Who wants juicy, delicious hamburgers and cheeseburgers for dinner tonight? If you raised your hand, our air fryer burgers are for you! We’ll use fresh ground beef, a simple spice blend, and let your air fryer do it’s magic. You’re gonna love these!
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Why I Love This Recipe
We absolutely love using the air fryer to make quick and fresh hamburgers and cheeseburgers. They’re excellent for any occasion, and the convenience of the air fryer is awesome. Plus, you don’t have to worry about lighting a grill or cleaning up a big mess on the stove. You can have four delicious burgers ready to serve in about 20 minutes!
Easy Ingredients
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a delicious, freshly made burger. Of course, this starts with fresh ground beef. We’ve found the very best results come from ground beef that is 85% lean. This blend has just enough fat to maintain juiciness throughout the burger and give it a nice tender texture with excellent flavor.
We’ll season our burgers with a simple blend of common ingredients including:
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- White Pepper
White pepper?
White pepper provides that little something extra that makes our burger special. It further enhances the natural flavors of the beef and other ingredients. A little goes a long way, which is why we only need ⅛ teaspoon per pound of meat.
If you are missing one of the individual ingredients, don’t worry. You can adjust to your own liking with no problem. The most essential ingredients are really the salt and pepper.
Easy Preparation
Use a large bowl and mix the seasonings with the beef. You don’t want to overwork the meat by squishing or mixing to a pasty consistency. Overworking it can result in a tough, rubbery texture. By gently working in the seasonings and forming the patties, we’ll get a nice and tender texture when cooked.
We’ll be making four, ¼ pound hamburger patties that will be about ½″ thick. Form the patties by shaping the meat into a ball shape, then press down with hand/fist to flatten them out. Also, use your thumb to indent the center of the burgers. This will help to prevent the burgers from puffing up into a ball while cooking.
Chill Out Before Cooking
Let the patties chill for a bit before putting into the air fryer. Yes, unlike many other meats, burgers benefit from being cold prior to being cooked. Start with fresh ground beef right from the fridge, season and make the patties, then place them in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. We’re not freezing the patties, but rather controlling the melting of the fat and moisture content. Even this little bit of time can help to get the best results for the cooked burger.
Air Fry at 375°(F) for 8 Minutes
Start by preheating your air fryer at 370°(F) for about 5 minutes. This is important as we want those burgers to sizzle when they hit the air fryer basket or tray. Once the air fryer is preheated, add the burger patties and air fry for 8 minutes. Air fryer sizes and temps can vary from appliance to appliance, so if you find they still need another couple of minutes, just pop them back in. However, 8 minutes is usually the ideal cook time. If adding cheese, add the slices of cheese during the last minute of cooking. This will help get that cheese nice and gooey and start the melting process.
Good Buns are Important
They say a sandwich is only as good as the bread and a burger is no different. I nice brioche bun holds up very well and is great with toppings piled high on the burger.
Toppings Galore!
Naturally, burgers can be served with any number of your favorite toppings. Of course, nothing beats the classic American burger with fresh iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes and raw onions. While the hamburgers are cooking, slice up some good tomatoes, lay out some lettuce leaves and cut those onions (don’t cry too much) and have them all ready to go on a plate for everyone to pick and choose as they please.
Ketchup and mustard are standards for a good burger as well. But, have you had mayo on your burger? Smear a little on the bun and it’s excellent. You can also use Thousand Island Dressing. Oh, and don’t forget the pickle slices. Oh my goodness biting into a fresh made burger with all those fresh toppings is so satisfying!
Goes well with…
Naturally, burgers go with french fries and our Air Fryer Homestyle French Fries are outstanding! Coleslaw is another natural partner for burgers and we’ve got a Country Creamy Coleslaw you’re gonna love.
Leftovers and Storage
Your air fryer burgers are perfect to make and store for later. They’ll keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them! For freezing, I’d recommend separating the patties with parchment paper and seal in plastic freezer bag. You’ll want to make sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible. Too much air can cause freezer burn. The burger will keep in the freezer for a couple of months. Freeze just the patties, not the buns and toppings.
You can use your air fryer to reheat the burger patties too. Use a low setting such as 350°(F) for about 5 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave for a minute or two. Of course, if the grill is on, throw them on a heated grill for a couple of minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is specifically for making fresh, seasoned burgers. If you have frozen patties, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight first, then add the seasoning before cooking.
White pepper is a unique ingredient. I highly recommend getting some. If you don’t have it, use ¼ tsp ground mustard or leave it our entirely. You’ll still have a great burger.
You sure can! If you have a seasoning mix such as seasoned salt (Lawry’s is a good one), go for it! I also like to use steak seasoning mixes. Montreal Steak seasoning is excellent on burgers!
Recipe
Best Damn Air Fryer Burgers
- Total Time: 18 min
- Yield: 4 burgers
Description
This easy recipe for air fryer burgers is perfect for any night of the week. With all fresh ingredients, you can have tender, juicy, perfectly cooked burgers on your plate in about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (85/15)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, ground
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine seasonings and ground beef (still cold from fridge). Gently fold the seasonings into the meat so it’s well distributed throughout. Don’t overwork the meat.
- Form into four equal patties, then press a dimple right in the middle to prevent patties from puffing up.
- Place the patties on a plate and stick in the freezer for 5 minutes (see above about chilling).
- Preheat the air fryer to 370°F. When ready, add the patties in a single layer and use the air fry setting set to 8 minutes. Flip the burgers halfway through cooking.
- If adding cheese, add it during the last minute.
- When done, remove cooked burgers and serve on fresh buns with your favorite toppings.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 8 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Sheila
I made these burgers for supper tonight. They were delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Francis
I had some hamburger and left over deli buns I used for sloppy joes that I needed to use and decided to make these burgers for lunch. They were so good. I will have to arraign to have some extra ground beef and buns again just so I have an excuse to make these.
Nora
I didn’t think this recipe would work, Was I wrong. No hot kitchen, no splatter and a great burger. I cooked the burger over a bed of sliced onion.
Conni
Do you ever use an air fryer that is built into the oven, if so are there any differences? My oven will be arriving next week and I want to try your hamburger recipe but I’m not sure if I need to do anything differently.
Thanks.
RecipeTeacher
Hi Conni, while I do not personally own an oven with air fry setting, the consensus seems to be that most recipes take longer than the countertop appliances. I suggest starting with the recipe instructions and adjust accordingly any added time needed.
Bill
Jason, do you have any bison burger recipes?
RecipeTeacher
It’s funny you ask as we were just talking about this the other day. I’ve had them at Wrigley field but never made at home. The meat looks identical to beef and I’ve been thinking of trying them at home. I’ve also had bison hot dogs at Wrigley Field and they were good.
Carolynl
They are indeed the best dam hamburgers.
Jane Mingo
Love my new air fryer. All the recipes are easy to follow and come out delicious!
Joni
Just made these, and they’re delicious! And easy! Bunless with NSA ketchup, mustard and romaine lettuce – YUMMY
Nancy
These hamburgers were GREAT! The spices were perfect. As soon as the burgers were done, I wiped out the basket and roasted ranch potatoes. Added coleslaw, and it was a great meal!
RecipeTeacher
Excellent! Now that sounds like a great meal! And guess what? I’ve got a coleslaw recipe right around the corner I think you’ll love. 🙂
Barbara
I don’t have white pepper on hand. Do you have suggestion?
RecipeTeacher
Just leave it out.