When fast and mess-free are the order of the day, but a good burger is all you want, make air fryer hamburgers and have supper on the table pronto. You’ll get the delicious flavor we all know and love without any mess by following a few simple rules!
Some might consider making burgers a form of art. I think it’s mostly science! This is not the kind of recipe that requires more effort for better results. You just need to follow some key principles and from then on, you’ll always get the best air fryer hamburger patties – juicy and tender inside, and slightly crisped-up edges.
📝 Why This Works
✔️It’s fast | Your burgers will only take 9-12 minutes, so you can pop open a bag of chips, mix up a dip, or make some roasted honey gold potatoes in the oven and still have dinner on the table in about 12 minutes.
✔️No Fail | The magic of this recipe lies not in the effort but in the precision of applying cooking principles correctly. Meat selection, preparation, and cooking temperatures are the secret to amazing burgers. They will turn out excellent every time!
✔️Delicious | The added flavors of our spice mix with good quality ground beef are all that you need to have a fantastic, yummy burger on the table.
✔️Mess Free | Add a parchment liner to your air fryer to make clean-up a breeze. There will be no sticky, gunky skillets to clean.
✔️Even Cooking | Unlike ceramic cooktops, grills, or cheap skillets, the air fryer keeps a very steady temperature, so you can trust that your burgers will cook evenly and be perfectly done.
🔑 Key Factors For Juicy Air Fried Burgers
⚡The Meat | 80/20 ground beef has the ideal meat-to-fat ratio to get both flavor and juiciness.
⚡Meat Temperature | Let the patties rest on the counter for 20 minutes before cooking. This allows more even heat distribution, ensuring your patties cook uniformly without being too rare or too done.
⚡Air Fryer Cooking Temperature | Precision in setting your air fryer temperature is crucial. A higher temperature seals the exterior swiftly, locking in the juices, while preventing the inside from drying out.
⚡Patty Formation | Gently forming the patties to the right thickness guarantees a juicy center and a nicely crisped exterior.
⚡Minimal Flipping | Limiting flipping to once during cooking maintains a consistent temperature throughout the patty, without needlessly lengthening the cooking time and potentially drying out the meat.
🍔 Ingredients
🛒Ground Beef | As I already mentioned, 80/20 ground beef offers the best flavor and juicy texture, but the burgers will shrink more and have more fat. This is the one to use for the perfect burger patty – moist and tender inside, slightly crispy outside courtesy of the air fryer!
90/10 will be leaner and lack a little bit in the flavor department, but it will also shrink less. You will get a decent burger, but it won’t be the best you had.
🛒Spices | Paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. A classic, savory blend of spices that highlights the rich taste of beef burgers without overpowering them.
🛒Buns | Pick the best buns for burgers and take your burgers to restaurant quality in a heartbeat.
🛒Toppings | We love classic toppings such as pickled cucumber slices, tomatoes, caramelized onions, bacon, lettuce, cheese, and sauces such as ketchup, mayo, and mustard. However, there’s a lot of room to experiment with new toppings so feel free to try anything you want.
⏲️ Equipment and Tools
✅Air Fryer | Any version will work with this recipe. We use an Instant Vortex 7-in-1 (which heats higher) and a Ninja basket. The Vortex has a heat source at the top that is pretty powerful, so always remember to check early when using that machine.
✅Air Fryer Liner | Makes for a super easy cleanup!
✅Mixing Bowl | A large mixing bowl is perfect.
✅Hamburger Press | This is optional, and we did not use one, but it does make your hamburgers very uniform and perfectly shaped.
✅Potato Masher (Optional) | If you don’t want to use your hands to mix the ground beef with spices, you may want a potato masher. It will be more gentle on the meat than a hand mixer and easier to mix with than a spoon. This handy tool is also great for mashing avocadoes!
🔥 Instructions
👉Step 1: In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef and seasonings until well combined. I like to use my hands to fold the seasoning into the meat. You can use a pair of plastic gloves to make the cleanup easier.
👉Step 2: Divide the beef mixture into 4 equal portions, roll into balls, and press into patties. If you have a hamburger press, here is where it comes in handy.
