We are going to show you how to make the best, juicy homemade burger patties in the air fryer and then our special burger hack of putting the whole constructed burger back into the air fryer to make it melt in your mouth delicious. A quick and easy way to make burgers, and healthier because you don't need to fry them in oil. Air Fryer Burgers are going to totally transform the way you make burgers.
I have seen air fryer burger recipes before that are basically just cooking a frozen burger in the air fryer. Whilst that is a good way to cook a frozen burger (tips on that below), our burgers in the air fryer recipe is the real deal. All the flavour, none of the oil and the juiciest burgers.
Homemade, flavour packed, beef burger patties that you can cook in the air fryer. We are sharing all our favourite burger topping ideas and THEN to take those air fryer burgers to the next level, we wrap them in foil and put them back in the air fryer to cook - toppings, sauce and all. Mind blown!
If you are looking for some more homemade burger recipes, then why not try our Hidden Vegetable Beef Burgers, Indian Burger or Mexican Burger?
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Why you will love them
- Perfect juicy burgers - These really are the juiciest burgers. They have SO much flavour.
- Healthier - Not only have we used a lean beef mince, but cooking burgers in the air fryer means no oil and the fat from the meat drips under the basket of the air fryer.
- No need to fire up the BBQ - These air fryer burgers have all the flavour of a BBQ burger, but no need to fire up the BBQ. Perfect for winter time.
- Adaptable - There are so many ways to adapt these burgers with different seasonings and toppings.
- "Secret" extra step - Our "secret" (not so secret now) step for making burgers is putting them back in the air fryer once they are all made up. This melts the cheese and softens the bun and just brings everything together.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Beef mince - For the best flavour air fryer hamburgers, use an 80/20 beef mince. However, we wanted to make these as light as possible, so we use a 5% fat lean beef mince.
- Burger seasoning - We always have a stash of burger seasoning on our spice shelf. Quality is important and this burger seasoning is our favourite.
- Cheese - These are air fryer cheese burgers, because honestly it's not a burger without some kind of cheese. We used slices of mature cheddar as they have a strong flavour so a little goes a long way.
- Burger sauce - What sauce goes on a burger causes much debate. But, it HAS to be burger sauce and homemade burger sauce at that.
- Burger buns - Quality is important here, as it holds the whole burger together. We used brioche burger buns and they hold up really well.
- Gherkins - No arguments please. They DO belong on a burger and the more the better we say. You could always dice them and mix them into the burger sauce.
- Lettuce - This adds some texture and colour. It will get heated in the air fryer when the burger goes back in, but we love that.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make air fryer burgers - Step by step
One: Put the beef mince and seasoning into a bowl (a). Mix together so everything is combined (b).
Two: Form into two patties.
Three: Put the patties into your air fryer, leaving a gap between them.
Four: Cook at 180°C for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Five: Build your burger by first spreading the bottom of the bun with burger sauce. Add the lettuce, cooked burger, cheese, pickles, more sauce and the bun top.
Six: Wrap the built burgers in foil and put into the air fryer.
Seven: Cook at 180°C for 4 minutes.
What to serve with Air Fryer Burgers
These air fryer hamburgers really are the main event and they are pretty filling once you have all the toppings. However, if you wanted to make it into a bigger meal, then we have lots of suggestions for you.
Burger and fries is the perfect combination. Why not try our Air Fryer Chips, Masala Chips, Air Fryer Potato Wedges or Sweet Potato Wedges?
We love slaw on the side of a burger and we have got you covered there too. Try our BEST Homemade Coleslaw, Broccoli Slaw, No Mayo Slaw or Mexican Coleslaw.
We love hosting burger nights and to bulk it all out a bit we serve them with some of these sides that go down very well:
- Baked Jalapeno Poppers
- Cheesy Cauliflower Nuggets
- Parmesan Truffle Fries
- Baked Halloumi Fries
- Oven Baked Onion Rings
Top tip
When forming the mince into burger patties, put them on a square of greaseproof paper (parchment paper). This allows you to rotate the patty and form a nice burger shape.
See the video to see how to do it.
Variations
Firstly, when it comes to the burgers themselves there are a couple of ways you can adapt them. The mince that is used can be changed to use a higher percentage fat beef mince, which would give juicier burgers. You could also use turkey, lamb or chicken mince instead. You can cook frozen veggie burgers in the air fryer too.
We have used a ready made burger seasoning, but as mentioned above you could make your own with some garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne. You could also use a Fajita Seasoning.
Now, for the toppings for the burgers, the options are almost endless and this is a great way to let everyone make their own burgers so everyone is happy! Here are some of our favourite toppings:
Sauce - We used our Homemade Burger Sauce, but pretty much any sauce goes. Why not try our Homemade Ketchup or Healthy BBQ Sauce? We also love our Chipotle Southwest Sauce.
Cheese - Anything that melts well will work here. Cheddar, mozzarella, blue cheese, goat's cheese, Swiss.
