[Includes grilling instructions] How to freeze hamburger steak, storage period, and carefully selected recipes!

Have you ever felt that cooking hamburgers is a hassle?

Hamburg steak is a popular dish for both adults and children, but it takes time to make.

The reason why it takes so long is that there are many steps involved, such as chopping onions, heating and waiting for them to cool, mixing them with minced meat, shaping them, and slowly cooking them until cooked through.

In this article, we will introduce a method to solve this problem by freezing food.

Advantages of freezing hamburgers

You can save perishable hamburger steaks.

Hamburgers are more perishable than other ingredients because they use ground meat and are mixed with other ingredients (such as onions).

It is best to eat within one day, especially if stored in the refrigerator.

By freezing hamburgers, you can extend their shelf life.

We recommend freezing it for when you have made too much or when you want a small amount for a lunch box or late night snack.

You can eat hamburger steaks that take time and effort to make whenever you want.

Cooking a hamburger steak cannot be called "easy." There are many steps, and it takes time and effort, such as waiting for the onions to cool down and grilling the hamburger steak for a long time to get the heat through.

If you freeze these hamburgers and save them, you can defrost them and eat them whenever you like.
It can also be used conveniently for dinner when you live alone.

Convenient to use when you want to use small portions such as lunch boxes

If you put a hamburger steak in your lunch box, it will definitely take center stage.

Also, when you think you don't have enough side dishes, we recommend frozen hamburgers.

If you make small hamburger steaks, wrap them in plastic wrap, and store them in the freezer, you can use them immediately.

Freezing method

There are two ways to freeze hamburgers. You can freeze the dough as it is after kneading it, or you can store it after baking.

If you want to freeze the seeds
① Can be frozen quickly (if baking and freezing, it will take time to bake and cool)
② Can be arranged into minced meat menus other than hamburgers (meat dumplings, cabbage rolls, etc.)

If you want to bake and then freeze
① The storage period is one month longer than the two weeks for seeds.
② Freezing the meat after baking makes it easier to cook while maintaining its juiciness.

If you want to use it for purposes other than hamburgers, you can choose to ``freeze it as seeds,'' or if you want to cook it as a hamburger, you can choose to ``broil it and then freeze it.''

Please choose the method that suits your storage period and intended use.

When freezing hamburger seeds

1) Wrap each hamburger steak in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer on a metal tray, avoiding overlapping.
By placing the meat on a metal tray with good thermal conductivity, you can freeze it quickly, and by preventing the meat juices (drip) from flowing out, you can keep the umami from escaping.

2) Once frozen, put it in a ziplock bag and remove as much air as possible.

Freezing grilled hamburgers

1) Remove the heat from the grilled hamburger steak.
2) The rest is the same as when freezing seeds.
We also recommend freezing the meat quickly in a metal tray to prevent the meat juices (drip) from leaking out and retain the flavor.

Hamburgers are a perishable item.

If you have decided in advance to preserve the food, it is necessary to take precautions such as ``washing your hands frequently and using cooking gloves when kneading'' to prevent the introduction of germs from the cooking stage.

How to unzip

Thawing a grilled hamburger

1) About a day before eating, move it to the refrigerator and thaw it.
(You can also use the defrost function of your microwave)

2) Heat it in a microwave or fry it in a frying pan (steaming it with water or white wine will make it fluffier)

This time, the hamburger steak was small, so I steamed it with 50ml of water.

If you don't have time, you can skip step 1) of thawing and reheat the frozen food. However, please be careful as the meat may drip (gravy) and become dry.

How to grill frozen hamburgers

Of course, just like with [grilled hamburger], you can also defrost it and then grill it. In that case, cook it in the same way.

Here, for those who don't have time or want to cook frozen hamburgers in a hurry, we will introduce a delicious way to grill frozen hamburgers.

1) Heat oil in a frying pan, add the frozen hamburger steak, and then turn on the heat.
*If there is frost on the product, please remove it as it may cause the oil to splatter and be dangerous.

