Air fryer hamburgers are so juicy, delicious, plus super quick and easy to make!
If you want to make a juicy burger without a grill, I got you! Using an air fryer to make burgers is a super low key way to make this classic. I still love grilled burgers too. But maybe you don’t have a grill or maybe the weather is too hot/ cold/ stormy to grill outdoors.
This method tastes much better to me than making it on the stovetop. The burgers cook quickly too, and they retain so much of the juices. You can have dinner on the table in less than thirty minutes.
Ingredients
I want to remind you that as with all of my recipes, these burgers will taste best with the highest quality ingredients. To make this air fryer hamburgers recipe, you will need the following:
- ground beef (I am using 85/15)
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- your favorite burger buns
- your favorite toppings
Brioche buns are my favorite! And I am also loving all the meats I have tried from Butcher Box.
By the way, we love the Butcher Box ground beef. (👈🏻affiliate links, full affiliate disclosure here).
Also, you can use pre-made hamburger patties with this recipe, or use regular ground beef and form them by hand yourself.
Feel free to go crazy on your favorite toppings. A few options: lettuce, tomato, red onion, slice of cheese, ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc.
As for other modifications, feel free to try this recipe with ground turkey, if you prefer. Beef burgers are my personal favorite, but turkey works well too. A lot of you like to skip the bun and go for more of a low carb lettuce wrap situation. Feel free to modify to your liking!
How to make air fryer hamburgers
Ready to make some juicy hamburgers with your air fryer? Here’s how, friend.
After you gather your ingredients, it’t time to season up the burgers.
How to season hamburgers
If you have a seasoning game that you already love, you can totally use that. So how do I season hamburgers? As for me, I keep it simple yet flavorful with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
This seasoning works great! And I always keep these on hand, so there is no need for me to buy anything special from the store. You can even use it for grilled burgers, y’all.
Cook time and temperature
First, preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees F. Then, be sure and place your hamburger patties in a single layer in the preheated air fryer, as not to overcrowd the air fryer basket.
The amount of time will take a little trial and error, plus common sense, y’all. Air fryers can vary, and so can the size of your beef patties.
But here is what I recommend. Note: I like my burgers medium to medium-well. A little pink in the middle is fine with me.👌🏻
For 1/4 pound patties, I recommend cooking for 16 minutes in an air fryer preheated to 360 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping half-way through.
I also tested larger patties (those pre-made ones seen in the photos here) that were 1/3 pound a piece. Mine had some pink in the middle after cooking for 18 minutes, flipping half-way through).
Use common sense and adapt accordingly, because we don’t want dry burgers!
Frequently asked questions for cooking hamburgers in the air fryer
I do preheat my air fryer, per the manufacturer recommendation. If you cook these without preheating, be aware that it may just need an extra minute or so of cook time, and you should be good to go.👌🏻
I cooked my hamburgers at 360 degrees.
For 1/4 pound patties, I recommend cooking time of 16 minutes, flipping half-way through. Use common sense and trial and error to adjust to your liking. Mine are cooked medium with a little pink in the middle, FYI.
I do not recommend adding a slice of cheese while the air fryer is ON. I did this, and my cheese slices blew off the patties and made a humongous mess. 😜 It was like a cheese tornado.🤣
Anyway, I remedy this by opening the basket once the cook time is complete. Add the cheese slices, and then close the basket for about a minute or two. It’ll still be hot enough to melt the cheese, even though the air fryer is off.👌🏻 And voila! Air fryer cheeseburgers.
Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket. I have a larger (5.8 quart) air fryer, so I had no trouble making 3 to 4 hamburgers at a time. If you need to make them in batches, just cover the cooked ones with foil, and then add them back in for the final minute of cooking to heat them back up.
Yes! This is the method uses raw meat, and it cooks fully with the instructions provided.
Brioche buns are my favorite! That being said, you can use any type of hamburger bun you prefer with this recipe.
