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Here’s how to cook hamburgers in the air fryer! This recipe makes perfectly seared, juicy burgers in minutes, without a grill or an oven. Dress these air fryer hamburgers with spicy mayo, tomatoes, lettuce, or any of your favorite toppings.
Easy Hamburgers in the Air Fryer
As much as I love my classic grilled cheeseburgers, sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. Whether I’m planning burgers for a family dinner or expecting a backyard full of people, when it rains, no one wants to stand out at the grill. So, air fryer hamburgers it is! I’ve mastered how to air-fry juicy, perfectly seared burgers that rival my grilled ones.
These quick air fryer hamburgers make a great kid-friendly weeknight dinner with a side of frozen French fries. Or, I’ll make it a full cookout with corn ribs, creamy potato salad, and pineapple margaritas when I have friends over.
Hamburger Patty Ingredients
The ingredients are super simple! Here’s what you’ll need to make the best burgers. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable recipe with amounts.
- Ground Beef – I recommend lean beef for homemade burger patties. Fattier beef will shrink more when cooked.
- Seasonings – Onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- BBQ Sauce – Use your favorite store-bought or homemade BBQ sauce. If you’d prefer, use ketchup instead (a kid-favorite swap!).
Easy Burger Toppings
There’s really no wrong way to dress an air fryer hamburger. For more gourmet burgers, borrow the toppings from my California burgers or the homemade Brussels sprout slaw from these smash burgers. These are more hamburger toppings my family and I love:
- Tomato slices
- Cheddar cheese (for melted cheese, place the cheddar slices on top of the hamburger patties during the last minute of cooking.)
- Lettuce
- Caramelized onions
- Air fryer bacon
- Zhoug sauce
Side Dishes to Try
I enjoy an air fryer hamburger served on fluffy burger buns, but you could just as easily replace the bun with lettuce leaves for a low-carb option. And don’t forget sides! These are some of my favorite serving suggestions:
- Fries: Hamburgers and fries are a classic pair. Try my crispy oven-baked French fries or air fryer avocado fries.
- Salad and veggies: Serve these burgers with a side of creamy coleslaw, fresh avocado salad, grilled zucchini, or an easy pasta salad.
- Onion rings: Such a fun, tasty change-up from fries. I love making air fryer onion rings.
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Air Fryer Hamburgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
For serving:
- 4 burger buns, with sesame seeds
- tomato slices
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- lettuce
- 4 tablespoons sriracha mayonnaise, or regular mayo
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat your air fryer to 370ºF. You can line your air fryer basket with some parchment paper.
- Make the patties. Add ground beef, salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika powder, and garlic powder to a bowl. Stir well to combine. Divide the mixture into four equal pieces. Shape the meat into four ½-inch thick patties.
- Cook the patties. Transfer the beef patties to the air fryer basket and arrange them in a single layer. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the patties with BBQ sauce, then air-fry them for 6 minutes. Gently flip them over, brush with any remaining BBQ sauce, and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the inner temperature reaches 160 to 165˚F.
- Assemble the burgers. Spread spicy mayo over the buns. Layer the bottom half of the buns with lettuce, a freshly cooked patty, cheddar cheese, and tomato slices. Add the top buns and serve warm.
Equipment
Notes
- Use lean beef. The beef with more fat will shrink more.
- To prevent shrinking, make an indentation in the beef patty with a thumb.
- Melt the cheese. You can place the cheddar cheese on top of the beef patties in the last minute of cooking to help it melt further.
- Instead of BBQ sauce, you can use ketchup.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Air Fryer Hamburgers
- Make the burger patties. Stir the seasonings into the ground beef. Then, divide and shape the burger meat into four even-sized patties, about ½ inch thick.
- Get ready to cook. To make cleaning up easier, I line my air fryer basket with parchment. Place the burger patties inside the basket in a single layer. Brush the burgers with BBQ sauce. To keep the patties from shrinking, use your thumb or the back of a small spoon to press an indent into the middle of each patty.
- Air fry. Cook the hamburgers for 6 minutes at 370ºF, flip, and brush the next side with BBQ sauce before cooking for another 3-5 minutes. These beef burgers are done when the internal temperature hits 160ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
- Assemble the burgers. Spread spicy mayo over the burger buns. Add lettuce to the bottom bun, and top that with the cooked hamburger patty, cheese, and a tomato slice. Close the burger with the top bun. Enjoy!
How to Freeze Burger Patties (Cooked and Uncooked)
When freezing hamburger patties, I like to freeze them in sets of 2-4. This way, I can pull out the number of patties I need whenever I’m making burgers. Two if it’s just me and hubby, four if it’s the family, and 6 or more if we’re hosting a crowd.
- Uncooked. I stack the uncooked hamburger patties with a sheet of parchment paper separating each patty. Then I wrap the stack tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap to freeze. The raw burger patties can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Cooked. Store the cooked and cooled burger patties in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. The cooked patties will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw the burgers completely in the fridge. Then, cook the raw patties as usual. Or, reheat the cooked burgers in the air fryer, oven, or microwave.
