You’ve probably heard of Bubba Burgers. They claim to be the “best burger you ever ate“. I just grilled some last night and I can tell you how to grill them and how long it takes.
If you’ve never cooked frozen hamburgers before, don’t sweat. It’s easy.
I bought the Original Bubba Burgers at my local grocery store. You can get them on Amazon, but they’re super expensive. Bubba Burgers are widely considered to be some of the best frozen burgers on the market.
The first thing I did was read the box. It says right on the front of the box to cook frozen. You do not need to thaw these out before you grill them. You definitely don’t want to let them get to room temperature as the meat tends to fall apart.
Bubba Burger Recipe
You’re going to want to spice up your Bubba Originals. The ingredients on the box says 100% USDA Choice Chuck beef. This means there is no seasoning on the burger.
If you want delicious burgers you’re going to have put something on there. I just used Kosher salt and black pepper but you can also use garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce to kick it up a notch. Or you can try your favorite barbecue dry rub.
For this cook I put the seasoning on while the burger patty was still frozen but I didn’t end up with the tastiest burger. I’d recommend seasoning it when the meat is thawed out on the grill.
Cooking Instructions
Since I grilled my burgers on a charcoal grill, I’m going to share with you my method.
It’s pretty simple really. Especially if you have a Weber Kettle Grill like me.
The first step is to fire up your charcoal. The best way to do this is to use a charcoal chimney starter. They hold just the right amount of charcoal and keep them contained.
Bonus Tip: Instead of using newspaper or a firestarter to light your charcoal you can use potato chips. They’re cheap and easy to light and the grease in them stays lit long enough to start charcoal.
Dump your charcoal on the charcoal grate, set your cooking grill grate and put the lid on the grill. Dial your airflow by adjusting the air intake (on bottom of the grill) and the damper (on top of grill). Let it sit until you have your desired temperature.
Now is a great time to clean your grill if you haven’t already. The high temperatures will disinfect and loosen any fat stuck to the grill.
Safety Tip: Do not use a wire brush to clean your grill. The metal bristles can come off on the grill and get in your food. Digesting metal bristles can be dangerous or even deadly. Try the Grill Rescue Brush or use a wooden grill scraper.
On the back of the Bubba Burger box it has these instructions:
- Put the frozen Bubba burger on a preheated grill or skillet.
- Don’t mess with it until you see the juices on top, and don’t press it.
- Flip burger over and cook until the internal temperature reaches 161 degrees F (72 degrees C).
- Put it on a bun or eat it like a steak.
You can grill these on a gas grill, charcoal grill, electric grill (think George Foreman), or in a skillet on your stove. The box recommends cooking them at 325 degrees or medium heat. I chose to cook mine on a charcoal grill over lump charcoal as I like the flavor it gives the meat.
How Long to Grill Frozen Bubba Burgers
Cooking time may very depending on what you’re using to cook the frozen beef patties.
My Weber Kettle grill has a thermometer on top. I’m not sure how accurate it is, but it read 305 degrees. That reading is taken at the top of the grill so I didn’t want to get much hotter than that.
My wife prefers her meat well done so cooking longer at a lower heat was my goal. I felt like cooking frozen patties would cook better all the way through that way.
Pro tip: You can measure the cooking temperature right at the grill. All you need is to cut a sweet onion in half, set it on the grill grate, and stick a temperature probe through the onion. It will now take the temperature at the cooking surface. Alternately you can use the Smoke Thermometer by ThermoWorks.
After about 20 minutes of grilling the Bubba burger patties, the juices started to form on top. I flipped the patties over and waited until they started juicing up on the other side. In 10 minutes time I had what looked like the perfect burger.
I inserted my meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The instructions call for 161 degrees, but 160 degrees F is considered a safe internal temperature for meat patties. The total cook time was around 30 minutes.
Other Cooking Methods
Grilling is not the only way to cook your Bubba Burgers. According to the Bubba Burgers website you can also cook them in an oven, pressure cooker or in an air fryer.
I’m thinking I’m going to try these in an air fryer. Most frozen foods turn out fantastic in an air fryer and they take less time. Same thing goes for a pressure cooker.
Buns and Toppings
The next most important thing to a making a fantastic burger are the hamburger buns and the toppings.
If you’re serving a large group of guests, you’ll want to have gluten-free options for the buns. Get the best tasting buns you can buy or make your own. Nothing is worse than a stale, zero flavor bun.
Again, if you have a lot of people coming over, you want to have a large variety of toppings. Here is a good list of condiments, veggies, and cheese to have on hand for your family or guests to choose from.
Condiments
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Sriracha Sauce
- Barbecue Sauce
- Burger Sauce
Veggies
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Sliced Pickles
- Bell Peppers
- Jalapeños
- Green Chilies
- Pineapple Rings
With these ingredients you should have enough variety to make everyone happy.
Avoid Common Mistakes
There are some common mistakes people make during any burger cooks. Here are some to avoid.
Cooking burgers at high heat is at the top of the list. Don’t rush the cooking process. If you cook burgers at high heat, you’ll end up with a hocky puck of a burger.
Do not cook on a hot grill. Keep the temperature of the grill at a medium setting. This will ensure that the inside of your burger isn’t raw meat and the outside is a good sear.
Another common mistake is to flip your burger too often. The instructions on the package of Bubba Burgers says to put it on the grill and leave it alone until you see juices on top.
This is sound advice for any natural beef burger. The more you turn the burger, the more juices you lose. A juicy burger is a delicious burger.
Don’t press your meat. This is also in the instructions on the box and is a best practice.
Pressing the hamburger patty only squeezes out the juice that give it extra flavor. It also compresses the meat, making it harder. Nobody wants a juiceless, hard burger.
One of the most common mistakes people make is to buy lean meat. If you’re on a diet, you can get veggie burgers or even Bubba Turkey burgers.
If you want the best results with real beef, get burgers with a high fat content. Fat equals juice which leads to great taste.
Conclusion
The cooking time for Bubba Burgers depends on your cooking temperature and cooking method. Cook on a medium heat and be patient. Good things come to those who wait. I hope you enjoy your barbecue.