Freezing Hamburger Buns - How to Do It Right

Maybe you’re a bulk buyer, or maybe you overestimated the number of burgers that were going to need buns at your last barbecue. For whatever reason, you’ve found yourself with a couple (or dozen) of buns that aren’t going to stay fresh from here to your next burger party.

For reference, hamburger buns will typically last 5-7 days when stored in their original packaging and stored at room temperature. However, there are many variables that can change that estimate, such as humidity and the degree of hermeticity of the container.

So what do you do with the buns so you know they won’t go to waste? You freeze them!

You can freeze hamburger buns for up to 3 months without worrying about freezer burn, but to prevent soggy or dry out when you thaw, you’ll need to follow a few simple steps.

5 Secrets to Perfectly Frozen Hamburger Buns

1. The first secret is to make sure the bagels are at room temperature.

If they’re hot when you wrap them to freeze, they’re going to cloud up when they come into contact with the frigid air in your freezer. That will cause condensation, which is never a good thing.

If you leave them in the freezer too long, that condensation turns into freezer burn. And if you thaw them in time to prevent that horror story from happening, when you thaw them the condensation is going to make your bun soggy, which can be even worse. So make sure your buns are not hot. Absolutely.

2. The second secret is in individuality.

It may seem like a waste, but the truth is that you should wrap each bun separately in plastic wrap.  This helps protect them from air accessing their delicate rinds, ensuring they don’t dry out and/or stick together.

As an added bonus, you’ll be able to defrost a single serving whenever you want without feeling like you have to wait for the next family gathering to use the whole bag. Burger for one? Yes please.

If you are not going to use plastic wrap, be sure to purchase a quality double-zip freezer bag.

3. The third secret is to save the date.

Once they’re individually wrapped, consider writing the date on the plastic wrap so you know how long they’ve been in the freezer. 3 months is about how long they will stay fresh , and for best results, try to get them in the freezer as fresh as possible.

4. The fourth secret is in the layers.

You can put them in the freezer now, but it’s a good idea to place them in a single layer, at least until they’re well frozen.

Once frozen, you can stack them, but if you stack them before they’re frozen, they’ll squash under the weight of their companions, and won’t spring back to life as perfectly when thawed.

5. The fifth and final secret is the absolute bananas.

In my books, this is hands down the most important rule: never, ever, under any circumstances, freeze your hamburger buns next to bananas.

Bananas will saturate your bagels with their smell and flavor, and not in a good banana bread way.

How to thaw frozen hamburger buns

Once you’ve perfected the freezing process, the last thing you want to do is ruin all your hard work in the thawing phase. There aren’t that many steps here, but there are some tricks you can try.

First of all, unwrap it as soon as you take it out of the freezer. Place it on a paper towel, which will draw out moisture without drying out the bun.

When you see (or feel) that it’s half thawed, turn it over. This will help keep the right amount of moisture in the bun, without letting it get soggy at the bottom.

Hamburger buns are usually very light and airy, so they don’t take long to defrost or heat up. If you like them hot or toasted, you can make them straight from the frozen.

Toast the hamburger buns in the oven, stove, or grill

However you cook the burgers, consider using the already heated heat source to toast the buns as well.

If you use the oven or grill, simply wait until the burgers have only 5 minutes of cooking left, then put the buns next to them for the last few minutes.

However, keep an eye on them so you don’t over-roast them!  If you cook the patties on the stove, you can use the same skillet once the patties are done, making the bun meatier in the process.

Defrost and reheat hamburger buns in the microwave

This can be tricky. Seconds can literally make all the difference. Wrap the bun completely in a paper towel, as this will help prevent them from getting soggy or drying out.

It’s best to keep the top and bottom separate. Start with 10 seconds, check it and put it on for just another 5-10 seconds if it’s not hot enough for your liking and turn the pieces over before putting it on longer.

Steam your buns

Steaming is also a totally viable way to heat up your buns, but you’ll have to be very careful not to let them get soggy.

If you have a double boiler or bamboo steamer, you can put the buns in either for 10-20 seconds. It doesn’t take a lot of time. 

If you don’t have a double boiler, you can simply boil water in a pot and use tongs to hold the buns above the steam for a few seconds.

Freeze and reheat burgers

If you have leftover buns, there’s a good chance you also have a few cooked burgers that need to be dealt with. You can also freeze them!

Follow very similar rules to buns: wait for the patties to cool completely, then wrap them individually to seal in moisture and air.

When you’re ready to eat them, thaw them completely in the fridge first.

When they are no longer frozen, you can reheat them in the oven or on the grill.  It will be like cooking them for the first time, but faster!

The only thing to keep in mind is to make sure the burgers are fully cooked before freezing them . Undercooked meat is more likely to seal in bacteria, and you definitely don’t want that.

And the hot dogs?

Hot dogs and hamburgers are often seen in each other’s company, so if you have leftover hamburgers you may also have leftover hot dogs.

The good news is that hot dog buns can be frozen, thawed, and reheated just like hamburger buns.

The sausages themselves are a slightly different matter.

As they contain preservatives, uncooked sausages can last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, although they can also be placed directly in the freezer, where they can last up to 2 months.

You can also freeze cooked hot dogs by individually wrapping them just like hamburgers and buns. 

Depending on how they were cooked in the first place, the way you defrost and reheat them may be different. If they were boiled, you can boil them again to thaw and reheat, or you can throw them on the grill or stove.

However, if they were originally roasted, you don’t want to boil them. Instead, let them thaw, then reheat them the same way they were cooked.

Related questions

How do hamburger buns stay warm?

If you’ve ever barbecued, you know there’s a subtle art to keeping hamburger buns warm without getting soggy or drying out.

If you don’t know the secret to that trick, it’s remarkably easy: wrap them in aluminum foil . You can also put them in a basket with a kitchen towel covering them.

Does freezing bread spoil it?

Actually, freezing bread is one of the best ways to keep it as fresh as possible for as long as possible. Too much moisture in bread can cause it to go moldy, and too little moisture will dry it out, making it taste and feel stale.

Freezing it while it’s fresh prevents both from happening and keeps it fresh until you’re ready to eat it. Of course, there are limitations, and even in the freezer you should only keep the bread for a maximum of 3 months.

How can you tell if your hamburger bun has gone bad?

One of the most obvious signs is, of course, mold. Most mold that grows on bread is bluish in color, but it can also be white and hard to see.

Smell the bread and look carefully for anything that seems slightly blurry.  If you see mold on any of the loaves, it’s best to throw out the entire package.