Store-Bought Frozen Burger Patties That Use The Highest Quality Ingredients
Having frozen burger patties in your freezer is ideal for an easy weeknight meal. It's also a great option for a weekend away with friends or family. These days, whipping up a juicy homemade burger with a frozen store-bought patty is a guaranteed mid-week win. Brands have upped their game in terms of ingredients, texture, density, and taste. There's also more variety on the market.
Mashed is on the hunt for store-bought frozen burger patties that use the highest quality ingredients. We looked at meat, vegan, and vegetarian options and compared them based on their ingredients list and certifications -- and some customer reviews (they've got to be delicious too). It's one thing to say organic, it's another to be organically certified. The same goes for grass-fed beef and 100% plant-based labels, don't be duped ... they need to be accredited. In no particular order, these are the 11 store-bought frozen burger patties Mashed recommends that use the highest quality ingredients. Grubs up! Here are the high-quality hamburgers that'll tantalize your tastebuds with every bite.
Read more: 20 Frozen Foods Costco Shoppers Swear By
Applegate Naturals Organic Turkey Burgers
The Applegate Naturals Organic Turkey Burgers are a cut above the rest if you're looking for a turkey burger with high-quality ingredients. There are only two items in the Applegate Naturals Organic Turkey Burgers: organic turkey and organic rosemary extract. Applegate is known for using the finest ingredients, including meat without antibiotics or added hormones. Their turkey is certified organic by the United States Department of Agriculture. Registered dietician Ilene Smith says she uses Applegate products because they use "non-GMO ingredients, and are sourced from farms where animals are treated with care and respect." A turkey patty is ideal for foodies looking for a high-protein, low-carb lifestyle.
Turkey is a lean source of protein, which is essential for building and repairing tissues, making it a healthy alternative to higher-fat meats like beef. Compared to traditional beef burgers, turkey burgers typically have less saturated fat, which is beneficial for heart health. Turn to Applegate if you're looking for the ultimate turkey burger.
Bell & Evans Chicken Burgers
If you're cooking chicken burgers, it is best that you start by cooking organic chicken burgers. What does organic mean? Tyler Dawley, a chicken rancher with over a decade of experience, explains that organic chicken has been raised according to strict standards. These principles prohibit the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). "Organic chicken must also be raised in an environment that promotes natural behaviors, such as foraging and dust bathing," he explains. The Bell & Evans frozen chicken burger patty is made with organic chicken, sea salt, and black pepper. No preservatives, artificial flavorings, fillers or extenders have been added.
Bell & Evans is America's oldest branded chicken company with more than 125 years in business and 10 years of organic production. Their chicken burger even got the Good Housekeeping stamp of approval. If you prefer breaded or crumbed chicken, fret not, they have that option too.
Angus BUBBA Burgers
The Angus BUBBA Burger has only one ingredient: 100% USDA Angus beef. No additives, no fillers, and no preservatives. The store-bought frozen Angus BUBBA burger isn't certified organic or grass-fed, but if you're looking for commercial, high-quality meat -- this is it. According to DC Steakhouse, Angus beef is derived from Aberdeen Angus cattle, which are more muscular than other breeds. Angus beef is generally well-marbled, which enhances flavor, juiciness, and tenderness.
On its label, the Angus BUBBA burger is labeled as a chuck burger. This refers to the cut, which comes from the shoulder of the cow. To produce the BUBBA hamburger patty, the chuck beef would be ground. The Angus BUBBA Burger has featured in Mashed's recommendation of store-bought frozen burger patties that use the highest quality ingredients because it's USDA-approved. The United States Department of Agriculture has evaluated the meat to ensure it meets specific quality standards. This involves checking the beef for characteristics such as marbling (the amount of fat within the meat), color, texture, and overall quality. Each 150 gram patty, which you can cook from frozen in 10 minutes, has 26 grams of protein, 430 calories, 35 grams of fat, and 0 carbohydrates.
Force Of Nature Venison And Beef Patties
Clean and healthy, Force of Nature emphasizes sustainable and ethical sourcing practices. Their venison is raised in natural environments, which leads to better-quality meat and supports regenerative farming and wildlife management. At Mashed, that falls under our "high-quality" ingredient umbrella.Because it's venison, you might think it will be a dry burger but Clean Plates, which promotes a healthy-eating lifestyle says, "If dry burgers are the stuff of your nightmares, [Force of Nature Venison and Beef Patties] will feel like a dream. They're made with a unique combination of grass-fed venison and wagyu beef, a Japanese delicacy known for its rich flavor and juicy texture. They have no additives or funky ingredients -- just high-quality meat and nothing else." Venison is rich in essential nutrients, including protein, iron, and B vitamins. It is lower in fat and calories compared to many other red meats, making it a nutritious choice for health-conscious consumers.
The Organic Meat Co, Organic Grass-Feed Beef Burgers
Looking for certifications on packaging is the best place to start when looking for beef burger patties with the highest quality ingredients. The Organic Meat Company's 100% Organic Beef Burgers have a green label on the front of the box that says: Global Animal Partnership, Step 4, Pasture Centered. This third-party certification means it's true grass-fed beef -- the animals are raised on pasture year-round.
In an expose, the Huffington Post says many beef products are labeled grass-fed but haven't been vetted as true because there's no national regulating authority. The Global Animal Partnership's grading is well respected and even more so if it's used because but it's not compulsory for producers.
The Organic Meat Company's 100% organic beef burgers are certified organic, which means no antibiotics or hormones. The beef is clean. A reviewer on Amazon rated it a "delicious burger," while another reviewer said, "It's so flavorful, always tastes fresh, and stays juicy when grilled."
TRIBALI Foods Organic, 100% Grass-Fed Beef Patties
If you're a health nut, this beef burger with Hellenic heritage will whet your appetite. Tribali Foods is passionate about ancestral ingredients -- meaning single, whole foods. Founded by Angela Bicos, the brand is passionate about real foods, inspired by the flavors Bicos savored in her grandmother's kitchen during summers in Greece.
This store-bought 100% organic frozen burger patty is made with beef from U.S. ranchers who "raise animals on open pastures, without the use of antibiotics or hormones." The Tribali Foods Organic Beef Patties don't use any binders, fillers or preservatives, are non-GMO and free of gluten, dairy, and soy. The Tribali patties have a Mediterranean flavor profile. In addition to the beef, the patty is infused with garlic, onion, tomato, oregano, rosemary, and fresh spearmint, and a spritz of citrus -- all the fresh ingredients you could find in your grandmother's garden.
Wild Fork Angus Beef Pub Style Burgers
Wild Fork Angus Beef Pub Style Burgers are modeled on the burgers you'd likely find in a pub, hamburgers with thick and juicy burger patties. Wild Fork upgraded their burgers further by choosing to go with high-quality Angus beef (a more marbled, juicy beef) and went with an 80% lean, 20% fat blend. This is the ratio of lean meat to fat content in the ground beef. An 80% lean and 20% fat blend means that 80% of the meat consists of lean muscle, which provides the primary protein content. The remaining 20% is fat, which enhances the flavor and juiciness of the burger.
Another reason to love this quality burger patty is that Wild Fork beef comes from cooler climate areas like Nebraska and Colorado. The lush grasslands there produce some of the best beef in the world. And the brand says all their meat is wet-aged for 17 days to preserve moisture and increase tenderness.
Amy's Kitchen Organic California Veggie Burger
Despite increased competition in the market, Amy's Kitchen's frozen vegetarian burgers have remained a favorite for over two decades. Rachel and Andy Berliner, who founded the organic vegetarian food brand, began their search for the perfect veggie burger in 1989. "We tried recipe after recipe until this one, with organic bulgur wheat, earthy mushrooms, flavorful veggies, and toasty walnuts, just couldn't be beat," they say. This is the origin story of the Amy's Kitchen Organic California Veggie Burger which is dairy, soy and lactose-free, vegan, kosher, and plant-based.