2) Brown both sides over high heat. By searing the surface first, the meat juices are trapped inside.

3) Add water or white wine for steaming and cover. The amount of water to add is 50ml to 60ml per frozen hamburger steak.

4) Once the moisture in the frying pan has evaporated, remove the lid and check to see if the food is cooked through. Insert a bamboo skewer into the center of the hamburger steak, and if clear meat juices come out, it's OK.

*Since the food is not thawed, it will take time for it to cook. Make sure to check carefully to make sure it doesn't get overcooked.

When putting it in a lunch box
In the summer, you can put frozen hamburgers in your lunch box and let them thaw naturally. It can act as a cold pack and prevent other side dishes from spoiling.

In winter, it may not be possible to thaw the meat to the center by natural thawing, so we recommend heating it in the microwave or toaster.

Storage period

When stored at room temperature

As I mentioned earlier, hamburgers are extremely perishable. This is because the minced meat itself is easily exposed to airborne bacteria, and because it is mixed with multiple ingredients.

Therefore, hamburgers cannot be stored at room temperature in the first place.

To prevent food poisoning, if you have some time left before eating, we recommend wrapping the food in plastic wrap and storing it in the refrigerator. Also, if you leave it at room temperature, the meat juices will come out and the texture of the hamburger will be bad, so please be careful.

For refrigerated storage

[If the hamburger steak seeds are still in use]
The storage period is 1 day. If the amount exceeds that, the freshness of the minced meat will drop rapidly, so please freeze it.

[For grilled hamburgers]
The storage period is 3 days. Before eating, check the food for any signs of spoilage or smell before eating.

For frozen storage

[If the hamburger steak seeds are still in use]
The storage period is approximately 2 weeks. Preferably as early as possible.

[For grilled hamburgers]
The storage period is 1 month. Minced meat will gradually deteriorate. It can be stored for 1 month, but it will taste better if you eat it as soon as possible.

5 delicious hamburger recipes

Late weaning food to completion stage Easy hamburger

You can try various arrangements with the vegetables you put inside. It's also a nice menu that doesn't use milk or eggs.

☑材料（12個分）
鶏ひき肉150~160ｇ
豆腐　　150グラム
玉ねぎのみじん切り　お好み
にんじんのすりおろし　お好み
お好みの野菜、ひじき（ベビーフードも可）お好み
片栗粉 大さじ３
しょうゆ　適量

<How to make>
1) Drain the tofu. If storing in the freezer, drain thoroughly.
2) Stir-fry the chopped onions and remove from heat.
Put all ingredients in a bowl and knead. Add the potato starch at the end.
*When storing in the freezer, crush the tofu so that no shape remains.
If the shape remains, the tofu will have a mushy texture when thawed.
3) Divide into approximately 12 pieces and form hamburgers. Roll it into small pieces so that even small children's hands can easily grasp it.
4) Grill as you would normally grill a hamburger. After turning it over, add water, cover, and steam-fry. Once the moisture has evaporated, brown it and it's done.
5) Once it has cooled down, divide it into small portions and wrap them in plastic wrap. I put it in a ziplock bag and freeze it.
If you want to practice chewing properly with your teeth at the end of the weaning period, you can try adding vegetables such as lotus root.
You can also try adding other vegetables into the dish by chopping them up.

Easy hamburger steak for lunch box

The trick is to simmer it in the sauce first so you can use it right away.

☑〈材料〉
合挽き肉　300g
すりおろした玉ねぎ　約１個
パン粉 大さじ3
塩コショウ少々
◇ケチャップ　大さじ3
◇みりん、ソース　各大さじ2
◇砂糖、醤油、油、各大さじ1
油 大さじ1

<How to make>
1) Mix ◇ first.
2) Knead the ingredients other than ◇.
3) Form 2, place on a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, and fry over medium heat.
4) Once browned, turn over, cover and steam.
5) After confirming that the fire has gone through, add 1 and stir.
When it's tangled, cover it again and steam it for about 1 to 2 minutes.
6) Once the taste is absorbed, it is complete.
Remove from heat, divide into portions, and store in the freezer.
In the morning, you can heat up as much as you need in the microwave and use it for lunch.
Of course, it's not only useful for lunch boxes, but also for eating with cheese on bread for breakfast.

