You’ve had a BBQ. You’ve got carried away. And you’ve cooked 16 burgers for 4 people… We’ve all done it! Fortunately, you don’t have to throw the burgers out because they’re super simple to reheat the next day.
Below are 4 methods for reheating burgers, each with its own benefits. Pick the method that works best for you and the number of burgers you have:
How to Reheat Burgers in the Microwave
Although it doesn’t yield the best-tasting burgers, using the microwave is the easiest and quickest reheating method. Here’s what you need to do:
- Prepare Burgers
Place your plain burgers on a microwave-safe plate. If your burgers are particularly thick, you should reheat them one at a time to ensure they reheat evenly. Once on a plate, cover your burgers with a damp paper towel. - Reheat
On a medium/low setting, reheat your patties for 2 minutes. - Check the Temperature
After two minutes, remove your burgers from the microwave and check their temperature. Your burgers need to be at least 75°C before serving them safely. If they’re not quite done, return them to the microwave using 60-second intervals until they’re up to temperature. - Serve and Enjoy
Be sure to tuck into your burgers immediately once they’re up to temperature.
How to Reheat Burgers in the Oven
Our preferred way of reheating burgers is in the oven. This is because they tend to reheat evenly and are less likely to dry out. Here’s how to go about it:
- Preheat Oven
Switch on your oven and preheat to 175°C. - Prepare Burgers
Place your burgers in an oven-proof dish and line them up side-by-side. Then, cover the dish with some tin foil to keep the moisture in the dish while the burgers are reheating. - Reheat
Place the burgers in the centre of the oven and heat for 15 minutes. - Check the Temperature
After 15 minutes, remove your burgers from the oven and check their temperature. Your burgers need to be at least 75°C before they’re safe to serve. If they’re not quite done, return them to the oven for 5 minutes or so until they’re up to temperature. - Serve
Place your burgers on freshly baked buns and serve them up!
How to Reheat Burgers in the Air Fryer
eheating burgers in an air fryer is a quick and effective method. Here’s how you can do it:
- Preheat the Air Fryer
Turn on your air fryer and preheat it to around 175°C. It’s crucial to let the air fryer fully preheat to ensure even reheating. - Prepare the Burger
If your burger has a lot of toppings like lettuce, tomato, or sauces, you might want to remove them and set them aside as they don’t reheat well in an air fryer. You just want the patty and maybe the cheese if it’s not already too melted. - Place in Air Fryer
Once the air fryer is heated, place the burger patty inside the basket, ensuring there’s enough space around it for the air to circulate properly. - Reheat
Let the burger reheat for about 3-4 minutes. You might need to adjust the time depending on the thickness of your patty and the specific air fryer model. - Check and Flip
After a couple of minutes, open the air fryer basket and give the burger patty a flip to ensure it’s reheating evenly on both sides. If you’re reheating a cheeseburger, you can add a slice of cheese on top at this point. - Finish Reheating
Let the burger finish reheating, it should take another 1-2 minutes. - Toast the Bun
If you’d like to refresh the bun as well, you can place it in the air fryer for the last 30-60 seconds of cooking time. Be careful not to leave it in for too long as it can become overly crispy. - Reassemble and Serve
Once everything is heated through, take the burger patty and bun out of the air fryer, reassemble your burger with all its toppings, and it’s ready to be served.
How to Reheat Burgers on the Hob
Instead of using the grill, you can reheat your burgers on the hob. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Heat Pan
Place a splash of water in a non-stick frying pan and heat the pan over medium heat for around sixty seconds. - Add Burgers
Add your burgers to the pan, ensuring they’re not touching one another and are well-spaced. - Reheat
Heat your burgers for 90 seconds or so on each side. - Check the Temperature
After you’ve reheated them evenly on both sides, remove your burgers from the pan and check their temperature. If they’re not quite done, return them to the pan for 20 seconds on either side. - Serve and Enjoy
Top your burgers with some grated cheese and salad, and they’re ready to enjoy.
Reheating burgers in a pan on the hob is typically the best option as it allows for even reheating, preservation of juiciness, and the ability to re-crisp the exterior. The oven can also provide good results, especially for thorough, gentle reheating.
How to Reheat Different Burger Types
My focus so far has been on reheating bog-standard beef burgers without too many toppings. Of course, burgers come in many forms so can these all be reheated too?
You can reheat cheeseburgers using methods like the oven, stove, or air fryer. Ensure the internal temperature reaches at least 75°C for safety, and consider removing any fresh toppings before reheating.
Chicken burgers can be reheated, and it’s crucial to make sure they reach an internal temperature of at least 75°C to ensure any harmful bacteria are killed. The oven or stove are good methods to use, ensuring even reheating.
Salmon burgers can be reheated using the oven, stove, or air fryer. Ensure they are heated evenly throughout, reaching an internal temperature of at least 75°C.
Pork burgers can be reheated, but it’s vital to ensure they reach a safe internal temperature of at least 75°C. The oven or stove can provide even reheating, preserving their juiciness.
While you can reheat McDonald’s burgers using a microwave, oven, or stove, the quality may not be as good as when freshly bought. It’s best to consume them fresh for the best taste and texture. You can get a detailed explanation for reheating McDonald’s here.
Tips for Reheating Burgers
As you now know, burgers can be reheated in multiple ways. But there are 3 tips you will want to follow regardless:
- Always Check the Temperature: When you’re reheating burgers, it’s so important to check that your meat has reached an internal temperature of at least 165F or 75C before it’s safe to serve. Serving burgers that have not been reheated to the required temperature can lead to food poisoning.
- Reheat Plain Burgers: Although the best thing about burgers is often the lashings of relish, onions, and cheese that accompany the patty, it’s best to reheat them plain, just as they are. You can add your chosen accompaniments when you place your burgers in their buns.
- Reheat Once: You should only ever reheat patties once, and this is true for all types of meat. It’s not safe to reheat meat more than once, so if you still have leftovers after you’ve heated them for a second time, you need to discard them.
Ross is a freelance writer with a passion for delicious food and drinks, having worked in the hospitality industry in the past. He began working with Let’s Foodie when it first launched to provide information on how to reheat, freeze and microwave different foods.