We all know this story. You bring home an amazing burger from a restaurant with the intention of eating it as leftovers. The burger either does not meet your expectations or gets thrown away in the trash. I am here to tell you there is a way to reheat your burger so it is just as yummy as it was in the restaurant (and reheat your crispy fries too!)

I am going to walk you through a step by step process on how to reheat your burger using both the microwave and the oven.

1. Deconstruct Your Burger

You first need to take apart your burger so each section can be cooked properly. If there is anything that is served “room temperature” on your burger (tomatoes, pickles, onions, lettuce, etc.) set those aside at this time. Depending on how long this burger has been in the fridge, some of these items might be salvageable while others may not.

 

2. Place Buns Aside

Put your buns aside to be cooked in the microwave. While reheating the meat in the oven is ideal, cooking already toasted buns will leave them dry and flaky. If you do not have a microwave and must cook them, only leave them in for 3 minutes of the pre-heating process described below.

 

3. Place Burger and Leftover Fries in Oven and pre-heat to 375°

Place your burger and fries on a single layer on the baking sheet. If you have any toppings (bacon, fried onions, etc) you can choose to leave them on your burger, or take them off. I usually leave the toppings on the burger, especially if you have cheese as a topping (trying to separate them can get messy!). You want to slowly heat up your burger rather than just stick it in a hot oven. This way, your burger will maintain its original “doneness” and not over cook.

 

4. Check Temperature, Cook for 3-5 more minutes or until the desired temperature.

Around the time it takes for your oven to reach 375°, your burger should be a little warmer than room temperature. Depending on your preference, I usually cook the burger for 3 to 5 minutes. If at this time your fries look about finished, simply take the fries out, place them on your plate, and put your burger back in the oven for more time. If you notice that your fries look a little greasy, place them on a twice-folded paper towel and lightly dab the grease off the fries.

 

5. Take Your Burger Out and Microwave those buns!

After the burger is  to your liking and you have taken it out of the oven, it is now time to microwave your buns. Simply wrap a paper towel around your buns and microwave for 10 seconds. Your buns should be soft and warm to the touch. If you would like them warmer or softer, continue to microwave at 5-second intervals Unless you have super buns that withstand tremendous amounts of heat, 20 seconds should be the most that you microwave (remember, food still cooks even though the microwave has stopped!)

 

6. Reconstruct Your Burger and Enjoy

Here is the easy part–put your burger back together! You now have a wonderful reheated burger that is not dry and tough with a flaky bun! Give yourself a high-five and enjoy!

Do you have a special reheating trick? Do you want to share your ideas with our community? Please leave a comment below!

-NYL