Bacon - Everything is better with bacon, right? You can do that in the air fryer too. Try our Air Fryer Bacon recipe.
Salad - I know, I know! But it does have a place in a burger. We added some butterhead lettuce, but chopped little gem or iceberg would work. You could also add slices of tomato, onions or avocado. For a kick of heat, add some jalapenos.
Storage
Store: Once the air fryer burgers are made up with the buns, sauces and toppings, they need to be eaten straight away. However, you can make extra of the burger patties themselves and store those. You can wrap them up and store them in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 days.
Freeze: The same goes for freezing. You can't freeze the made up burger, but you can freeze the air fryer hamburger patties. Wrap them in cling film and then put them in a freezer bag and they will keep for up to 3 months.
Defrost: You can defrost the burgers in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: You can reheat them in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
We cooked ours for 10 minutes. However, every air fryer cooks differently. If you want yours more rare, then knock 2 minutes off the time. If you want it more well done, then add 2 minutes on to the cooking time.
We always use a meat thermometer, as we find that is the best way to ensure that the meat is cooked all the way through. Beef burgers should be 65°C/150°F if you want it medium well done. If you wanted it well done, then aim for above 71°C/160°F.
Yes, you can make the beef burgers themselves in advance and then keep them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.
Yes, you can. You will need to add about 5 minutes on to the cooking time, depending on the size of the air fryer.
Extra tips
• Don't overwork the burger mixture when mixing by hand. This can make the burgers too tough and chewy.
• Put the burgers in the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking, as this will help them to stay together.
• You could make a low carb version of these by skipping the bun and using a giant lettuce leaf to hold the burger and toppings together. Obviously you wouldn't then put this back in the air fryer.
• To make sure the burgers don't swell in the centre during cooking, gently press your thumb into the centre of each one.
• Every air fryer is different and they cook at different rates. Check your burgers half way through to check they aren't burning.
• We recommend only cooking 2 burgers at a time so that you don't overcrowd your air fryer basket, otherwise they won't cook very well.
• The fattier the beef you use, the more that the patties will shrink during cooking.
More burger recipes
If you’ve tried this air fryer burger recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Air Fryer Burgers
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) Lean beef mince
- 1 tablespoon Burger seasoning
- 2 Burger buns
- 4 tablespoon Burger sauce
- 2 slice Mature cheddar - about 25g/1oz each
- 2 Gherkins - large; sliced
- 50 g (0.66 cups) Lettuce
Instructions
- Put 200 g Lean beef mince and 1 tablespoon Burger seasoning into a bowl. Mix together so everything is combined.
- Form into two patties.
- Put the patties into your air fryer, leaving a gap between them.
- Cook at 180°C for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Build your burger by first spreading the bottoms of 2 Burger buns with 4 tablespoon Burger sauce. Add 50 g Lettuce, cooked burger, 2 slice Mature cheddar, 2 Gherkins, more sauce and the bun top.
- Wrap the built burgers in foil and put into the air fryer.
- Cook at 180°C for 4 minutes.
Recipe tips
- Don't overwork the burger mixture when mixing by hand. This can make the burgers too tough and chewy.
- Put the burgers in the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking, as this will help them to stay together.
- You could make a low carb version of these by skipping the bun and using a giant lettuce leaf to hold the burger and toppings together. Obviously you wouldn't then put this back in the air fryer.
- To make sure the burgers don't swell in the centre during cooking, gently press your thumb into the centre of each one.
- Every air fryer is different and they cook at different rates. Check your burgers half way through to check they aren't burning.
- We recommend only cooking 2 burgers at a time so that you don't overcrowd your air fryer basket, otherwise they won't cook very well.
- The fattier the beef you use, the more that the patties will shrink during cooking.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Janie
A juicy looking burger thats delicious made in an air fryer is totally a winner! I make this for my son but without the cheese since he's a bit lactose. He loves it!
Michaela
These burgers look juicy and delicious.
Stephanie
That foil method is absolutely genius! I always dry out my burgers while I'm waiting for the cheese to melt. I've never thought about doing this before!
Dana Sandonato
This was fantastic. It definitely isn't grilling weather here yet, and I hate frying burgers because of the oil splattering and lingering smell. This method worked great!
Gina Abernathy
These were fantastic! It was too windy and cool to fire up the grill yesterday, so I tried this recipe. Turned out perfect!
Ned
Oh my, these air fryer burgers were the best! Great flavor, perfectly cooked, everything about them was awesome! Thank you!
Kushigalu
These air fryer burgers sound delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Sara Welch
This was everything a gourmet burger should be, and then some! Simple and satisfying; easily, a new favorite recipe!
Beth
I'm always dying for a good burger in the winter but I don't like them fried, they get too greasy. My problems are over! These are so delici!ous
Andrea
These air fryer burgers look fabulous! I really like the way you wrapped them and put them back in. Makes everything mesh perfectly.