How to cook frozen Impossible™ burger in the oven

BBQ Impossible™ Meatloaf Recipe by Meiko Temple (IG: @meikoandthedish)

We’ve already laid out helpful tips on how to cook Impossible™ Burger at home, but what if you’re wondering how to cook frozen Impossible Burger in the oven, specifically? Fortunately, cooking Impossible Burger in the oven is easy and quite similar to cooking ground beef from cows. You can mix it with spices, form it into patties, brown it in a pan, braise it, simmer it, use it in your grandma’s meatloaf recipe...you get the picture.

In case you still have actions, we’re spelling it all out for you below.

HOW TO COOK IMPOSSIBLE BURGER IN THE OVEN

Once you are ready to start cooking with Impossible Burger, we recommend working with it while it is thawed and still cold — it keeps its shape more at a colder temperature.

Impossible Burger cooks and roasts in the oven just like ground beef would. That means family-favorite dishes such as meatloaf, lasagna and meatballs can be prepared with Impossible Burger and come out tasting delicious. We suggest preheated oven temperatures between 350-400° F. 

HOW DO YOU BRAISE IMPOSSIBLE BURGER?

Braising Impossible Burger to infuse your desired flavors is easy! We prefer browning the meat in the pan before adding any liquid, whether that’s water, wine, broth, etc. From there, cook your dish just like you would any ground beef recipe!

Heads up: Impossible Burger typically braises a little faster than beef from cows and does not release as much water during cooking, there is no need to drain excess liquid after browning. 

HOW DO YOU COOK FROZEN IMPOSSIBLE PATTIES?

If you don’t have time to thaw your Impossible Burger patties, they’re perfectly fine to cook from a frozen state. Simply preheat a well-oiled pan to medium high and cook for ~4 minutes per side. Be sure to check on them as they cook so you get the best product possible! Our favorite part comes next: add your toppings and dig in.

HOW TO SEASON IMPOSSIBLE BURGER

If you’ve ever seasoned ground beef before — whether for burgers, meatballs, tacos, etc. — the same rules apply for Impossible Burger. You can season it before and after cooking as you see fit. However, Impossible Burger does have more sodium than unseasoned ground beef from cows, so you may want to go easy on the added salt until after you’ve cooked it and tasted a sample prior to serving. 

IS IMPOSSIBLE BURGER PERISHABLE?

Impossible Burger is made from plants, so it is a perishable product. That means it must be kept either frozen for long-term storage or in the refrigerator.  

If you typically store your Impossible Burger frozen, we recommend putting it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw it. However, do not thaw it and then attempt to refreeze it. (Note: thawing underwater is not recommended.) 

HOW LONG CAN I STORE IMPOSSIBLE BURGER?

You can store Impossible Burger for up to 10 days in the refrigerator unopened, and up to three days after you’ve opened the package.  You should also abide by any "Best By" sticker or "If Frozen Use Before" date on the packaging. (This will vary depending on where you bought it and whether it was thawed or frozen on the store’s shelves.)

For freshness, we recommend that you finish eating the entire package within three days of opening it, or ten days after it was thawed -- whichever comes first. The same guidelines apply to our Impossible Burger Patties.

NEED SOME INSPIRATION?

Ravioli Lasagna with Impossible Burger Bolognese by Chef Dennis (IG: @askchefdennis)

Cooking with Impossible Burger — frozen or thawed — is just as easy as cooking with ground beef from cows. And that was intentional! We have dozens of chef-created recipes on our website for you to try, so feel free to jump right in and get to cooking. You can start out with a traditional dish like meatloaf to get a feel for how Impossible Burger cooks, or venture out into our long list of innovative recipes (and plenty of old favorites). Check out a few of our favorites below. Enjoy! 

• LOADED BBQ IMPOSSIBLE™ NACHOS 

• IMPOSSIBLE™ SCOTTISH SHEPHERD’S PIE

• IMPOSSIBLE™ BBQ MEATLOAF RECIPE

• IMPOSSIBLE™ CHEESY STUFFED MEATBALLS

• RAVIOLI LASAGNA WITH IMPOSSIBLE™ BURGER BOLOGNESE

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

Check out our FAQs to learn more.

FIND IMPOSSIBLE PRODUCTS NEAR YOU

Head over to our locator to find a grocery store or restaurant that carries Impossible™ products near you!