We've made meatballs in the microwave and meatloaf in the microwave, but I've never shared with you how I make a hamburger in the microwave in just a couple minutes.  Well today's the day!

A close up view of a finished cheeseburger that was cooked in the microwave.

I used to be afraid of making my own hamburgers.  It sounds kinda crazy, but I would always buy the preformed patties when I made burgers.  When ever I tried making patties by hand, they just never would flatten out when cooking so the inside would be not cooked enough, and the outside would be ready to burn.

Then, the meat shortage happened a couple months ago, and I just bought my own little patty press and figured it all out.  I don't know why I couldn't figure out before now.

What do you need to make a hamburger in the microwave?

At a minimum, I would also recommend wax paper and freezer bags or aluminum foil.  It's not necessary, but I found it's much easier to make several patties at the same time using a patty press, and using wax paper rounds. Most patty presses come with a bunch of wax paper rounds, so you don't usually need to buy them separately.

I like the press and rounds because, you just pop the wax paper round into the bottom of the press, add the meat, and squish, then just stack them up.

How do you store your hamburger patties?

I make enough patties in the press and stack them together for our whole family of 6.  Then, I wrap them all together in foil and freeze for later.  To defrost, I just pop the foil pack of burger on a plate in the fridge for a day.

For my college kid, who's now in back at school and needing just one burger at a time, I separate them out in one patty or two patties in a quart-size freezer bag before freezing.  I do this because it's quicker and easier to defrost several burgers. Plus, you should really cook everything you defrost within 24 hours just to be safe.

How do you cook a hamburger in the microwave?

This is an easy recipe.  It takes just three ingredients – ground beef (or ground turkey), minced garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.  I have been making hamburgers both in the microwave and in the regular oven for years with these exact ingredients, and people rave about them.  The burgers always come out savory and delicious.

Two photos. One is an uncooked hamburger patty that is bare and the other is an uncooked hamburger patty topped with Worcestershire sauce and garlic

Microwaves can vary by wattage, so make sure you check your hamburger temperature.  I use a digital meat thermometer all the time to make sure things are above the right temperature for safety. Ground beef needs to be above 160 F degrees, and ground turkey needs to be above 165 F degrees.

I place a paper towel under the hamburger patty on a microwave-safe plate.  Then I give a couple of shakes of Worcestershire sauce and a few shakes of dried minced garlic over the top.

Then, I cook it for 1 1/2 minutes.  This gives me a moist, delicious burger that is completely cooked through.

Open faced hamburger with the patty on top, with cheese and fresh avocado.

My microwave is 1000 watts, if yours is less you'll need to cook longer.  I would start with 1 1/2 minutes and check the temperature and do 30 second increments from there.

I have cooked up to 4 hamburgers in the microwave at the same time as long as they can sit flat on the same plate.

What toppings can you put on a Microwave Hamburger?

I love a good cheeseburger! I wait until the patty is completely cooked, and then I add the cheese.  The heat from the burger melts it just right.

I also love fresh sliced avocado on my burger.  Crispy bacon and roasted garlic are also wonderful toppings, and you can also make both right in the microwave.

But, for toppings, the sky's the limit! My son loves extra onions and ketchup and mustard.  Nate loves bbq sauce.  My daughter loves tomato and lettuce.  Just add your favorite toppings for a delicious homemade hamburger!

Recipes that pair well with a Microwave Hamburger

  • Microwave Mac and Cheese
  • Super Simple Guacamole
  • Simple Tomato Salad
  • Microwave Baked Potatoes

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
  • pinch of minced garlic
  • Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Form the ground beef into a patty.
  2. Place the patty on a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate.
  3. Shake Worcestershire sauce over the uncooked patty.
  4. Add the minced garlic to the uncooked patty.
  5. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, or until temperature is above 160 F degrees (or 165 F degrees for ground turkey).
  6. Transfer your patty to a bun and add your favorite toppings.

Notes

As microwaves vary, please check your hamburger patty to make sure it's cooked thoroughly.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 322 Total Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 101mg Sodium: 270mg Carbohydrates: 3g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 2g Protein: 31g

Any nutritional information on justmicrowaveit.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate.