How Late Is Too Late To Eat Leftover Fast Food Burgers And Fries?

Fast food is naturally meant to be served and eaten as soon as possible, but sometimes that Wendy's Grand Slam Burger is just too much for one sitting. In this economy, there's also no reason to let a juicy burger and french fries combo go to waste.

So, you put the stacked burger aside and cover the french fries for another time. But does that half burger and fries have to be eaten for breakfast or can it be reheated next week?

Depending on how you store the leftovers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture advises that cooked beef can be good for up to four months. A burger placed in the refrigerator will only be good for up to three or four days, but freezing the burger will give it more time. Unfortunately, in the case of french fries, you're on a shorter timeline of about two days, so a week might be too little too late to enjoy your leftover spuds from the refrigerator. If you follow the proper storage steps, your fries could last up to six months in the freezer. 

Whether you think it's impressive or a little disturbing, McDonald's burgers have been known to appear pristine even after years of improper storage conditions. That doesn't mean you should eat the leftover Big Mac that's been sitting in your car for the past two weeks. Instead, use these tips for storage and reheating so that your cheeseburger and fries are almost as good as the day they first hit your plate.

As previously mentioned, a leftover hamburger can last months if placed in the freezer, but you can't just toss an unwrapped burger into your freezer and hope for the best. Whether the burger is going in the refrigerator or in the freezer, you should put it in an airtight container and make sure to do so within the first couple hours of it being at room temperature. One of the most common mistakes people make with leftovers is letting them sit out for too long before refrigeration. Your fries should also go in an airtight container along with a paper towel or two to soak up any extra moisture that might accumulate. This will help your fries not get soggy when you go to reheat them a few days later.

When you finally get around to reheating your burger, you'll want to disassemble and separate the beef patty to reheat on its own. Whether you choose to re-grill, air fry, or even reheat in the oven, the patty should be heated for around 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, and reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. For crispy, reheated french fries you'll want to add oil to a pan and place the fries so they're essentially being refried. You could also choose to air fry, oven bake, or even microwave the fries but they might not turn out as crisp.

Even with these tips and tricks for optimum storage and reheating, nothing beats that first bite of a fresh, crispy french fry. So, consider mashing and spicing up your leftover fries with a few extra ingredients for a brand-new potato experience.