I’m sure there are people who genuinely enjoy handling raw ground beef. I’m not one of them. The best frozen burgers may not live up to burgers that were lovingly hand-pattied in your neighborhood grill dad’s kitchen, but the best frozen hamburger patties are quick, easy, and they keep your hands slime free.
Convenience aside, a lot of the frozen burgers you’ll find at the grocery store taste pretty good, too. Sure, pretty much anything tastes good when it’s cooked over charcoal and served with a side of macaroni salad, but, in a perfect world, burgers should taste like actual beef. Come on, frozen hamburger manufacturers. Don’t force us to quote an over-quoted commercial from the 1980s—give us big juicy burgers with big beef flavor.
But convenience doesn’t always mean compromising taste. We grabbed a pan, fired up the stove, and prepared a bunch of burger patties, including Bubba Burgers, frozen burgers made with Angus beef, and even thin little patties made for making smash burgers. There were a lot of acceptable burgers. There were a few really awful burgers. Below you’ll find the burgers we’d proudly bring to the barbecue.
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- Private Selection Applewood Smoked Bacon & Cheddar Angus Beef Patties
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These Private Selection burgers (which you’ll find at Kroger-owned grocery stores) are savory with a capital S. Okay, some people might call them salty with a capital S, but I’m here to tell you about the best frozen hamburger patties, not split hairs. They have cheddar and smoked bacon mixed right into the patty, which means you really don’t need to dress these up a lot. These are the best frozen burgers to bring camping—all you need are good hamburger buns and maybe a little mayo, and these suckers are good to go.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Sam’s Choice 100% Angus Beef Burgers
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If you have big ideas about how to correctly season a burger patty, these thick, juicy patties from Walmart are great blank slates. These are thick with a capital T (and maybe even an E at the end), and have lots of natural juiciness. Top these with lots of black pepper, maybe even some garlic powder, and a nice, thick slice of a salty cheese, like a sharp cheddar.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Grass Run Farms 100% Grass Fed Natural Ground Beef Patties
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Grass-fed beef can tend to have a denser texture, and that’s the case with these burgers from Grass Run Farms. They’re thick, lean, rich tasting, and have fantastic chew. I instantly fantasized about topping one of these with a load of Hellmann’s mayo and lots of fresh summer tomato. And, yes, most of my fantasies involve burgers.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Omaha Steaks Smash Burgers
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We tried a few grocery store brands, but ultimately decided that Omaha Steaks makes the best smash burgers. These are thin and cook fast, but they’re still nice and juicy. I overcooked mine (whoops—they don’t actually need three minutes a side, it turns out), but the beef tastes super fresh and a little fatty, but not too fatty or gristly. If you’re open to mail ordering your frozen foods, Omaha Steaks makes some of the best frozen burger patties for smashing and stacking. Just add the best burger sauce and you’re in fast-food heaven.
Credit: Liv Averett / Omaha Steaks
- Bubba Burgers Original
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Bubba is an old standby for a reason. These thick, beefy burgers are fat-rich, well-seasoned, and even have a sort of haphazard shape that’ll help you trick guests into thinking you made them by hand. They have a good, natural bloody sort of flavor—slap one of these on a squishy potato roll that’ll sop up all the juices and you’re in business. Bubba is ubiquitous because they really make some of the best frozen burgers.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Moran’s 73/27 Beef Patties
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In our previous taste test, Moran’s 73/27 burgers were bumped from the top spot by Bubba Angus, but it was a close call. These burgers taste great, thanks in large part to their generous fat content. They’re thick. They’re juicy. They’re beefy with a nice, fatty flavor on the end. Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling described them as “gourmet,” so we were all pretty surprised to discover they were among the most affordable patties we tried. The beef is more finely ground than the beef in Bubba Burgers, and it works for them. There’s a lot of flavor here for not a lot of money. Moran’s makes the best frozen hamburger patties if you’re looking for a good value.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Bubba Burgers Angus Beef
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I was super dubious that there would be a discernible difference in quality between the Original Bubba Burgers and the slightly more expensive Bubba Angus Burgers. But after cooking both and tasting them side by side, I truly think these Angus burgers taste better—richer, beefier, cleaner. Maybe it’s just the psychology of knowing its Angus beef, but these are the best frozen burgers for dressing up. I’m thinking grilled onions, a good blue cheese, peppery arugula, and something sweet like fig jam. These are well worth the extra buck or so.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Stuffed Burgers
Best with Cheese
Best Grass Fed
Best Smash Burgers
Best with Cheese
Best Value to Flavor Ratio
Best of the Best
Other frozen burgers we tried: Ball Park Flame Grilled Beef Patty, Kirkland 100 % Grass-Fed Beef Patties, Kirkland Signature Angus Chuck Patties, Great Value 75/25 Angus Beef Patties, Amazon Fresh Ground Beef Patties, Kroger Ground Beef Patties, Tribali Foods Mediterranean Style Beef Patties, Simple Truth 100% Grass Fed All Natural Beef Burgers, Private Selection Steakhouse Burgers, Bubba Smashed Burgers, Cattlemen’s Ranch Angus, Kirkland Angus Burgers
