While burger patties are traditionally made with beef mince, there are a huge number of variations today. Anything goes now for the patties’ main ingredients from chicken to venison and soya to turkey.
You may have fried up a big batch of turkey patties and are wondering if you can freeze some for later use. Read further because we’ll not only tell you if it’s safe but also how to do it.
Can You Freeze Cooked Turkey Burgers?
First off, yes, you can safely freeze both cooked and uncooked turkey burger patties. We don’t however, recommend freezing an entire burger (bun, patty, salad, and sauce ingredients).
The result would be disappointingly soggy and you would not be able to reheat the lettuce and other salad ingredients. Stick with freezing the cooked or raw patties separately then assemble the burgers at a later stage.
How to Freeze Cooked Turkey Burger Patties
- Make the patties from fresh turkey mince and cook them as normal. The raw ground turkey should not have been previously frozen if you intend to freeze the patties. It should also not have been kept in the fridge for more than three days. Refrigeration slows down bacterial growth but doesn’t stop it completely.
- Cover the patties and allow them to cool completely.
- Cut squares of non-stick baking paper the size of the patties or slightly bigger. Use these in between each patty. This will make it easier to separate them later once they’re frozen.
- Put the turkey burger patties along with their papers into a freezer-proof container with a lid.
- Label the container with the contents plus the date you are freezing them and a “use by” date three months from the date of freezing.
- Put them into the freezer and store at minus eighteen degrees Celcius.
- The turkey burger patties can be frozen safely for up to three months.
- That’s it!
To use your cooked patties, defrost them in the fridge or microwave. Reheat them in a hot frying pan or the microwave then assemble your burgers as normal.
If you have frozen them raw, you will need to fry them in a little oil until cooked through first. (About seven minutes on each side.)
How to Tell if Frozen Turkey Burgers Have Gone Off
While ground turkey burger patties do have a reasonable shelf life in the freezer, you may be concerned. Sometimes your electricity goes off for a time or you forget the date you froze the turkey burgers on.
Here are some tips to help you decide whether to use them or toss them. As always, trust your senses when deciding if meat (or any food for that matter) has gone off.
- Smell
If the defrosted burger patties smell unpleasant or sour, they are not good to eat. Raw turkey shouldn’t have much of a smell at all. If you’ve cooked the patties before freezing them, they should simply smell appetizing and not strange.
- Touch
The defrosted burgers should not be slimy or soggy. They should have a firm texture.
- Sight
If you notice a color change, the problem may either be a freezer burn or the meat is off. Either way, it’s best to throw them out and start fresh. Raw turkey burger patties should be light pink. If they have changed to grey or beige, they are off.
- Taste
If you reheat your burger patties and they taste unpleasant, it is best not to take a chance. Throw them out. You don’t want to end up in the emergency room with food poisoning.
To Conclude
Cooked turkey burger patties can certainly be frozen. They will keep safely in this way for up to three months. It’s so convenient to have a batch or two of ready-made turkey burger patties in your freezer so go ahead and give it a try!