Air Fryer Turkey Burgers with Sriracha Mayo

Can you air fry turkey burgers? Yes, you can! These air fryer turkey burgers are HUGE and juicy, with a bit of heat provided by sriracha mayo. Learn my tips and tricks that will help keep your turkey burgers moist and prevent them from crumbling. Add some quick veggie sides to these burgers, and you've got an easy and low-calorie weeknight dinner idea!

For some, turkey burgers have come to be associated with dry, bland diet food. Let's smash those assumptions, shall we?

Turkey patties will indeed dry out much faster with cooking than ground beef burgers. Because of this, you need to add something to your turkey burgers for extra moisture. I went with garden zucchini because summer squashes are packed with fluid.

It is important not to skip the zucchini in this recipe, even if you aren't into "healthy recipes." The zucchini is there to eliminate the dryness of the turkey burger, improving the overall mouthfeel. Sure, cramming more veg into your meals is generally a health move, but that's really secondary to zucchini's main purpose here.

Why You Should Make Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

• Low-calorie and low-carb meal option: If you are looking to lose weight by focusing on lowering calories and/or lowering carbs, these turkey burgers are a great choice.
• Packed with high-quality, filling protein: These big burgers are a high-protein entrée that should provide lasting satiety (a feeling of fullness between meals). As a result, you may be less inclined to have a snack a short time later. This may (hopefully) make it a little easier to reach or maintain a healthy weight.
• Vehicle for veggies: We're packing zucchini into the burgers plus topping with tomatoes and putting big salads on the side. If you're looking to increase your vegetable intake, this air fryer turkey burger recipe will help you get there!
• Family-friendly meal that is easy to customize: The whole family is likely to love this recipe because it is burgers! Plus, you can easily modify this recipe to fit different taste preferences. For example, swap the sriracha mayo for ketchup if you have a child or other family member who dislikes spicy foods.
• Fast and tasty: These turkey burgers air fry in only around 15 minutes. That might be less time than it would take to drive to and order fast food!

Air Fryer Turkey Burger Ingredients

To make the basic turkey burgers, you only need four simple ingredients:

• Ground turkey
• Grated zucchini
• Chili powder
• Cooking oil spray

For the sriracha mayo, you'll need a couple more things:

• Mayonnaise
• Sriracha

I've been using True Made Foods Veracha (Vegetable Sriracha) as my preferred sriracha brand. I love the veggie-packed, no added sugar ingredients list:

• Tomato Puree
• Jalapeno Puree
• Butternut Squash
• Carrots
• Garlic Powder
• Distilled Vinegar
• Spinach
• Onion Powder
• Salt
• Cayenne Pepper

I could probably figure out how to combine those ingredients to create my own sriracha at home. However, IMHO they have created an excellent product, and I'm happy to let them do the work for me. If you want to add no added sugar condiments to your kitchen, they are a great brand check out.

Finally, you'll want to gather a few more things for topping your burgers and side salads. Again, my garden has come to the rescue, and particularly these ripe and juicy tomatoes:

Here's what I used for burger toppings and side salads. Feel free to use whatever non-starchy veggies you have kicking around:

• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini (Yes, more zucchini! Raw zucchini slices are a nice addition to salads, believe it or not!) 
• Red onion
• Salad dressing of choice

The bunless turkey burger with sriracha mayo and a side salad will get you a nice low-calorie meal. For a higher energy dish, you can do as I did and add more starch and/or moderate carb veggies to your plate. I went with a sourdough biscuit and some roasted beets.

The beets are the beautiful candy stripe beets that I mentioned in the email newsletter a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, they do lose most of their vibrant coloring when they are roasted. Oh well!

How to Air Fry Turkey Burgers

Have you been wondering how long to air fry turkey burgers? My air fryer turkey burgers need to cook a little longer than the Air Fryer Burgers made of beef. That's because the zucchini in the burgers needs extra time to cook down.

To start, put ground turkey, chili powder, and shredded zucchini in a large bowl. You can peel the zucchini if you don't want to see green in your burger. As you may have noticed from the photos, a little green does not bother us!

Next, you're going to mix this turkey and zucchini combination together with clean hands. It's a messy endeavor! You can check out how it all went down in the recipe video.

After the ingredients have been thoroughly combined, you need to shape the patties. I made three large burgers. Pressing a dimple into the middle of each patty may help prevent the burgers from bulging during cooking.

Mist an air fryer tray with cooking spray and gently place the burgers on the tray. I was able to fit all three of the burgers on one tray in a single layer.

Place the tray in the top position in your air fryer oven and air fry for 10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Then gently flip each burger using two spatulas (one on the top and one on the bottom). Gently pressing each burger between two spatulas while flipping will help prevent the burgers from crumbling.           

After all of the burgers have been flipped, pop them back in the air fryer oven for 5 minutes at 375. (If they have not reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, they may need another 5 minutes.) After air frying, let your burgers rest for 5-10 minutes…

… then you can top them and serve.

How to Make Sriracha Mayo and Other Burger Toppings

While the turkey burgers air fry, you are going to want to prepare your burger toppings. For the sriracha mayo, simply whisk together two parts mayo to one part sriracha. Set it aside while you prepare the side dishes.

I saved a few leaves of lettuce and a few slices of tomato and red onion to top the burgers. I chopped the rest of my veggies for side salads.

If you are serving bunless burgers, choose large lettuce leaves that you can use as a burger wrap. Alternatively, you can always eat the burger with a fork.

Also, for anyone who is wondering, I garnished the burger in the pictures with some cilantro flowers. Cilantro flowers are edible but are (unfortunately) not flavorful like cilantro leaves and stems. That said, they look nice, and if you happen to have some cilantro that bolted, why not use the flowers as a garnish?

Expert Tips from a Dietitian

This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). The nutrition information for this meal includes the burger, sriracha mayo, veggie toppings on the burger, and side salad. It does not include any salad dressing you choose to use, a burger bun, or any other veggie sides. Adding 1-2 tablespoons of dressing to your salad will keep you at level 1.

Because I am in weight maintenance mode, I created a higher energy meal by adding a biscuit and roasted beets. If you prioritize protein in your meals, you can easily modify the side dishes to meet the needs of different family members:

• For those who need more energy (i.e., higher calories), add in energy-dense whole grains and starchy vegetables. You can also add more healthy fats (avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, etc.).
• For those with lower energy (i.e., lower calorie) needs, cut back on added fats and add more non-starchy veggies. It is not extremely difficult to cover the B vitamins in grains with meat. Eating fewer grains can be an easy way for many to create a lower-calorie diet without having to count anything.

What goes with air fryer turkey burgers?

There are a lot of ways to customize your air fryer turkey burger meal! Here are a few suggestions regarding what to serve with turkey burgers:

• For a lower calorie meal, try my Recipe for Homemade Mustard in place of the sriracha mayo. Every tablespoon of mayo that you replace with mustard will save you around 100 calories!
• No Cook Refrigerator Pickles are an easy and low-calorie topping that will add more flavor (and veggies!) to your burger.
• Chipotle Lime Mayo is another mayo option if you don't care for sriracha.
• If you have some time and want a high-calorie meal, check out my How to Make Sourdough Bread Starter and Bread recipe. I often use sourdough discard to make whole grain biscuits that I serve with my burgers.
• If you're serving side salads, Dandelion Vinegar works well as a light dressing. Using a salad dressing heavy on vinegar rather than oil can cut 100 or more calories from your meal.

Some side dish ideas that go well with turkey burgers include fresh garden salads and roasted vegetables of all sorts. I'm providing a recipe for a side salad below. I also served our air fried turkey burgers with roasted beets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best air fryer for the money?

Depending on where you live, you may be able to find better deals on air fryers at certain times of the year. Black Friday is often a great time in the United States to find a great air fryer for the money.

I am a bit biased, but I love my 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. It is one of the less expensive air fryers and gets pretty good reviews. With two baking trays, it has plenty of room to cook my entrees without having to split the recipe into batches.

If you are feeding a family, I highly recommend seeking out a large capacity air fryer oven like I have. Air fryer ovens can cook far more food at once compared to the smaller air fryers with an air fryer basket. The ovens may have additional features as well, such as a spit for Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken.

What is the best way to keep a turkey burger from falling apart?

Nothing is worse than taking the time to craft beautiful turkey patties, only to have them fall apart in the air fryer, grill, or oven. One solution is to add eggs or breadcrumbs to your burgers to help them stick together better. You also want to make sure they have cooked long enough to bind a bit before trying to flip them.

My air fryer turkey burgers are very soft, and it's essential to be gentle when you flip them to prevent crumbling. I use a two-spatula method to keep my turkey burgers from falling apart:

• Slide one spatula under a turkey burger and place a second spatula on top of the turkey burger.
• Very gently press the burger between the two spatulas and flip the burger, so the bottom spatula is now on top.
• Place the burger back on the air fryer tray, removing the top spatula and (carefully!) sliding out the bottom spatula. Voila!

If you continue to have issues with your turkey burgers crumbling apart, try making smaller patties. Instead of the three burger patties I made here, make four or even six burgers. If you make very small (slider-sized) burgers, you may need to shorten the air frying time.

Are there any dangers in eating an undercooked turkey burger?

Yes, undercooked turkey burgers (and other meats) may contain harmful germs that can cause food poisoning. Eating undercooked poultry, including turkey, will put you at a higher risk of Salmonella infection.

How do you know when a turkey burger is done?

The minimum safe internal temperature to cook turkey burgers and other ground meats is 165F. The best way to know whether your turkey burger is done is to use a food thermometer.

With a food thermometer, you will know for sure whether your turkey burger has reached a safe internal temperature. Outward appearances can be deceiving!

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

Do you need more air fryer recipe ideas? You have come to the right place! Here are some of my favorite air fryer recipes to get you started:

• Air Fryer BBQ Chicken is another easy dinner idea to help you out on busy weeknights.
• Loaded Air Fryer Radish is a lower-calorie substitute for potatoes that also fits low-carb and keto diets.
• Air Fryer Carrots with Herbs, Tahini, and Pomegranate Seeds makes a colorful side dish that is packed with phytonutrients.
• Air Fryer Salmon Patties with Lemon-Dill Tartar Sauce uses canned salmon, an inexpensive way to enjoy seafood.
• Celebrate autumn flavors with this Air Fryer Squash with Brown Butter and Sage recipe.

Don't forget to subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter to be kept up-to-date on all of the latest and greatest recipes!

And now for the disclaimer…

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.

For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats with yogurt post. Let's get cooking!