The exact cook time can vary. Read below for our tips!
Craving juicy hamburgers but hate the process of cooking them? Air fryer hamburgers are the way to go!
With a simple meat-spice blend, a bun, and your favorite toppings, these burgers serve perfectly with fresh homemade fries and a side salad – but you can choose whichever sides you like!
And if you’re thinking that making burgers from scratch isn’t for you, frozen hamburgers also turn out really nicely in the air fryer!
Ingredients
- Ground beef – To make the burger patties.
- Salt – To season the burger patties.
- Garlic powder – Optional, but adds extra flavor. You can also use onion powder if you prefer.
- Black pepper – For a hint of spice.
- Cheese slices – Optional, if you want to make cheeseburgers.
- Burger buns – Use burger buns of your choice. We like brioche buns.
- Vegetables and condiments – As desired, for example lettuce, tomato, and onion as well as ketchup and mayo.
Recipe Tips
- There are lots of different seasonings you can add to the meat blend. We like to keep it simple with salt, pepper, and garlic powder – but you can modify this to suit your preferences.
- Some people add egg to their meat blend as a binding agent to help the burgers stay together. We don’t typically do that since our burgers stay together quite well, but if you have trouble with yours, try adding an egg.
- When you form your patties, remember that they will shrink when you cook them so make them a bit larger.
- If you want to make air fryer cheeseburgers, add a slice of melty cheese to your burgers once they are done cooking but still in the air fryer (with the air fryer turned off). The residual heat should be enough to melt the cheese!
- The exact cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the burger patties and your air fryer. According to the USDA, hamburgers should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When making burgers it’s important to clean the air fryer basket after it’s cooled down a bit. Don’t let the grease cool to complete hardness or else it’s hard to get the air fryer really clean again.
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Step by Step Instructions
To see how we make burgers in the air fryer, have a look at the recipe process photos in this section. You can skip to the recipe card at the bottom of this post if you don’t care about the visuals.
First, add the ground beef, salt, garlic powder, and pepper to a bowl. Mix until the spices are evenly distributed.
Form 4 burger patties out of the meat. The raw patties should be slightly larger than your buns since they will shrink and get a bit thicker in the air fryer.
The patties should also have the same thickness (ours are typically about 1/4 inch) to allow for even cooking.
Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the air fryer is hot, add the burger patties. They should not overlap – otherwise, cook in batches.
Cook the burgers for a total of 8-10 minutes, or until cooked to your preferred level of doneness. Flip after 5 to 6 minutes.
Our patties are usually fully cooked (no pink in the center) after 9 minutes. The exact cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the patties and your air fryer.
According to the USDA, hamburgers should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. You can check this with an instant-read thermometer.
Optional: If you want to add cheese, place it on top of the burgers as soon as they are done cooking while they are still in the air fryer.
Close the air fryer again for a few seconds – with it turned off at this point – so that the residual heat can melt the cheese.
Once done, remove the patties from the air fryer and assemble your burger. We like adding lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles and condiments like ketchup and mayonnaise.
If you want the burger buns to be slightly crispy, you can place them in the air fryer for a couple of minutes.
When it comes to sides for hamburgers, there are lots of options. We’re fans of freshly-made French fries but have also done frozen fries, frozen onion rings, tater tots, or even sweet potato fries. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
You can store leftover hamburger patties in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat these burgers, you can use the microwave, pan-fry them, or toss them back in the air fryer until heated through (we recommend the air fryer).
Related Recipes
For other air fryer meat recipes, have a look at these for inspiration:
- Air Fryer Turkey Burger
- Air Fried Chicken Wings
- Homemade Air Fryer Meatballs
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Steak Bites
Air Fryer Hamburgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices cheese, optional
- 4 burger buns
- vegetables and condiments, as desired
Instructions
- Add the ground beef, salt, garlic powder, and pepper to a bowl. Mix with your hands until the spices are evenly distributed.1 pound ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Form 4 burger patties out of the meat. The raw patties should be slightly larger than the burger buns since they will shrink during cooking. The patties should have the same thickness (ours are typically approximately 1/4 inch thick) to allow for even cooking.
- Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the air fryer is hot, add the burger patties. Make sure they don't overlap.
- Cook the burgers at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of 8-10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Flip after 5 to 6 minutes. Our patties are usually fully cooked (no pink in the center) after 9 minutes. The exact cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the patties and your air fryer.
- Optional: If you want to add cheese, place it on top of the burgers when they are done but still in the air fryer. Close the air fryer again for a few seconds – with it turned off – to melt the cheese with the residual heat.4 slices cheese
- Once done, remove the patties from the tray and assemble your burger. We like adding lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles, ketchup and mayo.4 burger buns, vegetables and condiments
Video
Notes
- The burger patties will shrink when they cook so make them larger than your burger buns.
- Some people add egg to their meat mixture. The egg acts as a binding agent to help the meat stay intact when cooked. We don’t usually use an egg since our burgers stay together well on their own but it is an option.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings you add to the meat blend to taste.
- The exact cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the burger patties and your air fryer. According to the USDA, hamburgers should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you want the burger buns to be slightly crispy, you can toast them in the air fryer for a couple of minutes.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
This recipe was first published in April 2021 and updated in July 2024.
