You just found the most juicy and flavorful recipe to make air fryer burgers. You’ll never cook them on the grill again!
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Easy and Juicy Air Fryer Burgers
Most people don’t preheat their air fryer when cooking air fryer burgers and they come out overcooked and undercooked at the same time. Don’t be that rookie. Use these easy directions to get that juicy burger that’s cooked perfectly cooked every time.
And, if you like cheeseburgers, I have a fool-proof way to add cheese to the burger without it flying up and hitting the fan!
Make sure to use my chart that shows how long to cook burgers from rare to well done so they are to your preferred doneness each time!
What kind of Hamburger meat makes the best Air Fryer Hamburgers?
I personally like to use an 80/20 (80% ground beef/20% fat) burger as it contains enough fat to make the burger juicy but is still much healthier than fattier versions.
Using a 90/10 burger starts to make a hamburger in the air fryer became a little dry.
When hamburgers cook, they release the liquid inside causing the burger to shrink. That liquid also includes fat.
The fattier your ground beef, the more your burger will shrink.
When forming your patties, make them larger than the bun size to account for the inevitable shrinkage.
How to Cook Hamburgers in Air Fryer
STEP ONE: Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees.
STEP TWO: Mix together the ground beef, minced garlic, salt, and pepper with your hands. Form the ground beef into 4 hamburger patties.
I like to use the bottom of a plate to press the patty into the cutting board to help get my burgers pretty thin.
The burgers will shrink in size and rise a little inside the air fryer.
STEP THREE: Place a piece of bread in between the air fryer basket and drawer if using a basket air fryer. This will soak up any grease that drips to avoid smoking in your air fryer.
STEP FOUR: Place the hamburger meat in the air fryer in one layer. They can be touching but should not overlap at all.
If there isn’t enough room in the air fryer, you can cook in batches.
STEP FIVE: Cook the air fryer hamburger patties for 8-12 minutes, flipping once halfway through until the hamburgers reach the internal temperature of 155 degrees (for a medium-well hamburger).
STEP SIX: Once the air fryer burgers are cooked, turn the air fryer off, open it, add the cheese on top, and close the air fryer back up with the hamburger steaks inside.
STEP SEVEN: Allow 1-2 minutes for the cheese to melt with the residual heat inside the air fryer.
Tips for the perfect Air Fryer Burgers
If the cheese does not melt using the above method, simply place 4 toothpicks on each “corner” of the burger where the cheese is and cook at 360 degrees for about 1 minute.
If you have a thick slice of cheese, like cheddar, it may need to cook for an additional minute.
Now you have an air fryer cheeseburger!
How long to cook Burgers in Air Fryer
The time it takes to cook a hamburger in the air fryer depends on how well you would like your burger.
Always check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer prior to removing the hamburgers from the air fryer and eating.
- Rare (125 degrees): approximately 4 minutes + let the burger rest for 3 minutes
- Medium Rare (135 degrees): approximately 5 minutes
- Medium (145 degrees): approximately 6 minutes
- Medium Well (155 degrees): approximately 8-12 minutes
- Well Done (160 degrees): approximately 10+ minutes
What to serve with Air Fryer Burgers
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Waffle Fries
- Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Air Fryer Steak Fries
- Air Fryer Curly Fries
- BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad
And try out these 16 ways to make fries in the air fryer to make air fryer burgers and fries!
Toppings to Add to Air Fryer Hamburgers
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Relish
- Onions
- Hot sauce
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Mayo
- Mushrooms
- Roasted Peppers
- Green Tomatoes
- Bacon and Blue Cheese
- BBQ Sauce
- Buffalo Sauce
Storing Leftover Air Fryer Hamburgers
Air fryer burgers will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. To store leftovers, place them in an airtight container or wrap each one individually in foil.
How to reheat Hamburger in Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Place the leftover hamburger patty in the air fryer reheating and cooking them for 2 to 3 minutes until warmed thoroughly.
You can see more tips on reheating burgers here.
Other Air Fryer Burger Recipes You’ll Love:
- Air Fryer Frozen Hamburgers
- Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- Air Fryer Salmon Burgers
- Air Fryer Beyond Burgers
- Air Fryer Impossible Burgers
Hamburgers in Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1- pound ground beef thawed (preferably 80/20)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 360 degrees.
- Mix together the ground beef, minced garlic, salt, and pepper with your hands.
- Form ground beef into 4 patties and press them down with the back of a pie plate to make them evenly flat.
- Place hamburgers in a single layer inside the air fryer.
- Cook for 8-12 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking for medium-well hamburgers.*
- Carefully remove hamburgers from the air fryer,** place onto hamburger buns (if using), and add desired toppings.
how much longer for frozen burgers?
Frozen hamburgers cook a little differently, so here is the information you need!: https://www.everydayfamilycooking.com/frozen-hamburgers-in-air-fryer/
You give the preheat temperature, but I didn’t see any temperature setting for actually cooking the burgers.
Hi Joe, your preheat temperature will be the same as your cooking temperature, just like when using an oven!
Tried your recipe this evening and it worked perfectly! And absolutely love your tip on placing a piece of bread underneath — clean-up was a breeze.
So glad you loved it, Karen! Yes, the piece of bread is a game changer!
How much less time would you guess for a medium-rare 🍔?
Hi Sabrina, I would flip at 3 minutes and start checking temperature for your desired doneness at the 5 minute mark. Exact times may vary a bit from machine to machine, but that should get you close!