Ground Beef in the Microwave

Can you cook ground beef in the microwave? Yes you can!! We will show you how to cook frozen hamburger meat from raw to browned in about 8 minutes.

I wondered if you could cook ground beef in microwave in case that was all you had at the time. It totally worked! Not only did it get browned but it was faster than I thought and so handy to know. Once done you can make esy hamburger meat recipes this week

This is just one of many microwave recipes on our site. These two terms are synonymous to me. I call it one thing and my mom calls it the other. My husband only defines it this way if it is made into a patty.

Ask a crowd full of people and you’ll get a bunch of different answers. You know that I mean the same thing when I say either of these words…….

Looking for some easy microwave recipes? We have the answer! Whether you are traveling in an RV, need to cook in a hotel room or just want to cook food quickly we can help. Here are a few resources to get started;

FIRST – sign up for our free newsletter below! I publish new posts each and every day and that will be sent out twice a week for you to read and try them all!

1. Always use microwave safe dishes with lids to cook, plastic is no good.
2. Cook times may vary slightly if you have a very small unit with less than 1000 watts.
3. Remember to use pot holders to remove food from inside as it may be very hot when done cooking.

How to Cook Ground Beef in Microwave

You’re going to want a shallow bowl or dish with a higher lip on the edges for this. Reason being is there will be grease released and you don’t want a huge mess on your hands when it drains off. You’ll want a colander at the end too.

• Cooking process is quite easy. Break up your large lump of hamburger into smaller bits inside a bowl or shallow microwave safe dish with a lip on the sides. One with a lid is ideal.
• Cover your bowl with your lid or wrap plastic wrap across the top and cook on 100% (normal) high heat power. time)

How Long to Cook Ground Beef in Microwave

You will need about 10 minutes to get this done total. Timing will of course depend on the amount you have, how often you stir it and how well done you want it to become but in general this does the trick perfectly.

The meat will be ready at this point but you should check internal temp. with a meat thermometer – should be 160-165F. Transfer the minced meat to a colander to drain the fat. If you don’t have one of these you can pour on to a wad of paper towels

If you want to really make it lower in fat use that colander and run it under hot water. That way it will wash all the grease away from the meat, but keep in mind the flavor is in the fat so it will be more bland. Then add to meals like Crock pot tater tot casserole and others.

How Long to Cook a Hamburger Patty in the Microwave

What if you want to cook a burger in the microwave instead? You totally can. Get out your meat and go ahead and make a (or a few) burger patties. Don’t make them larger than 5 inches in diameter and they should all be the same size.

• Form ground meat into a round patty with a hole in the center so it cooks evenly
• Set into a microwave safe bowl or plate
  • you can season top of hamburger patties with salt and pepper and/or a drop of Worcestershire sauce for flavor
• Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or set parchment paper on top
• Microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute depending on how thick they are
• Check the internal meat temperature to ensure it is at

There is one other “out of the box” method you can try beyond a pan on your stovetop. Did you know you could cook Crockpot ground beef too?? I know, kinda’ wild but totally works if you need to go down that route.

There you have it. Once it’s done you will be well on your way to making all the things. Of course you’ll want to drain the fat first like you see here.

Cooked Ground Beef recipes you’ll love

Now that your beef is cooked, add your browned ground beef into one of our many Instant Pot ground beef recipes. If you have kids add something fun like our tater tot casserole with cream of mushroom soup that is cheesy and wonderful.

What temperature is ground beef done?

• 120-125 F = rare
• 130-135 = medium rare
• 140-145 F = medium
• 150-155 = medium well done
• 160-165 = well done hamburger