👉Step 3: Preheat the air fryer to 370ºF. If your air fryer has preset temperatures instead of a dial, just pick the temperature closest to 370ºF.
👉Step 4: Add patties in a single layer into the air fryer basket. Make sure you have good air circulation between the hamburger patties so that they will cook evenly. The air fryer relies on that air circulation to do its job fast.
Tip: Add an air fryer liner before adding the patties to help make cleanup a breeze.
👉Step 5: Cook for 6-7 minutes, turn burgers over, and continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 160°F. It should only take about 3-5 more minutes. Add cheese, if using, and cook until cheese is melted slightly.
👉Step 6: Let the burgers rest for 3-5 minutes and serve with your favorite toppings.
❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks
📌Do Not Overwork The Meat | It will become tough. Fold the seasoning in with your hands until just mixed. There is no need for a hand mixer.
📌Toasted Buns Option | Toast your hamburger buns for added flavor! Place them open side up on a baking sheet in the oven at 350ºF for 3-5 minutes. Brush with melted butter if desired.
📌Have The Toppings Ready | Prepare your toppings before you start the air fryer because this goes fast! This is especially true if you want to caramelize some pineapple rings or onions. When those burgers come out of the air fryer, it is time to eat.
📌Avoid The Bulge | Putting a small dent in each patty using your thumb will help prevent shrinkage or bulging.
📌Rest The Burgers | This may not be steak but even the burger patties benefit from a short resting time of 3-5 minutes for the juices to redistribute inside.
🍱 Storage and Reheating
❄️Fridge | Keep your leftover hamburgers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
🧊Freezer | If you won’t be able to use the hamburgers within three days, freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
♨️Reheating | What’s the best way to reheat an air fryer burger? The same appliance, obviously. You can follow our guide on how to reheat burgers in the air fryer for simple instructions and other reheating methods such as the microwave, skillet, and toaster oven.
Make sure to snag your {FREEBIE} Air Fryer Cooking Times Printable, Deep Fryer to Air Fryer Conversion Printable and Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Printable.
🔪 Meal Prep
You can prep the hamburger patties up to 2 days ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Separate the patties with waxed paper to keep them from mashing together.
You can also freeze uncooked patties. For instance, if you only need burgers for 2 people, but make enough patties for 6 people, freeze at least a couple of the extras uncooked. This will save you time on a busy weeknight or be a nice quick meal when you get home from vacation and don’t have fresh food in the house.
🔄 Additions and Substitutions
👍Customized Patties | You can add all kinds of fun ingredients to your burger meat if you like. Finely diced onions, zucchini, yellow squash, oatmeal, cornflake crumbs, or panko bread crumbs are all good options. Once you start adding mix-ins, you will also likely need to add an egg to hold it all together.
👍Try New Spice Blends | Change up the spices for variety. Use a store-bought burger mix, a dry rub mix, or come up with your own blend. Here are some of my favorite flavors:
- Italian Blend – Oregano, basil, thyme, and a touch of red pepper flakes for a hint of heat.
- Smoky BBQ – Smoked paprika, a bit of brown sugar, cumin, and dry mustard for a barbecue flair.
- Moroccan Inspired – Cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and allspice for a warm, exotic twist.
- Herb Freshness – Dill, parsley, and chives for a light, herby freshness.
- Southwest Kick – Chili powder, cumin, and a dash of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick.
👍Cheesy Patties | Add cheese shreds to the meat. Try cheddar, colby jack, feta, or gouda.
👍BBQ Glaze | Baste the outside of your burgers with your favorite barbecue sauce halfway through the cooking process, for extra flavor.
👍Ground Beef Alternatives | If you don’t want to use ground beef, try ground turkey, ground chicken, or Beyond Meat (a meat substitute). An air fryer chicken burger or an air fryer turkey burger are also delicious options! With poultry, make sure your target internal temperature for the patties is 165ºF.
🥗 Burger Topping Ideas
Burgers in the air fryer are fast and easy, so prepare the toppings ahead of time. It’s fun to try new toppings, so here are some we enjoy beyond the typical condiments.
