Air Fryer Hamburgers
These Air Fryer Hamburgers are juicy, flavorful and so easy to make. Serve them with fries for a delicious, family-friendly meal.
Sometimes you just crave a good old fashioned hamburger. We love grilling burgers for dinner, so I was skeptical about whether or not air fryer hamburgers could live up to our favorite grilled hamburgers. Well, I have to say that we loved these just as much as burgers cooked on the grill!
This recipe includes homemade burger patties, seasoned with a simple combination of spices that give them the best flavor. They cook up perfectly juicy, ready to serve with your favorite toppings.
Air Fryer Hamburgers Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef: It’s best to use 80% or 85% because burgers with a little fat in them will be more juicy and flavorful.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper are mixed with the ground beef to flavor the patties.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Optional, but we love the way that it enhances the beefy flavor.
- Hamburger Buns: For serving.
- Toppings: Use your favorites! Cheese slices, lettuce, tomato slices, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard and mayo are all classic burger toppings.
Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Air Fryer Hamburgers
Learn how to make the best hamburgers in the air fryer.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, seasonings and Worcestershire sauce.
- Use your hands to work the seasonings into the ground beef, being careful to not overwork the meat.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380° F for 5 minutes.
- While the air fryer preheats, shape the meat mixture into 4 burger patties.
- Place the patties in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 380° F for 5 minutes. Then flip the burgers over and cook for 5-7 more minutes, until cooked through.
- If you want to add cheese, place a slice on top of each cooked burger in the basket and put the basket back in the air fryer, with the air fryer off, for a minute to melt the cheese.
How Long to Cook Hamburgers in the Air Fryer
Cook burgers in a preheated air fryer for about 10-12 minutes at 380° F, flipping halfway through the cook time. The cook time will depend on the size of your patties, and can also vary slightly between air fryer models. The best way to tell if they are done is to use an instant read thermometer to measure the burger temperature. Ground beef burgers should be cooked to at least 160° F in the center.
Recipe Tips
- Use 80 or 85% lean ground beef, not extra lean. You need a little fat to keep the burgers moist and juicy.
- After shaping the patties, use 2 fingers to make an indentation in the center of each burger. Burgers tend to puff up in the center as they cook, and the indentation helps with that.
- Aim for the patties to be a little thinner than 1/2-inch, as they will shrink up when they cook.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket. The burgers should be in a single layer when they cook. Cook them in batches if needed.
- You can make the patties ahead of time, cover, and refrigerate them on a parchment paper lined plate or small baking sheet for up to one day.
Can You Cook Frozen Hamburgers in the Air Fryer?
Yes! You can cook hamburgers from frozen in the air fryer. Add a few minutes to the cook time when cooking frozen burgers, and use a meat thermometer to check that they cook to 160° F.
To Freeze: You can shape the burger patties and then freeze before cooking. Place a piece of parchment paper between the patties to keep them from sticking together and freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Burger Toppings
When assembling the burgers, I like to put a piece of lettuce on top of the bottom bun and then add the burger patty and other toppings. The lettuce acts as a barrier to keep the bottom bun from getting soggy. Choose a few of these burger toppings to make your perfect burger:
- Cheese: Cheddar, white cheddar, Swiss, Monterey jack, pepper jack, blue cheese, brie or goat cheese.
- Spreads: Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, Guacamole, BBQ Sauce or Honey Mustard.
- Other: Lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, pickles, bacon, sautéed mushrooms.
Wondering what side dishes go with burgers? You can’t beat a burger and homemade French fries. These Air Fryer French Fries are incredibly crispy, or try Baked Sweet Potato Fries or Cajun Fries. Other sides that pair well with hamburgers include Macaroni Salad, Pasta Salad and fresh Broccoli Slaw.
More Air Fryer Dinner Recipes
- Air Fryer Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Fried Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Steak
- Air Fryer Chicken Legs
See all of my air fryer recipes.
Air Fryer Hamburgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, 80% or 85%
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, optional
- 4 hamburger buns, for serving
- cheese, lettuce, tomato, etc., for serving, as desired
Instructions
- Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper over the beef. Add the Worcestershire sauce, if using.
- Use your hands to work the seasonings into the meat until they are evenly distributed. Try not to overwork the meat.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380° F for 5 minutes.
- While the air fryer preheats, shape the burgers (you can lay them on a sheet of parchment paper or a plate after shaping). Divide the ground beef mixture into 4 equal parts and shape each part into a patty that is no thicker than ½-inch thick. Use 2 fingers to make an indentation into the center of each patty, to help prevent the burgers from puffing up in the center as they cook.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, place the burgers in the air fryer basket. If you can't fit all 4 burgers in at once without them overlapping, you can cook them in batches.
- Cook hamburgers at 380° F for 5 minutes. Then flip them over and cook for 5-7 more minutes, until they are cooked through. Burgers should be cooked to 160° F in the center.
- If you'd like to add cheese to the burgers, place a slice of cheese on top of each cooked hamburger in the basket and put the basket back in the air fryer, with the air fryer off, for a minute to melt the cheese. Then serve hamburgers on buns with toppings as desired.
Notes
- You can shape the burger patties and then freeze before cooking. Place a piece of parchment paper between the patties to keep them from sticking together and freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- If cooking frozen burgers, add a few minutes to the cook time. Make sure that they cook through to 160° F in the center.
- Nutrition information is an estimate and does not include burger toppings as those will vary.
Oh my goodness…. so yummy! I just got my air-fryer a couple of days ago. First thing I made was Air Fryer Chicken Legs and we all flipped over it! (https://kristineskitchenblog.com/air-fryer-chicken-legs/)
Tonight, I made Air-Fryer hamburgers…. my family wanted seconds and I didn’t have any more ground beef! This was so easy and super delicious. This will be a go-to when needing a quick and easy meal. Your recipes never disappoint!