Air Fryer Hamburgers are a quick and easy way to get a juicy, flavorful dinner on the table fast. They cook up tender and delicious with minimal prep, making them perfect for hamburgers, cheeseburgers, or sliders any night of the week.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Juicy, beefy burgers with a well-seasoned center and nicely browned edges.
- Why Make It: The air fryer cooks burgers fast without heating the whole kitchen. Even frozen patties turn out tasty with just a little extra cook time!
- Skill Level: Beginner-friendly and easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Prep Note: Form patties with a slight indent in the center so they cook more evenly.
- Serving Suggestion: Pile onto toasted buns with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles with your favorite burger sauce.

Simple All Beef Patty Ingredients
- Beef: Just like our favorite hamburger recipe, we like to use an 80/20 blend for the right amount of fat to keep the patties juicy without too much grease runoff. For a lighter option, try ground turkey for turkey burgers.
- Seasoning: Add in salt & pepper with a dash of onion and garlic powder. Fresh onion and garlic don’t have enough time to cook, so we opt for powders in this recipe. Or try our signature hamburger seasoning!
- BBQ sauce (optional): Helps with caramelization and tastes great. I love this homemade barbecue sauce, but any store brand works, too!
Toppings
Make a DIY burger bar by arranging lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and pickles on a serving platter so everyone can help themselves!
- Zesty: Jalapenos, green chilies, sauerkraut, Chipotle aioli, or a homemade garlic aioli
- Savory: Roasted red bell peppers, fried egg (so good!), bacon, sautéed or air-fried mushrooms

How To Air Fry Hamburgers
- Combine all of the ingredients and form into 4 equally sized patties.
- Place prepared hamburger patties in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook until they reach 160°F (full recipe below).
- Top with cheese if desired, cook 1 more minute before serving.
Best Air Fryer Recipes
Did you enjoy these Air Fryer Hamburgers? Leave a comment and a rating below.

Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef 80/20
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce optional
For Serving
- 4 hamburger buns
- toppings as desired
Instructions
- Combine beef, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder in a medium bowl.
- Form into 4 patties, about ½" thick. Make a small indent in the middle of the patty with your thumb. Brush patties with barbecue sauce if using.
- Preheat the air fryer to 370°F. Add patties in a single layer to the basket.
- Cook 6 minutes. Flip burgers over and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until beef reaches 160°F.
- Add cheese if using and cook 1 minute more. Serve on buns.
Notes
- Ensure you use meat with a little bit of fat (80/20) so the burgers stay moist.
- Air Fryers can vary, so check your burgers early to ensure they don’t overcook. If your burgers are thicker, add more time.
- These were tested in a Cosori 5.8QT Air Fryer.
- Frozen burger patties can be cooked in the air fryer. They’ll need to add about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on thickness. Use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness.
- If you prefer them more well done, cook longer. If you prefer them with a bit of pink, cook for a little bit less time.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.















Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s like 100°F outside and I didn’t want to use the oven or the BBQ to cook dinner. This was amazing!
You’re welcome Nikky! So easy, and yes, cool!
Do you add bbq sauce to the other side once you flip it?
We didn’t, but that’d be delicious Stephanie!
Every time I do this, bits of meat stick to the basket. Nearly impossible to clean. Advice?
I haven’t had that issue Karen, so can’t say for sure. Did you fully preheat the air fryer? Did you use lean ground beef? Did you add BBQ sauce? Perhaps you need to lightly oil your basket before adding the burgers. Hope that helps.
Air fryer parchment paper or parchment paper helps a lot !
I haven’t gotten the hang of the thumbprint in the top of the burger to prevent them puffing up. I got giant dented meatballs, lol. But my, they’re better than anything I can cook on the stovetop!
Try using the back of a spoon for the indent!
This was amazing!!!! I used swiss cheese and sugar free barbecue sauce as I am on keto but simply delicious!!!!! Thank you for this recipe!!
You’re welcome – sounds perfect Lori!
Love all the air fry recipes
We tried this today they came out so good! My hamburger connoisseur who is so picky liked them!
These burgers turn out to be the most perfect juicy burgers every time we make them. These are a staple in our household. The BBQ sauce is a must and sometimes we had hot sauce too! SWP Employee
So happy that you love these air fryer hamburgers Ayla!
The quickest and juiciest burgers I’ve ever made! BBQ is a must! So delicious!
Wonderful! I made two 1/2 pound patties and within 12 min they came out both well done and extremely juicy. I’ll only be making my burgers in an air fryer from now on. Thank you!!
Excellent recipe but the only adjustment would be to cook the meat until it reaches 130-135. The meat is very well done at 160 so if you want some pink or medium, make sure take out the thermometer at 130
Do you flip the burgers half way through the cooking?
The burgers are flipped after 6 minutes (step 4).
For someone who is not a huge burger fan amongst a husband and two young adult we don’t have them often. Until now!! This recipe is So easy and delicious! Perfectly cooked every time. Thanks for converting me!
So glad you loved these!!
Love all of them going give them a try. Had my fryer for over a year now used twice wasn’t to impressed. Gave $300 for it off TV it’s big got 6 shelfs and fry basket and well they didnt come out crispy nor the onion ring wasn’t crisp. thanks for the recipes. Here’s my emails for tips to help me.
Super
Excellent instructions on how to air fry a hamburger
im reading this and it sounds like a good idea but you didn’t say how many degrees to set the air fryer on to cook the burgers -_-
The temperature is listed in step 3. Preheat the air fryer to 370°F. Enjoy!
370 she said somewhere else maybe
Can you use frozen burgers?
Yes, you will need to add some extra cooking time. You can find this information is in the recipe and in the post. Enjoy!
Is it 8 minutes or 12 minutes cook time? The Title reads less than 10 minutes, but the detailed recipe reads 12 minutes, with 5+ minutes for frozen. Which is it?
They will cook for 6 minutes and then be flipped for 3-5 minutes and finally if you add cheese it will be 1 minute more. It can range from 9-12 minutes.
Which setting do I use on the air fryer? Bake, air fry, etc?
These are cooked on the air fry setting.
Thanks for clarifying-I was wondering that as well.