14 Ways to Use Up Leftover Burger Meat, According to Chefs

Shortcut bolognese

“It’s good to keep it simple when repurposing leftover burgers. Make a simple tomato sauce (or you can use a jarred sauce), crumble your burger meat with the back of a fork, and fold it into the sauce. Cook your pasta just short of al dente, then add to the sauce and stir to combine. Finish with fresh Parm, basil, and a glass of wine for a quick and easy no-waste meal.” — Kyle St. John, executive chef at Harvest Restaurant in Laguna Beach, California

Mom-approved baked beans

“My mom, Gladys Walker, who is famous for her blue-ribbon pies at the county fair, is also a great cook. I like to use leftover burgers in one of her home-cooked dishes like her Cowboy Beans, which is one of her easier baked bean dishes.

Cook one pound bacon, cut into one-inch slices, over medium heat; set aside, then add about one pound leftover crumbled burger meat to the same skillet; add chopped onion from one small onion and cook until soft. Then add 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup ketchup, and 1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce; stir to combine. Add 15 ounces butter beans, drained; 30 ounces canned pork and beans with their liquid; and 15 ounces red kidney beans with their liquid. Stir to incorporate. Then pour bean mixture into a casserole dish and bake at 325 degrees F for about one hour.” — Carl Walker, general manager and former executive chef at Brennan’s of Houston

Next-level nachos

“My favorite day-old hamburger meat recipe is for ‘nachos’ deluxe. I use tostada shells [rather than tortilla chips], as it’s easier to perfect the ratio of beef to rice to black beans and cheese. I use a blend of cheddar and Chihuahua: one for flavor, one for meltiness. Then I broil the nachos until they’re molten golden brown and crispy, and top with a drizzle of sour cream, some torn cilantro and scallions, some pico de gallo, and a small avocado, diced.

As for the beef prep, I love to small-dice it in oil, bloom some store-bought Goya taco seasoning in suet (oil if you must), and then toss the two to combine. For nachos integrity, you must strain your black beans fully and layer the nachos properly: tostada shells cut into half moons, then beef and beans, then cheese. Cook and garnish.” — Jonathon Sawyer, chef/partner of Kindling in Chicago

“Moisture is always the secret to maintaining the quality of the meat. Use a hot pan on medium heat, lightly oiled, and once you lay the hamburger on it add a tablespoon of water and cover with a lid to help it regain some moisture. After three minutes, flip, and warm for another three minutes. From there, I’ll break up the meat, adding cumin, tomato, cilantro, garlic, onion powder, paprika, salt, and water, then continue to cook all together in the pan for five minutes. You can use this combination as a topping for nachos, or a taco filling.” — Vanessa Bordoy, executive chef at White Limozeen in Nashville

A Thai favorite

“Beef larb is a great way to transform leftover hamburger patties. Add the beef to a warm pan, crumble it, and let it warm up enough just to take the chill off. Season with fish sauce, fresh lime juice, chili powder, thinly sliced onion or shallot, mint, cilantro, and ground toasted rice. Serve with lettuce cups.” — James Bailey, chef at Momofuku Las Vegas

Taco night

“Take any leftover burgers — they can be beef, pork, chicken, veggie, or really anything you have! Crumble the burgers up and sauté with onion, garlic, jalapeño, and tomato (or even tomatillo) to make the most delicious taco filling or salad topping. Throw in some beaten eggs and cook until scrambled for a breakfast taco filling. Throw in a can of beans, chili powder, cumin, and stock, and simmer until a thick sauce forms and you have chili beans.” — Rick Martinez, chef and author of Mi Cocina

A grilled cheese update

“Leftover hamburger meat can have many different uses, but my favorite is a meaty grilled cheese. You can use what is already in your fridge; I usually have Muenster cheese on hand and will add caramelized onions and sautéed sweet peppers.” — Yulissa Acosta, chef de cuisine at Hearth ’61 in Scottsdale, Arizona

When in doubt, make fried rice

“Fried rice is an extremely forgiving dish for most leftover proteins. Throw in scallions, minced ginger, celery, egg, cilantro, peas, carrots…truly, chef’s choice! — Valerie Gordon, chocolatier and chef/ owner of Valerie Confections in Los Angeles

Rice bowls two ways

“Take the patty from the burger and crumble it into small pieces; reheat it in a pan with oil, adding soy sauce, mirin, diced onions, and any other fragrant ingredients like garlic or green onions; and lay it all over rice to make a small gyudonburi (Japanese beef rice bowl).