I would highly recommend thawing the meat fully (or using fresh meat) for best results. Using frozen hamburgers may turn out okay with some extra cook time, but inconsistent results are likely. So use fresh or thawed meat will work best.
Leftovers
Fresh is best, but if you do happen to have any leftover burgers, save them in an airtight container in the fridge, or wrapped in some aluminum foil for up to 3 to 4 days.
What to serve with air fryer burgers
So what side dishes do you serve with air fryer hamburgers? Here are a few suggestions, including recipe links.
- Sweet potato fries – I have both air fryer sweet potato fries and oven baked sweet potato fries
- Classic potato salad
- Greek potato salad
- Watermelon cubes
- Greek pasta salad
- Easy homemade strawberry ice cream
- No bake lemon cheesecake
- Easy key lime pie (no bake)
- Chips
- Baked beans
Also, check out 👉🏻👉🏻👉🏻 my entire Air Fryer recipe collection here.👈🏻👈🏻👈🏻
This is the best way to make a perfect burger if you don’t have a grill. Let me know if you try this air fryer hamburger recipe! It is one of our favorite easy dinners that we enjoy in every season.
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Air Fryer Hamburgers
Air fryer hamburgers are so juicy, delicious, plus super quick and easy to make! Ready in less than 30 minutes, and no grill needed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (I am using 85/15)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 burger buns
Instructions
Regular ground beef method
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Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees.
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Place the raw ground beef into a bowl, and add in the seasonings.
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Use your hands (or a fork) to combine everything, and then form the mixture into a ball (still in the bowl).
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Score the ground beef mixture into 4 equal sections by making a + sign to divide it.
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Scoop out each section, and form into a patty.
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Place it into the air fryer, making sure to leave plenty of space for each patty to cook (not touching). You can do this in batches, if necessary. I have a larger (5.8 quart) air fryer, and I did mine all in one batch.
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Cook for 16 minutes, flipping half-way through. (Note: you may need to cook longer for larger patties.)
Pre-made patties method
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Mix garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in small bowl with a spoon, and stir until well-combined.
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Pour a little Worcestershire sauce into a small bowl. You may need slightly more than a teaspoon (like 1.5 teaspoon), since some will stick to the pastry brush.
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Place patties on a plate, and brush (or spoon) on a light coating of Worcestershire sauce.
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Sprinkle each patty with seasoning, saving half for side 2.
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Pat the seasoning with your hand to help it stick better.
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Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F.
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When it is preheated, remove the basket and carefully place the patties, seasoned side down, in the basket.
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Season side 2, which is now facing upward the same way as above.
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Place the basket bak in the air fryer, and cook 16 minutes, flipping half-way through.
Recipe Notes
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Note: Air Fryer Hamburgers originally appeared on A Pinch of Healthy May 22, 2019.
Dude says
16 minutes???
Lmao. You must like your burgers burned to ashes.
Gail says
Yes, made this recipe, was excellent, still experimenting with air fryer, also air fried sirloin tip moose steak, we both said, “this is possibly the best sirloin moose steak ever”, extremely tender, very juicy. Certainly do not regret buying the air fryer.!!!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am glad you are enjoying yours, Gail! I use mine all the time too.
Pete says
At 14 minutes I checked and they were burnt and shriveled up. I had air fry burgers before but had forgotten the time, but must have been around 8 or 9 minutes. These were pre-formed burgers, btw.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Oh, goodness!😫 Definitely try less time if you decide to do these again. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say your patties were smaller, or you air fryer is hotter than mine…or perhaps a little of both.
Helly says
Disappointed~ didn’t know that you can overwork ground beef if you’re not careful and that’s just what happened here~ had never cooked hamburgers before, so I came here for my first air fryer burger recipe. Also best to put salt on just before it hits the heat~ something else I did not know til after the fact. Burgers turned out tough and not really appetizing~ pretty disappointing.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Sounds like they got overcooked. Your patties may be smaller and/or thinner than mine. Just reduce cook time if you decided to try them again, and you should be good to go.👌🏻