These easy Air Fryer Hamburgers are so simple to make that you’ll wonder why you ever made burgers any other way. Make your own burger patties or use frozen patties.
» You might also like this Easy Air Fryer Ribs and How to Thaw Ground Turkey.
Burgers are one of the things we make the most in our air fryer. You might not know that the air fryer isn’t just a substitute for deep frying. It’s a great alternative to the stove or oven for things like burgers. Serve them up with air fryer potato wedges or sweet potato fries, for the perfect meal.
These air fryer burgers are so easy to make. They come together super quick and are just as tasty as a restaurant burger. If you haven’t tried your air fryer yet, you really need to give it a try for things like burgers, air fryer flatbread pizza, and even the side dishes that go with it!
If you like making air fryer burgers, give these Air Fryer Stuffed Burgers a try!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground beef – we used 1 pound with a 15% fat content. You could use ground turkey, chicken or even pork.
- Seasonings – garlic powder, salt and pepper
- Butter – salted butter, softened, for toasting the buns
- Hamburger buns – Use sesame or regular buns – whatever brand you like.
- Cheese – optional
How to Make Air Fryer Hamburgers
Step 1: Make the patties
I prefer to make my own burgers. It’s very simple to make a great burger, and it’s cheaper to buy ground beef and form the patties yourself. If you want to make your own, we have a quick recipe you can mix up.
It requires 1 lb of ground beef chuck with 15% fat content. This will make 2 good-sized burgers. It’s pretty hard to stretch 1 lb of meat into 4 burgers, but you’re making sliders, that’s definitely possible.
Mix the ground beef with garlic powder, salt, and ground pepper. Then form the patties.
Be sure to flatten out the patties into even discs. They shouldn’t resemble a flattened ball. If they’re uneven (such as more meat in the middle section), they won’t cook evenly and they’ll swell up into an even thicker ball. So flatten them out into a 1/2″ disc.
Try these homemade chicken patties for something a little different.
Step 2: Air Fry
Fire up your air fryer to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). It takes a few minutes for the air fryer to come up to temperature, so I always set the clock for 4 extra minutes, to preheat. This will give you time to prepare all your ingredients.
Once the preheat is over, spray the basket lightly with oil and set in your patties. They might overlap in the center, depending on the size of your air fryer. That’s not a problem.
Cook them for 4 minutes. Then open up the basket and baste the burgers on both sides with half the butter. Believe me, this is the step that makes the burgers really sing. Cook on the other side for 4 more minutes.
If you wish to add cheese, be aware that it can be pushed off the burger while cooking in the air fryer due to the forced circulating air. For this reason, I only add the cheese during the last 15 seconds of cooking.
You can give it a try, if you want. I usually find the cheese sitting in a pool at the bottom of the fryer, so it’s just a better idea to leave off the cheese, or melt it in the microwave and pour it over the burgers.
Step 3: Assemble the burgers
You can also toast the buns in the air fryer if you want. I butter them lightly and then set them facing up in the tray and put them in for 3-4 minutes on 380 degrees F (190 degrees F).
Now you can assemble your burgers with whatever condiments and extras you like.
If you liked these burgers you might try these air fryer brats. They cook up quick and easy while staying nice and juicy.
Tips For Making Burgers in the Air Fryer
- Not all air fryers cook the same way. For this reason, your burgers might cook faster or take a bit longer. You can check the internal temperature of the patties as they near completion to make sure they reach your desired doneness. I aim for 135 degrees F for medium rare, which takes about 8 minutes.
- The burgers will cook slower if the meat is chilled straight from the refrigerator when you put them in, or if they are frozen. Add an extra minute or two.
- If you can ask your butcher for a custom blend, we recommend 85% beef chuck and 15% brisket for a super tasty burger.
- Gordon Ramsey shaves frozen butter into his patties for extra juiciness. Why not give it a try!
- Be careful when adding cheese to the burgers in the air fryer. It often will just get blown off into the tray. A better way of adding cheese would be to stuff the burger with it!
Why Use an Air Fryer
An air fryer is an incredibly easy way to cook just about anything. You place the food in a fryer-style basket and hot air rapidly circulates all around the food, making the food crisp – much like deep-frying, but without the oil. You can cook anything you’d make in the oven.
- If you don’t have an air fryer yet, check out these options to find one that fits your needs.
- See reviews and prices for air fryers on Amazon.
- Click to find more recipes to make in your Air Fryer.
- Learn how to make fun things in the air fryer, like potato wedges, pork belly bites, and chicken wings.
OUR RECOMMENDED AIR FRYER: Ninja MaxXL
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to cook a hamburger in the air fryer?
These air fryer hamburgers cook at 350° for 8-12 minutes. Cooking times vary based on your air fryer and how well done you like your burger. We always like to flip the patties half way through cooking. We aim for 135 degrees F for medium rare, which takes about 8 minutes. If you are aiming for well done then it will be closer to 12 minutes.
Can I cook frozen hamburger patties in the air fryer?
Yes you can. Add an extra 2-3 minutes and then check them. Remember to flip them half way through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.
Side Dishes to Try
Salads
Crunchy Broccoli Salad
Corn & Black Bean Pasta Salad
Bacon, Jalapeno & Corn Salad
Classic Wedge Salad
Pear & Gorgonzola Salad
Veggies
Roasted Asparagus with Cranberries & Feta
Shaved Asparagus with Pesto
Roasted Green Beans & Mushrooms
Crispy Roast Potatoes
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Air Fryer Hamburgers
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) ground beef chuck 15% fat
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon (4.5 g) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter softened
- 2 hamburger buns
- 2 slices cheese optional
- Condiments as desired
Instructions
- Combine the ground beef, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix it all together with your hands. Break the meat into 2 balls. Form uniformly flat patties that don’t bulge in the middle.
- Set the air fryer to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 4 minutes. When ready, spray the basket lightly with oil. Set the patties in the basket. Cook for 8-12 minutes (times will vary based on your air fryer and desired degree of doneness. I find that 8 minutes is perfect for a medium-rare burger. Halfway through, baste the burger with butter, then flip it over and baste the other side. Finish cooking.
- Butter the buns and lightly toast them on the stovetop, or in the air fryer after the patties are done cooking.
- Assemble your burger, dressing it with your desired condiments.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Not all air fryers cook the same way. For this reason, your burgers might cook faster or take a bit longer. You can check the internal temperature of the patties as they near completion to make sure they reach your desired doneness. I aim for 135 degrees F for medium rare, which takes about 8 minutes.
- The burgers will cook slower if the meat is chilled straight from the refrigerator when you put them in, or if they are frozen. Add an extra minute or two.
- If you can ask your butcher for a custom blend, we recommend 85% beef chuck and 15% brisket for a super tasty burger.
- Gordon Ramsey shaves frozen butter into his patties for extra juiciness. Why not give it a try!
- Be careful when adding cheese to the burgers in the air fryer. It often will just get blown off into the tray. A better way of adding cheese would be to stuff the burger with it!
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes and currently has a cookbook in development.
This is great! I’m always looking for recipes to bake in my Airfryer. This hamburger recipe looks delicious and so easy. I’m going to try it for sure!
My son is always looking for fun ideas for the air fryer and he’s going to want to try this right away. Thanks for the tip about the cheese escaping. Great tip!
That’s fantastic. I’m sure you’ll find it quick and easy.
So delicious! Great recipe!
Wow..I feel silly for not thinking to put my burgers in the air fryer! GENIUS!! Thank you for this recipe!
This recipe worked perfectly…easy and delicious!