How To Reheat A Burger The Right Way

Leftovers are great, but some items just don't hold up well during the reheating process. Unfortunately, burgers are one of them. While you can simply pop some leftovers into the microwave and they're as good as new, burgers can become a soggy, unappetizing mess after zapping them in the microwave for a minute. However, don't despair if you can't finish that big, juicy burger for dinner tonight — it's not destined for the trash. If you reheat it properly, that burger will be nearly as good as when it was fresh off the grill.

Your best bet is using the oven, but you'll want to let the burger sit out at room temperature for a few minutes. This will help ensure the patty reheats thoroughly and evenly. The burger chain Smashburger advocates for baking your hamburger patty in the oven on its own for seven minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure you've removed any toppings, especially if they're veggies. Bacon can be reheated in the oven, though, and if there's cheddar or American cheese on your patty, you can leave that on. Just keep an eye on it while it cooks so the cheese becomes toasted but not burned.

When you're reheating a burger, you want to maintain moisture in the meat but keep the bun mostly dry so it doesn't get soggy. Using a butter knife, scrape any ketchup, mustard, or mayo off the bun as best you can. The bun can simply be reheated in the microwave, but if you want a firmer, toasty bun, you can grill it in a frying pan with a little butter. Or you could throw them in the oven with your patty, and we'll tell you how.

Once your oven is preheated, put the patties on a lightly greased baking sheet or oven-safe vessel. It'll take no longer than 10 minutes for the meat to be heated all the way through (maybe a few minutes less if the patties are thin), but if there's no cheese on them, flip them midway through cooking. If you're adding new cheese slices, put those on in the last couple of minutes. To toast the buns, add them to the baking sheet at about the halfway point – when you flip the patties over would be good timing.

After everything is nicely reheated and toasted, you can reassemble. Spread fresh condiments on the buns, and for a truly fresh-tasting burger, use new veggie toppings. While it's not a crime to use the lettuce, tomato, or pickles that were on your burger the previous night, adding new ones will help your burger taste fresh.

While this method definitely takes longer and is more labor-intensive than simply putting something in the microwave, it is well worth the time and effort. Nothing beats a burger right off the grill, but using your oven to reheat a leftover one comes pretty close. If you're making your own burgers at home, be sure to follow these seasoning tips for restaurant-quality burgers.