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Air fryers make delicious and juicy burgers that are cooked to perfection. These Air Fryer Hamburgers are so simple to whip up in just a few minutes. Dinner is ready in 25 minutes. This will be your new go to recipe!
One taste of these juicy air fryer hamburgers and you will wonder why you didn't start cooking them this way sooner!
Maybe the rain put a damper on your BBQ or perhaps you just want a new way to cook up your burgers--you will be amazed by how amazing they really are!
Why you will love hamburgers in the air fryer:
- They cook up so juicy. While I am all about cooking hamburgers on the grill, air frying burgers can almost put them to shame. They still cook up so tender and juicy and with amazing flavor.
- You only need about 5 minutes to prep. There is nothing to making a delicious burger patty. Skip the frozen patties that are ready to go and just take 5 minutes to whip up your own with the very best flavor.
- You can prep the burgers up to one day ahead of time. If you are a planner, you can make the burger patties up to 24 hours in advance so when it comes time to cook, you can just toss them in your air fryer and prep your ingredients for assembling the burgers.
- The burgers are freezer friendly and great for meal prep. You can freeze these burger patties and then thaw them when you are ready to cook them up. Freeze them individually wrapped for an easy way to make one or two at a time.
Try these Mozzarella Stuffed Burgers in the air fryer as well! And for a fun app, give these Cheeseburger Potato Skins a try!
What is an air fryer?
A recent article from Eatingwell.com says, "An air fryer uses superheated airflow above and around your food to convert tiny amounts of moisture into mist. The extra-hot cooking chamber lets dry heat penetrate the food from the outside in, yielding the familiar crispy texture food gets with a bath in the deep fryer."
So the hot air circulating allows the food to be cooked from all sides. And it's meant to do it with much less oil than you would use when deep frying.
Ingredients:
To make these easy air fryer hamburgers, you will need the following:
- ground beef: I typically use 80/20 ground beef for my hamburgers, but any kind should still work.
- onion: I love the extra flavor just a little onion adds. It can be omitted or you can use a couple dashes of onion powder instead.
- egg: this helps bind the burger and ingredients together better. If you have an egg allergy, you can omit the egg and still have a delicious burger.
- cheese: shredded cheddar jack cooks right into the burger for the very best flavor. You can omit it and add a cheese slice in the end. Feel free to change up the cheese flavor to switch up these burgers.
- Worcestershire sauce: this is my favorite must have for any beef recipe.
- garlic: I prefer freshly minced for these burgers in the air fryer but you can use garlic powder instead. ¾ to 1 teaspoon should work well.
- seasoning: parsley, salt and pepper. Keep it basic in my opinion. You can certainly add your favorite meat seasoning if desired.
How to make this recipe:
- Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir well to fully combine. (steps 1 and 2)
- Divide into 4 even sections and form into patties. Press gently to make a small indention into each patty to help them to hold shape and cook evenly. Chill until ready to cook if not cooking immediately. (step 3)
- Preheat Air Fryer to 350°F.
- Place burgers into air fryer, spacing them out so they are not touching. You can cook in batches if you have a smaller air fryer that won't hold 4 hamburgers. (step 4)
- Cook for 5 minutes. Flip the burgers and cook for another 5-7 minutes. The cook time is going to depend on how you like your burgers. Internal temperature for hamburgers should be 160°F for well done or 150°F for medium well. Air fryer burgers will cook differently in different air fryers so it very well will be a bit of trial and error. Just keep an eye on things. (step 5)
- Serve these up with your favorite burger toppings!
Chef's Tips For the Best Burgers:
- Choose the best meat. I advise not using anything leaner than 80/20 for the juiciest, most flavorful air fryer burgers. You can certainly go leaner if desired, you just may lose a touch of flavor and juiciness. They will still be delicious.
- Handle the meat as little as possible. Gently stir the ingredients together and then form into patties and that is it. The less you handle the meat, the juicier and more tender your burgers will cook up.
- To avoid having your air fryer burgers shrink when cooking, press to make a small depression in the center of the burger. This will help keep them from shrinking or turning into thick, meatball like forms.
- Cooking the cheese right into the burger is a great option however you can add a slice on top in the last minute if desired. I prefer just cooking it right in with the burger. Things tend to blow all over the place in the air fryer so having it intact makes it all the better.
- Toast your buns in the air fryer after pulling the burgers out if desired. We are huge fans of brioche buns these days and I literally cannot eat a burger with anything less.
- You shouldn't need any oil or spray oil when making this recipe. The burgers should easily flip in the air fryer. The natural juices and oil from the burger will be all you need, but if you are worried about, you can mist the basket lightly.
Favorite Burger Toppings:
Think beyond lettuce and tomato. There are so many more ways to top your air fryer hamburgers. Try one of these:
- guacamole--one of our favorite toppings aside from sliced avocado when we are in a pinch
- sautéed onions, peppers and/or mushrooms
- crispy bacon
- fried egg
- sun-dried tomatoes
- salsa-- mango salsa or roasted tomato salsa are our go-to
- pickles onions
- spinach and feta (add the feta into the burger in place of cheddar)
Can you cook your air fryer hamburger from frozen?
While I highly suggest thawing your meat first, it just doesn't always work that way, right?
If you freeze these air fryer burgers, you can cook them from frozen. You will need a few extra minutes of cook time. Cook for about 13-15 minutes flipping halfway through.
What to serve with these air fryer hamburgers:
- Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
- Buffalo Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- 3 Cheese Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini
- Street Corn with Garlic Feta Butter
- Tomato Basil Pasta Salad
- Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
- Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad
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Air Fryer Hamburgers
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ c onion, very small diced
- ½ c shredded cheese (I like cheddar jack)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to fully incorporate. Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and form into patties.
- Press gently in the center of each patty to form a small indentation. This will help the burgers to cook evenly and keep them from swelling up.
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
- Place burgers into the basket of the air fryer, allowing them to be spaced out and not touching. You can cook these in batches if you don't have enough space.
- Cook the burgers for 5 minutes and then flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 150°F for medium well or 160°F for well done.
- Add your favorite burger toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- Choose the best meat. I advise not using anything leaner than 80/20 for the juiciest, most flavorful air fryer burgers. You can certainly go leaner if desired, you just may lose a touch of flavor and juiciness. They will still be delicious.
- Cooking the cheese right into the burger is a great option however you can add a slice on top in the last minute if desired. I prefer just cooking it right in with the burger. Things tend to blow all over the place in the air fryer so having it intact makes it all the better.
- Toast your buns in the air fryer after pulling the burgers out if desired. We are huge fans of brioche buns these days and I literally cannot eat a burger with anything less.
- You shouldn't need any oil or spray oil when making this recipe. The burgers should easily flip in the air fryer. The natural juices and oil from the burger will be all you need, but if you are worried about, you can mist the basket lightly.
SK says
Regarding the nutrition info…. The carb info must be just for the patty, not the burger. A brioche bun has at least 25 carbs in it alone. It looks like a great burger. Can’t wait to make it.
Lorie says
Hi! Yes, that is correct. Just the burgers as everyone adds their own buns and other items. Hope you love them!!
Loren Molever says
Anyone who hates on air fryer burgers is missing out. These things are bussssinnnnn
Lorie says
Amazing! I agree they are the best!!
Mimi says
These look so good! Do you think they could work in an oven/toaster oven if I don't have an air fryer?
Lorie says
For sure!! You don’t have to cook them just in the air fryer. Grilling works too!