Savory & Aromatic
- Caramelized Onions
- Sautéed Mushrooms
- Gourmet Cheeses
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Crunchy & Textured
- Air Fryer Crispy Shallots
- French Fried Onions
- Potato Chips
Fresh & Zesty
- Diced Raw Onions
- Relish
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Pineapple Rings
- Guacamole
- Sliced Avocado or Avocado Spread
- Arugula or Baby Spinach
- Pickled Jalapeños
- Kimchi
- Sauerkraut
Rich & Decadent
- Fried Eggs
- Crispy Air Fryer Bacon or Pancetta
- Blue Cheese Crumbles
Sauces
- BBQ Sauce
- Spicy Aioli
- Sriracha Mayo
- Chimichurri
- Pesto Sauce
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
⭐Crispy Delights | Burgers are a satisfying meal and I love pairing them with an equally delightful side. You just can’t go wrong with dishes like air fryer sweet potato fries, air fryer frozen curly fries, classic crispy air fryer waffle fries, or the bite-sized air fryer tater tots.
⭐Fresh Salads | Balance the richness of your burgers with a refreshing tomato, cucumber, and onion salad, a simple creamy cucumber salad, or an easy green salad.
⭐Vegetable Sides | Roasted veggies are always a hit. Simple but tasty options like roasted Mediterranean vegetables or a vibrant sheet pan roasted Brussels sprouts will make your meal more nutritious without sacrificing flavor.
⭐Creative Companions | Don’t forget to explore other unique sides like cilantro lime rice for a zesty kick or a comforting bowl of homemade blender guacamole, perfect for dipping.
❓ Recipe FAQ
9-12 minutes, flipping once at six minutes at 370ºF. If you have a fixed temperature setting on your machine, just adjust the time accordingly. Your goal is 160ºF internal temperature for the meat. Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness.
Yes. You will need to increase the time slightly – it will take 16-20 minutes flipping once. This is great for those who won’t use a full package of ground beef in one meal. Just freeze the extra patties for later!
370ºF. If the temperature on your air fryer is fixed, just adjust the cooking time.
Preheat the air fryer to 370ºF and heat until the burger reaches 165ºF. This will take 3-5 minutes.
For medium-rare doneness, cook the burger patties at a high temperature, aiming for internal temperature of about 130°F to 135°F. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy.
It’s worth noting that eating medium-rare beef burgers carries some risk. Harmful bacteria may not be fully eliminated unless the burger is cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F, as recommended by food safety guidelines.
While many people enjoy steaks medium rare, steaks are usually seared on the outside, where bacteria are most likely to reside. Ground beef, however, has a greater surface area exposed to potential contamination, so it’s generally advised to cook burgers to a safer temperature.
Air Fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Hamburgers
Equipment
- Potato Masher (Optional) Lets you mix the ground beef hands-free.
- Hamburger Press (Optional) To form perfectly shaped patties.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef lean
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Pepper
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- Toppings Tomatoes, onions, lettuce, pickled cucumbers, cheese, mayo, ketchup, bacon, etc.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine ground beef and seasonings until well combined. Don’t over work the meat though, it will become tough.
- Divide beef into four equal portions, roll into balls and form into patties
- Preheat Air Fryer to 370° F
- Add patties in a single layer into the basket. Add an air fryer liner first to minimize cleanup.
- Cook for 6-7 minutes, flip burgers and continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 160° F, about 3-5 minutes
- Add cheese, if using, and cook until cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings
Notes
Nutrition
Hi!
Ginny Collins is a passionate foodie and recipe creator of Savor and Savvy and Kitchenlaughter. Indoors she focuses on easy, quick recipes for busy families and kitchen basics. Outdoors, she focuses on backyard grilling and smoking to bring family and friends together. She is a lifelong learner who is always taking cooking classes on her travels overseas and stateside. Her work has been featured on MSN, Parade, Fox News, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many local news outlets. She lives in Florida where you will find her outside on the water in her kayak, riding her bike on trails, and planning her next overseas adventure.
Who knew you could make hamburgers in your airfryer? This was so easy and quick!