"Amy's is unique in that we're, as far as I know, just about the only brand that uses primarily organic ingredients," Andy Berliner told Food Business News. "Lots of brands are doing natural and non-GMO, but not organic. Some started it and then backed away when they realized the cost and the complexity of it." Amy's Kitchen purchases more than 122 million pounds of organic produce each year (via Food Business News). Our secret sauce is to do something old-fashioned, which is to make food just the way you make it in your home, and do it in large quantities," Berliner said.
Gardein's Chipotle Black Bean Burger
Gardein's frozen Chipotle Black Bean Burger is a popular choice for those seeking a healthy and delicious alternative to meat -- with a smoky flavor. Vegan Essentials says this black bean burger is one of their "favorite veggie burgers." The patties weigh in at 85 grams each and are free from artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. The Gardein Chipotle Black Bean Burger contains no genetically modified ingredients and is kosher and vegan.It has a clean ingredient list, including black beans, water, brown rice, canola oil, black bean powder, onions, corn, textured soybean concentrate, tomato paste, and bell peppers. The rest comprise 2% or less of the patty and are natural, bar the methylcellulose, which vegan products need to make a product firmer and moist. If you're looking for a hit of protein, fiber, and nutrients this little patty will hit the spot. Pair it with a soft bun, avocado, salsa, fried onion, lettuce, and a chipotle sauce (vegan if preferred).
Beyond Meat Beyond Burger
The Beyond Meat Beyond Burger is renowned for looking and tasting like a meat patty. The plant-based burger has undergone a revamp, ditching canola and coconut oil and replacing it with avocado oil. It has also added fava beans and red lentils to its ingredient list. The Beyond Meat Beyond Burger now has 21 grams of protein, a gram more than its predecessor. When there was a gap in the vegetarian market the Beyond Meat brand took it -- much to the relief of the vegetarians who were longing to have a meat fix, without actually eating it. The ingredients are plant-based, there's no weird stuff in there. The only ingredient you might not recognize is methylcellulose, a synthetically produced fiber, made using cellulose found in plants.
After being in the hot seat for mislabeling, the company has been working with medical and nutrition experts in a multi-year research effort to improve and meet guidelines set by national health bodies and experts (via Vegan Queen). Compared to its predecessor the new Beyond Burger is an upgrade on multiple counts: There's 60% less saturated fat (2 grams per serving), 20% less sodium (310 milligrams), 20% more calcium (120 milligrams), and 12% higher potassium content (370 milligrams).
Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers
For a healthy burger with high-quality ingredients, Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers deliver the goods with non-GMO certified vegetables. The vegetarian hamburger patties have 10 different vegetables in them, including carrots, green beans, peas, broccoli, and corn. You can actually see them in the patty. It's not going to taste like a beef burger but you're definitely getting your five-a-day. The rest of the ingredients list includes onions, oat bran, zucchini, expeller pressed canola oil and/or sunflower oil, soybeans, soy flour, spinach, red bell peppers, and arrowroot powder. It also contains less than 2% of garlic, cornstarch, cornmeal, sea salt, dried parsley, and black pepper.
Dr. Praeger's nutrient-rich vegetarian burgers offer high-quality ingredients free from artificial additives and rely on natural flavors. The whole grains in the burger (oats and corn), are good for fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients and provide a wholesome, satisfying texture.
How We Chose Our Burger Patties
There never used to be so many burger patty options in the supermarket's frozen aisle. Our fast-paced and more health-conscious lifestyles have created a boom in convenience food -- frozen being one of them. Brands are now catering to vegans, vegetarians, diet-conscious consumers, and consumers who want to know where their meat is coming from.Next time you are standing in the frozen section, Mashed has made your life a little easier by researching which store-bought frozen burger patties use the highest quality ingredients. It's not a ranking, it's a recommendations list. Of course, we couldn't include all the candidates -- so we've given you 11 options to get you started. We primarily looked at the ingredients in the patty (the less, the better). Then we looked at where the ingredients were sourced, whether they were non-GMO, organically certified, or had any complex chemical compounds (additives, preservatives, or artificial flavors). We sifted and sorted and came up with this list of the "cleaner" burger patties that use high-quality ingredients. Happy shopping, read the labels, and choose consciously.
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