Cabbage rolls arranged with mini hamburgers

You can easily make delicious cabbage rolls without thawing the hamburger.

☑材料（3人分）
ミニハンバーグ3個
ウインナー　お好みで　～3本
キャベツ3～6枚
サラダ油大さじ1
玉ねぎ　1／2個
人参　お好みで　1／3～1／2本
ホールトマト缶　1缶
水　缶の半分
洋風だし(フォンドボー、ブイヨン)1個
スパイス お好みで
炒めたまねぎペースト、チャツネ、はちみつ、ジャムのいずれか1つ　
大さじ1／2～大さじ1
ケチャップ大さじ1
ウスターソース 大さじ1

<How to make>
1) If the size of the hamburger steak you are using is too large to wrap with cabbage, cut it in half.
2) Peel the cabbage under running water without tearing it.
3) Remove the core of the cabbage with a knife.
Place the cabbage on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and heat until pliable.
4) Thinly slice half of the onion and chop the rest.
Slice the carrots into pieces that are not too thin.
5) Carefully wrap the hamburger steak in the cabbage. Wrap the sausage in cabbage as well.
Secure the end of the roll with a toothpick.
(How to roll) Fold the front end up, put the left and right sides inside → Roll it up from the front → Put the last remaining end inside and secure with a toothpick
6) Add salad oil to a pot and fry the onions. When it softens, add the carrots.
7) Add canned tomatoes, water (recommended amount is half the amount of canned tomatoes), Western-style solid stock, fried onion paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and spices of your choice to the pot.
Crush the canned tomatoes with a spatula while stirring.
8) Add step 5 and simmer for about 25 minutes. Complete

Stuffed green pepper hamburger

It's a truly time-saving dish that can be easily made with just a few ingredients. It can also be used for lunch boxes.

☑材料
ピーマン３個
冷凍ミニハンバーグ３個
豚ロース薄切り６枚　ベーコンでも代用可
とろけるチーズ　少々　

<How to make>
1) Cut the frozen hamburger steak into pieces large enough to fit inside the peppers.
Cut the peppers in half and save the seeds.
2) You don't have to use the flour normally used to stuff peppers with meat.
Place cheese and hamburger on top of the peppers. The melted cheese will help the hamburger steak stay in place.
3) Wrap the thinly sliced loin. Start grilling from the side that doesn't have the hamburger on it, so make sure the end of the meat roll is on the side of the pepper that doesn't have the hamburger on it.
4) Bake from the end of the roll. Once browned, turn over and cover with a lid. Low to medium heat.
5) It's done when it's nicely browned.

Hamburger piccata

With just a little effort, your regular hamburger will transform into a completely different flavor. If you eat it with ketchup, it will be very popular with children. Even if you put it in a lunch box, the color will be bright.

☑材料
冷凍ハンバーグ5個
卵1個弱
片栗粉 小さじ１
塩コショウ少々
油 適宜

<How to make>
1) Beat an egg and mix it with potato starch and salt and pepper.
2) Thaw the hamburger steak and soak it in the liquid from step 1.
3) Heat oil in a frying pan and fry 2 over medium heat.
First, bake both the top and bottom sides.
4) Dip it in the liquid from step 1 again and fry both sides.
5) Repeat steps 2 to 4. Once the hamburger is covered with the egg mixture, it's done.
*Please be careful and bake patiently to avoid browning.

Conclusion

What did you think. Freezing hamburgers is a common practice, but there are probably a lot of things you should be aware of.

This menu item is difficult to store, so please be careful when cooking to avoid contaminating bacteria.

Learn how to freeze hamburgers to save time, conveniently and deliciously, and enjoy making delicious arrangements.