Juicy Air Fryer Hamburgers
Say goodbye to dry burgers! These step-by-step instructions will show you how to make juicy hamburgers in your air fryer or Ninja Foodi in 15 minutes or less with only 3 ingredients!
Don’t get me wrong. I love a good grilled burger, but air frying burgers is my go-to method when I need something quick and easy. Air frying is the best way to cook well-done burgers without turning them into hockey pucks. Most of the fat stays trapped within the meat, resulting in the JUICIEST of the juicy hamburgers.
Air fryer hamburgers are perfect for busy weeknights. They’re excellent, served with buns or lettuce wraps and a variety of yummy burger toppings, including cheese! There’s no returning to your old cooking method with one bite of a juicy air fryer burger. Air-fried hamburgers are THE BEST!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hot and juicy homemade hamburgers in 15 minutes or less.
- Only 3 ingredients, including homemade or store-bought burger seasoning.
- Who doesn’t love a hot and juicy burger?
- This method makes perfect patties to serve any way you like.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground chuck – For the juiciest burgers, an 80/20 blend is the ideal lean-to-fat ratio. Extra-lean ground beef is tricky to keep moist, and it isn’t nearly as flavorful.
- Burger seasoning – Try my homemade burger seasoning, or you can use a store-bought hamburger blend like McCormick hamburger seasoning.
- Cooking spray – I use avocado oil or olive oil spray to coat the air fryer basket and keep the patties from sticking.
How To Make Juicy Hamburgers In The Air Fryer
Step 1: Preheat the air fryer. Power on the air fryer and program the heat to 400 degrees F. Let the air fryer preheat while making the burgers.
Step 2: Make hamburger patties. Mix the ground beef and burger seasoning thoroughly with your hands or a spoon. Then, divide the mixture into 4 balls (using 1/2 cup each), and press the balls down to make flat hamburger patties. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each patty.
Step 3: Air fry hamburgers. Now that the air fryer is preheated, spray the basket with cooking spray and set the burger patties in the hot basket in a single layer, leaving space in between. Cook for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Check that the meat is cooked through (160F) and adjust the cooking time if you need to.
Step 4: Add optional toppings & serve. Place 1-2 slices of cheese on the top of each burger and return to the air fryer on the ‘keep warm’ setting until the cheese has melted. Serve on buns with your favorite burger toppings, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- The burgers will shrink as they cook in the air fryer. So if you’re eating with buns, flatten the burgers wider than the buns to accommodate the shrinkage.
- Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. For a completely cooked burger, it should be 160F.
- If you’re making cheeseburgers, you can melt the cheese on the ‘keep warm’ setting or set the temperature as low as possible and leave the burgers until the cheese is gooey and melted over the top.
- You can also let the residual heat melt the cheese with the air fryer turned off.
- You can also toast the buns in your air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees, brush the buns with melted butter and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- I have great success cooking with my Cosori air fryer. If you’re in the market for a great air fryer, I highly recommend this brand. It’s my 4th air fryer and the best one I’ve ever worked with. The finish is truly non-stick and it’s super easy to clean.
Variations & Serving
Air-fried cheeseburger sliders – To make the patties slider size, use 2 ounces (1/4 cup of burger mix) per patty and cook for 5-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Air-fried turkey burgers – You can also use your air fryer to make juicy turkey burgers. A turkey burger is fully cooked at 165F.
Cheese & toppings – Sliced cheddar, swiss, pepper jack, American, and gouda are yummy options. You can also use soft, crumbled cheese like blue cheese or feta. As for your toppings, stick with the classics -lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayo, or upgrade your air-fried burger with premium toppings like:
- Bacon
- Guacamole
- Fried Egg
- Jalapenos
- Salsa
- Barbecue Sauce
- Chili
- Saurkraut
- Sauteed Onions & Mushrooms
Sides – Serve with air fryer sweet potato wedges or zucchini tots for a nutritious kid-friendly meal.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Keep any leftover cooked hamburger patties refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezing: If the ground beef was never frozen, you can freeze uncooked burger patties. Place the patties in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag separated by parchment paper, and freeze for up to a month—Thaw in the fridge before cooking in the air fryer.
Recipe FAQ
To reheat previously cooked burger patties, preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees and reheat for 2-4 minutes
The air fryer functionality, burger size, and your desired doneness should all be considered. For well-done burgers, cook at 400F and check for doneness around the 8-minute mark.
USDA recommends ground beef be cooked to at least 160 degrees. That said, not everyone takes their burgers well done. Air frying hamburgers ensures even well-done burgers are juicy and delicious.
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Juicy Air Fryer Hamburgers
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chuck (80/20) recommended for best texture and flavor
- 2 1/2 tsp homemade burger seasoning or your favorite store-bought blend
- cooking spray olive oil or avocado oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Mix the seasoning with the ground beef until thoroughly combined.
- Form into 4 (4 oz) balls. Press down to make patties and make an indention in the center with your thumb.
- Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil spray and add the patties to the basket.
- Cook for 4 minutes, flip and cook 3-4 minutes more or until the burger reaches a safe internal temp of 160 degrees with a meat thermometer.
- Top with cheese slices, if desired, and set temperature to the keep warm setting until the cheese has melted.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- The burgers will shrink as they cook in the air fryer. So if you’re eating with buns, flatten the burgers wider than the buns to accommodate the shrinkage.
- Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. For a completely cooked burger, it should be 160F.
- If you’re making cheeseburgers, you can melt the cheese on the ‘keep warm’ setting or set the temperature as low as possible and leave the burgers until the cheese is gooey and melted over the top.
- You can also let the residual heat melt the cheese with the air fryer turned off.
- You can also toast the buns in your air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees, brush the buns with melted butter and cook for 2-3 minutes.
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I am quite the burger snob, so I was nervous to try out a short cut way to cooking burger, but these were so good! It has become my go-to method for creating mouthwatering burgers in no time. I was pleasantly surprised by the even cooking that the air fryer provided. The burgers came out beautifully browned and evenly cooked throughout, eliminating any worries about undercooked or overcooked patties. It was a hassle-free process that allowed me to focus on the toppings and flavors.
Glad that you enjoyed it! It does make it so quick and easy!