Frozen Burgers in an Air Fryer

Name: Frozen Burgers in an Air Fryer
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 frozen burgers (or more); 2 buns; 2 slices cheddar cheese (optional); toppings (ie lettuce, bacon, red onions, tomatoes, pickles)

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You will not believe how easy it is to make frozen burgers in an air fryer. All you do is place it into the air fryer basket and you’re good to go! Frozen hamburgers in an air fryer is a no-fuss, no-muss recipe that anyone can make.

You might be wondering “air fryer frozen burger?!?!?!” I’m sure H’s eye is twitching as he thinks about our beautiful new grill but the process of cooking frozen hamburger patties in air fryer is so effortless and quick. Plus, if the stovetop is in use or I just cleaned it and don’t want to deal with oil splatting, the air fryer is a great alternative.

An air fryer burger from frozen with toppings on a serving board.

Why You’ll Love Making Frozen Burgers in an Air Fryer

Cleaning up is easy since there’s no oil splattering all over compared to cooking frozen hamburgers patties on the stovetop.
I don’t have to watch the stove. I feel much more comfortable walking away from the air fryer than I do with a pan on an open flame!
It’s effortless. You just put the frozen hamburger patty in and let it be. The air fryer basket just goes straight into the dishwasher when done!

My Recommendation

This is the air fryer I use. I love how large this air fryer is! It can fit a whole chicken or 2 bags of frozen French fries!

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Ingredients You’ll Need

frozen burgers — feel free to use store-bought frozen burgers or make your own. I’ll share how to make your own down below. There’s no need to thaw the frozen hamburger patty when cooking them in the air fryer.
buns — my favourite buns to buy at the store are brioche buns but you can make your own as well. I love making my cheddar buns for burgers.
cheddar cheese — to make things easier, I use pre-sliced cheese to save myself the time and effort.
toppings of your choice — I went with the classics: lettuce, red onions, and bacon. It’s practically the quickest air fryer bacon cheeseburger you’ll ever make from frozen at home!

How to Make Frozen Burgers in the Air Fryer

Two frozen hamburger patties in an air fryer basket.

Two hamburger patties cooked in the air fryer basket.

Add frozen hamburger patties to the air fryer. Mine fits two patties. It’s ok if they overlap a tiny bit because they’ll shrink.
Air fry at 375°F for 10 minutes, flipping at the halfway mark if they’ve overlapped. Increase the cooking time if your frozen patties are thicker.

A slice of cheese added to each burger patty.

If adding cheese, place them on top of your patties and air fry for another minute.

Two air fryer hamburgers with cheese and bacon in a serving tray with fries and ketchup.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Cooked beef burger patties will last in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
To tell if the air fryer frozen hamburgers are done, you can use a meat thermometer to ensure the patties are 160°F (71°C).
You will have to flip and readjust the patties at the halfway mark if you’ve overlapped some. By the halfway mark, the patties in the air fryer should have shrinked enough that they do not overlap anymore.
I like to cook frozen burgers in the air fryer due to the lack of splatter. But if you’re worried about grease causing smoke in the air fryer, add a splash of water to the bottom of your air fryer basket.

My Recommendation

This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!

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How to Make Homemade Frozen Hamburger Patties

1 pound ground beef (80/20)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients with a fork. Avoid overmixing. Then, shape the beef mixture into four patties.
Place the patties on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze. Once frozen, transfer the patties into a freezer-safe bag or container.

Two air fryer cheeseburgers in a serving tray with fries and ketchup.

Topping Ideas

Here are some of my favourite toppings for my air fryer frozen hamburgers. I don’t put them all on at once though ;) Let me know in the comments down below what your favourite air fryer burgers toppings are!

ketchup
honey mustard
caramelized onions
roasted garlic (mash it into a paste and spread it onto the patties or buns)
air fryer roasted garlic
hummus
white bean hummus
butter lettuce
red onions
tomatoes
bacon (air fryer bacon)

Can I put aluminum foil into the air fryer?

You can but this recipe does not require you to do so. The foil does not allow the air to circulate as well around the frozen burger patties. Foil slows down the cooking process. If you’re worried that the patties will leave a mess in the air fryer, the bottom of the air fryer basket can be lined instead so it doesn’t affect the air flow and catch any drippings from the frozen burgers.

Do I have to season frozen burgers?

No, burgers usually come pre-seasoned and if you’re using homemade frozen burgers, you should be adding seasoning to the ground meat before freezing them.

Do you need to flip burgers in the air fryer?

I only flip the air fryer burgers if there was overlap when the patties go in the basket.