!

Homemade Hamburger Patties and How to Freeze for Later

I have a large family and I’ve learned that the best way to make the best burgers is to KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Seriously! When you add too many ingredients it takes away from the true flavor of your beef burgers. Ok so here’s how to make the perfect burger ahead of time and freeze them. 

Whether you love to meal plan, want to learn or hate it… I got you covered! ⬇️🙌

How to make hamburger patties stick together better:

Super lean beef may be good for you, BUT it’s hard to get your hamburger to stick together. It’s the fat content in ground beef that makes the hamburger patty stick together. Also if you use too many ingredients like bread crumbs and too much seasoning…this will also cause your hamburger recipe not to stick together.

What percentage of fat to buy for a good burger: 

To get a nice burger going you really need to buy 85/15 or 80/20 ground beef. That means 85 percent is lean and 15 percent is fat…the little bit of fat is what gives you delicious burgers.

The leaner your beef, the harder it is to keep it together when making burgers and when cooking them.  You can cook low and slow to get much of the fat to cook out, so it can still be healthier. Getting hamburger patties to stick together and make a nice round patty can be frustrating. It’s even more frustrating when they fall apart when cooking! 

Ingredients:

• Hamburger (the best is 85/15 or 80/20) That means 85% lean and 15% fat. You CAN use lean ground beef but it falls apart easily.
• Seasonings that you and your family like ~ Our favorite to use Chicago Steak Seasoning…YUM!
• Onion Powder – optional
• Garlic Powder or salt – optional
• Optional ~ Worcestershire Sauce ~ a dash

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare the baking sheet:

Lay Parchment Paper or wax paper down on a Baking Sheet to line it.  This makes for easy cleanup and keeps the frozen burgers from sticking when you flash-freeze them. Parchment Paper on A Sheet pan for freezing

Place Parchment Paper, aluminum foil or wax paper on the counter or cutting board to make your hamburger patties. This makes for an easy way to clean up.

Step 2: Form the hamburger patties

Grab up a handful of ground beef and form it into a ball.

Make them as big or as little as you like. Now flatten to make your Hamburger Patties.

I have friends who get sick to their stomachs if they even look at raw meat! If you absolutely can’t stand to touch raw hamburger meat…no problem! Get one of these handy burger patty makers.  They will also make your burgers very uniform in size!

These are super easy to use and keep you from having messy hands.

& 

GPYG Hamburger Press Patty Maker, Burger Press, 3 in 1 Non-Stick Meat Beef Veggie Hamburger Patty Mold, Essential Tool to Make Patty for Stuffed Burgers Slider BBQ Barbecue Grilling

 

Can you season hamburger patties before freezing?

Yes, you CAN season hamburger patties before freezing.  

Step 3: Season the patties:

I like to season my hamburger patties before freezing because as the burgers thaw before you start cooking…its a great way to kind of marinate them and makes them more flavorful.

Best Way to Freeze Hamburger Patties

Ok here is how to freeze hamburger patties…it’s easy!

Step 4: Flash-freeze the patties

Place your burgers in a single layer on your parchment-lined cookie sheet. Then add seasoning. Place the whole cookie sheet in the freezer for about 1 to 2 hours.  There is no need to cover.  This is known as flash freezing.  It keeps your burgers from sticking together or to the paper when you stack and freeze them in freezer bags.

How to wrap burgers for freezing:

While the burgers are in the freezer, take a minute to cut up some of that Parchment Paper into squares (you can also buy these already cut into squares to save time and energy)  

Step 5: Separate and package

What do you put between frozen hamburger patties?

For the best results you will put these in between the hamburgers just like the store bought ones…this ensures that your burgers won’t stick together!

Remove your burgers from the freezer and stack them up with the parchment paper you cut up in between each patty.

Step 6: Label and freeze

Place patties into your freezer bag. If you think you might not be using them within the next month, put them into another freezer-safe bag (double freezer bag) so they don’t get freezer burn. For best quality, use your frozen hamburger patties within 3-4 months. Be sure and label them with the date!

Frequently Asked Questions:

How to Cook Your Homemade Burger Patties

You can cook your burgers from frozen or thawed first. This explains how to cook your thawed burgers.

Cooking your burgers is a snap. Simply thaw and cook over medium-high heat until the internal temperature is 160 Fahrenheit.  Using a meat thermometer is the best way to check the internal temperature.  

Remove your burger from the pan, place on your hamburger buns and top with a slice of cheese or anything your heart desire! Here’s another cooking method…You can also cook your burger in the oven without making a mess!

Can I make Homemade Turkey Burgers to freeze?

Yes! You can use these simple steps like the homemade hamburger patties if you want to make Turkey Burgers! However, since ground turkey is way leaner it’s ok to add more ingredients such as bread crumbs and your Turkey burgers will still stick together.

That my friends is all there is to making the BEST homemade hamburger patties and freeze for later.  This can save you tons of bucks with just a minimum of effort.  Next time you go to the store..check out the prices between the burgers that are already made and making your own.

By the way if you wonder what else to do with that hamburger meat? Try these yummy recipes Easy Ground Beef Recipes for the Freezer.

Did you know you can also PRE-Cook some of your burgers too and then freeze them! Oooh anything to make life easier!

If you are interested in doing some easy freezer cooking, you might like to see how I prep and freeze chicken for super easy weeknight meals. Easy Freezer Meal Ideas and Recipes

Recipes you can make with Frozen Hamburger Patties:

Pizza Burgers

Salisbury Steaks

Cheesy Sauce Burgers

These are all included in my new little Cook Book(let)! Simple Ground Beef Recipes

More Make Ahead Meals: