By admin 
A few sources claim to have invented the hamburger. Some trace its origins to Roman times, based on Isicia Omentata, a dish of minced meat and spices formed into a patty and fried. Hamburgers might also be a direct descendant of Hamburg steak, a puck of minced beef brought to the US in the late 19th century by emigrants from Hamburg, Germany. And Louis Lassen, of Louis’ Lunch, in New Haven, Connecticut—more than a century old and still in operation—is said to have created one of the first iterations of the burger as we know it today in 1900: a patty between two slices of bread.
Although we love a lacy-edged smash burger and other carefully crafted burger recipes, sometimes life happens and you need a whole bunch of burgers for a crowd of hungry people—quickly. That’s when frozen burgers come in clutch. No, you won’t be able to control the quality in the same way you might be able to with a homemade patty, but you can zhuzh your burgers with caramelized onions, and upgraded ketchup with tahini. Throw in a few great sides (we have baked bean recommendations; frozen french fries too), and you’ve got a party.
You’ll find a variety of frozen burgers in your grocery store’s freezer section, but which brands are the best? We put nine burgers through our latest taste test to find out.
How we picked the products
To determine the list of frozen burgers we’d test, we combed through Reddit threads, YouTube reviews, and other tastings to determine which brands should be on our list. We avoided riffs like bacon burgers, and excluded upgrades like frozen Wagyu burgers. Instead, we stuck to classic beef burgers that were widely available in the US, and sold in traditional sizing (no sliders—sorry, White Castle fans!) to standardize our testing.
In addition to our selection of frozen burgers, we tried a couple of refrigerated burgers to see how they compared (you can always freeze them when you get home, right?). Although we decided they ultimately fall into their own category, we named one a wildcard favorite.
How we set up our blind taste test
Before our tasters arrived in the test kitchen, we cooked each patty from frozen in a skillet with a bit of neutral oil according to its package directions. When the patties were sizzling and browned on both sides, we transferred them to a labeled sheet tray. After a short rest, we cut them into bite-sized pieces. Tasters gathered around the anonymized burgers to try a piece of each before discussing its merits (or flaws).
How our editors evaluated
Our tasters said their criteria for a great frozen burger hinged on texture. They wanted a frozen burger that was at least somewhat comparable to a handmade patty. Its texture should be loosely packed, not dense. The burger would also have to be juicy, something dry and cardboard-like just wouldn’t do.
Although all of our burgers were cooked on the stove and went into the pan frozen—we even stashed the ones purchased in the refrigerated section in the freezer overnight—our tasters hoped for a patty with a fresh, beefy flavor. The burgers should be well-seasoned, with a just-grilled quality. Any traces of freezer burn or other off-flavors were immediate no’s.
The all-around favorite: Philly Gourmet Pure 100% Beef Patties
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon, Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero