How To Cook Burgers In An Air Fryer

Sate your restaurant-style burger craving at home in a jiffy by putting together a perfectly cooked burger with the help of an air fryer. Air frying a burger allows for a hands-off approach to cooking and cooks a burger to perfection in 15 minutes or less.

How To Cook Burgers In Your Air Fryer?

Air fryer burgers are effortless to make. If you are short on time and need a quick meal, you can prep burgers and pop them in your versatile air fryer. It is my go-to supper-time meal on busy days.

All you will need to put together the meal is some ground protein burgers, toppings of your choice, and burger buns.

You can put together chicken, beef, turkey or even veggies burgers and cook them in your air fryer with no fuss.

The process is ridiculously easy. Below are step-wise instructions on how to do burgers in an air fryer.

1. Preheat: Preheating is a vital step when cooking burgers. Set the temperature to 190°C and allow the air fryer to preheat for a minimum of two minutes. This is done to ensure an even cook of the burgers.
   
2. Prep and Season: While your air fryer preheats, prep your burger meat or patty filling. Season the filling as per your taste. Shape even-sized round patties of about half an inch of thickness.
   
3. Cook: Once the preheat timer elapses, place the rounded patties in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Make sure they are not overlapping. This will ensure they get heated thoroughly.
   
   Based on how well you want the burgers done, set the cooking time between three to seven minutes. Once the timer elapses, turn the burgers over and allow them to cook again. Set the timer to the same amount of time.
   
4. Check: If you are cooking meat, check the internal temperature once the timer elapses. The carryover cooking phenomenon will continue to cook the burgers even after they have been taken out of the air fryer.
   

Frozen Burgers And Air Fryers

Frozen burgers and patties can also be cooked in an air fryer. The best cooking method is to lower the cooking temperature and add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.

Take down the cooking temperature by 10 degrees and increase the time by two to four minutes per side. Make sure you check the internal temperature of the patties before you serve them.

Benefits Of Cooking Burgers In An Air Fryer

There are certain advantages to cooking burgers in an air fryer. It is not possible to deep fry patties every time a craving pops up, especially on busy days. If you want minimal effort and quick cooking, an air fryer is the best possible appliance to use.

It is less work compared to searing or grilling on the hob. It is a hands-off process. You will not have to stand over a hot hob and sweat it out while waiting for your burgers to cook. With an air fryer, you simply have to set the timer, put the patties in and get on with other work.

Additionally, when cooking burgers with meat content, the excess fat drips down through the air fryer basket. The burgers do not end up simmering in their own fat.

The air fryer technology allows food to become crispier than other cooking technology. You will end up with super crispy burgers.

It is important to note that while plant-based burgers can be cooked in the air fryer, it is possible they may not be as juicy as meat-based burgers. In my opinion, the most flavourful and juicy results will be obtained with a mixture of 80/20 ground beef, something we do everyday at our cafe.

Variations In Cooking Temperatures And Time

The amount of cooking time required for burgers depends on how big the patties are. The internal temperature of ground beef has to reach a minimum of 70°C for it to be deemed safe to consume.

If you like your meat a little on the pinker side, make sure you know that you may be putting yourself in the path of potential foodborne illness.

Use the guide given below to achieve the doneness level you desire. Set the cooking time and note the internal temperature as per the following:

• Doneness

  Temperature

  Time

• Well done

  71° C

  6 – 7 minutes on each side

• Medium Well

  68.3° C

  5 – 6 on each side

• Medium

  60° C

  4 – 5 minutes on each side

• Medium Rare

  57.2° C

  2 minutes on each side

• Rare

  52° C

  3 on each side

Tips And Tricks For The Perfect Patties

Here are some tips that will help you lay out the perfect patties and assemble the most delicious meal in a jiffy.

• When making meat-based burgers, choose the right meat. Fat content is important to getting juicy burgers as an end result. A minimum of 18% fat will give you a tender and flavourful patty.
  
• Air fryer settings vary. It is always better to check in on your patties early to avoid overcooking them.
  
• Keep your meat thermometer handy. Insert it into the thickest portion of the burger and check for the correct internal temperature.
  
• If you are not ready to eat all your patties, wrap each one of them in parchment paper and freeze them. You can even cook frozen patties in the air fryer.
  
• Make sure you only flip the patty once during the cooking time. Overturning will dry out the burger.
  
• Cook the patties in batches. Do not stack them in the air fryer. Otherwise, they will not cook thoroughly. Line them around the basket in a single layer for best results.

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How To Cook Burgers In An Air Fryer: The Bottom Line

Cooking burgers in an air fryer is the best use of the appliance since there is less fuss without any loss of flavour. You will get the most delicious patties in around 15 minutes or less that you can serve however you desire. Overall, there is very little room for error!