Try my air fryer frozen burgers once, and you’ll never cook them any other way. It’s fuss-free, and you’re rewarded with juicy hamburgers. Brush them in a sauce first to keep them tender- no thawing required.
I cook burgers for my family like they’re going out of style, so I often end up with more patties than we can eat. I wrap the extras in foil, freeze them, and when burger night rolls around, I head straight for the air fryer.
After testing every type of frozen burger patty- beef (pictured), bison, ground chicken, and even veggie- I found the secret to keeping them juicy: drop them straight from the freezer (no thawing) and slather them in sauce (we love BBQ or ketchup) before cooking to lock in the moisture and infuse flavor. It’s great to enjoy burgers year-round, and cleanup is just rinsing the air fryer basket. Easy peasy.
If you want to air fry fresh burgers, you’ll enjoy air fryer hamburgers.
Key ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- Frozen hamburger patties. You can use store-bought burger patties or ones that you’ve made and frozen previously. Please don’t thaw them beforehand. In terms of size, my recipe is based on 4-ounce patties. I’ll give notes on adjusting the time for thicker patties.
- Ketchup or BBQ sauce. To slather the frozen patties. Any sauce with some sugar in it will work.
- Your favorite fix-ins. I usually make Big Mac sauce for our burgers, but feel free to use whatever burger toppings or sauces you prefer. My go-tos are hamburger buns, cheese, slaw (or salad), and air fryer bacon.
How to cook frozen burgers in the air fryer
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the air fryer and place the patties in a single layer.
Step 2- Brush and air fry. Brush each patty with sauce and air fry for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Step 3- Assemble. Carefully remove the patties from the basket and serve as desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Avoid overlapping. I recommend keeping the patties in an even, single layer as much as possible so they cook evenly. Some overlapping is okay, since they tend to shrink as they cook.
- Doneness. Unlike fresh burgers, which can be cooked to varying levels, frozen air-fried burgers MUST reach 160°F in the center. Ground meat can have bacteria mixed throughout, and cooking to this temperature ensures it’s hot enough to kill anything harmful while keeping the burger juicy.
- Adjust the cooking time. My burger patties are 4 ounces each, which takes around 12 minutes. You’ll need to increase the time for thicker patties.
- Melt the cheese. If you’re adding cheese to your burgers, place each slice of cheese on the patties and air fry for an extra minute so the cheese melts.
- Make it low carb. If I’m watching my carbs, I skip the bun or make a burger bowl. It’s that simple (and that good!).
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but since my recipe is for uncooked burger patties, you’ll want to reduce the cooking time to 5-6 minutes. After the time is up, check the patties and continue cooking in 1-minute intervals until they’re done.
If your air fryer is smoking, it’s usually caused by the grease in the basket. If this happens, I’ll add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the basket to reduce the smokiness.
No, you shouldn’t. My homemade burger patties are already pre-seasoned, and frozen patties are too.
Storage instructions
To store: Let the air fryer hamburgers cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.
Reheating: Warm in the air fryer at 350°F for 4 minutes or until warm. Or, microwave the patties for 20-30 seconds.
If you tried this air fryer frozen burgers recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others thinking of making this.
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Preheat the air fryer to 200°F.
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Place the frozen burger patties in a single layer in the air fryer. Brush with one tablespoon of sauce each.
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Air fry for 6 minutes, flip, and cook for another 6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
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Remove the burgers from the air fryer and assemble into burger buns, cheese, and slaw.
- Burger patties: The frozen patties pictured are my healthy burgers. I tested this with bison burgers, ground chicken burgers, and veggie burgers, and they all work too. Of course, store-bought frozen patties work too.
- Cooking time: 4-ounce burgers take 12 minutes to cook. For larger patties, increase the air frying time, check the internal temperature, and ensure it reaches 160°F.
- To assemble: Burger buns, slaw, cheese, mayo, and lettuce.
- Leftovers: Keep in the fridge for four days, covered. I don’t recommend refreezing them once they’ve been air-fried.
Serving: 1servingCalories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 25gFat: 12gSodium: 220mgPotassium: 346mgFiber: 0.04gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 77IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 4g
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