You can use the same ingredients to make a ‘hambagu’ steak donburi (Japanese hamburger rice bowl). For added texture in the rice, take your leftover buns, toast them in the oven until hard all the way through, roughly blend them, and mix them into the rice to add some crunchy depth.” — Sangtae Park, executive chef and partner at Chicago’s HIS Hospitality Group, which includes Omakase Yume, TenGoku Aburiya, and Bonyeon 

“In my house we usually make turkey burgers. One of the most common things we do with the leftover meat was inspired by a trip to Spain. There was a very simple dish in Madrid we had which was probably my daughter’s favorite meal of the whole trip. It was a simple burger patty on rice with a rich tomato sauce over it. We eat a lot of rice bowls at home, especially after a long night of service. It’s ready in minutes and never disappoints.” — James Galbraith, chef/owner of soon-to-open PostBoy in New Buffalo, Michigan

A meaty eggplant dish

“Take the leftover hamburger meat and turn it into a Turkish stuffed eggplant [also called Karniyarik]. Start by cooking down onions, peppers, garlic, and tomato with cumin and coriander. Then, break up the ground beef and mix it in with all the other ingredients to make a flavorful stuffing for the eggplant. I like to top it all off with a tahini cilantro sauce, sweet pepper relish, and toasted pine nuts.” — Tim Kolanko, executive chef and culinary director, Urban Kitchen Group in Southern California

Good-as-new noodles

“Leftover hamburger meat makes for quick and easy dan dan noodles, a Sichuan dish that consists of spicy ground meat over noodles. Start by breaking up the cold burger patties into crumbles, then season with chili, sesame oil, five-spice, and Sichuan peppers. From there, add the meat to a hot, stainless steel pan with canola oil and sear it before adding plenty of black bean sauce — you can find ready-to-use jars at your local Asian grocery store. Once the sauce simmers, spoon it over fresh noodles and enjoy!” — Marcel Heiduk, executive chef at Venteux in Chicago 

“Crumble them up and add them to some kind of sauce for pasta or noodles. Leftover burger meat can easily be incorporated into gravies like the ones used in lo mein. Try a dish with a lot of liquid to counteract the dryness of a cooked burger.” — Jon Kung, chef and author of Kung Food

A classic casserole

“One of my favorite dishes when I was a kid was tater tot casserole, which uses ground beef, sautéed diced onions, and traditionally a can or two of cream of mushroom soup, with a splash of milk. This is all mixed and placed in a baking dish, then topped with frozen tater tots, followed by shredded cheese toward the end of baking. It can be a great way to use leftover cooked hamburgers — just break them apart and crumble slightly. Nowadays, I also like to make my own mushroom gravy in lieu of the canned stuff. Throw in some sautéed sliced mushrooms and it’s even better.” — Amanda Salas, executive chef at Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan

Easy empanadas…or homemade hot pockets

“Repurpose leftover burger meat into a delicious and flavorful empanada. Take your cooked burger meat and add it to a food processor with onions, peppers, spices, and jalapeños for some spice. Then combine your ground beef mixture with shredded gouda cheese and spoon it into empanada dough. This is a great way to reduce waste and give your burgers a new life!” — Jose Horrach, executive chef at Chica & The Don in New York City

Homemade hot pockets are great in the air fryer. Crumble up the leftover hamburgers, season them with paprika and chili powder, and fill in pre-made pastry dough with shredded mozzarella or cheddar. Then cook in the air fryer until golden and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.” — Christopher Weathered, chef/co-owner of Mill and Main in Kerhonkson, New York

A hearty breakfast

“I always grill for now and for later, making sure there are leftover cooked hamburgers to make a ‘next-day’ beef hash breakfast skillet with potatoes, eggs, onions, and jalapeños — all smothered in gravy. It’s a play on picadillo, a popular filling for breakfast tacos with ground beef that’s stewed with potatoes and chilis. For my Southern-influenced, one-pan version, I finely chop leftover hamburger meat so it cooks like ground beef before stewing it in homemade gravy with cracked eggs and cheese. This hearty, all-in-one breakfast skillet is a Southern treat — especially when served with hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven, buttermilk biscuits.” — Brandi Key, culinary director at Dish Society and Daily Gather in Houston

An iteration of egg rolls

“Keeping with the cheeseburger theme, you can crumble the leftover cooked hamburgers and mix with some diced caramelized onions to create a filling for cheeseburger egg rolls. Place a scoop of the crumbled burger meat and a slice of American cheese in an egg roll wrapper. Then roll up and fry until crispy. Serve with Thousand Island dressing.” — Amanda Salas, executive chef at Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan