How Long Does It Take To Cook Hamburgers In The Air Fryer

While grilling hamburgers may be the go-to option for juicy beef patties during the summer months, an air fryer can come in handy on those days when the weather takes a turn, and you don't want to be outside. You can fix burgers in a variety of ways, but cooking them in an air fryer will heat them evenly and give them a nice crunch on the outside the same way it does for vegetables. And thankfully, frying hamburgers in an air fryer doesn't take much longer than grilling them outdoors or cooking them in a pan over the stove. On average, an air-fried hamburger only takes 10 to 12 minutes to fully cook.

Start by preheating your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. After forming patties between ½ and ¾ of an inch in thickness and seasoning them the way you like, place them into the air fryer, leaving enough room for air to circulate around them. Cook the hamburgers for about 5 minutes before giving them a flip, then let them finish cooking for another 5 to 6 minutes. If you want to turn them into cheeseburgers, top the patties with cheese and heat for an extra minute. Remove the hamburgers when they have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Most options for cooking hamburgers take less time than an air fryer, but minimally so. Burgers generally require 8 minutes over the sweltering heat of a grill, and it's about the same for a pan-fried hamburger. Using a pan to fry beef patties allows them to sit in their own juices and keeps the burger moist, which is something to keep in mind when using an air fryer. Like a using a grill or baking them in an oven, an air fryer can quickly dry out your hamburgers. Select beef with a generous fat content – an 80/20 ratio works best. This will keep the hamburgers moist while the air fryer does its work, as will a brief marinade.

Burgers cook quickly, whether prepared in an air fryer or over the grill, so constantly monitoring them while they heat up is crucial. It only takes a minute for a hamburger to go from a delicious and juicy to a tough, dry hunk, so keep the thermometer (or cake tester) close by when you're cooking the patties in the air fryer, and you'll always have juicy hamburgers in no more than 12 minutes.