Can frozen burgers go in an air fryer? Absolutely! It is safe to cook hamburgers from frozen; they won’t end up undercooked. Learn how to air fry frozen hamburger patties here- they're an easy entrée that cooks in 12 minutes! You’ll love this protein-packed, crowd-pleasing recipe that can be adapted to your favorite frozen burger. Make air fryer frozen burgers with Bubba burgers, bison burgers, Trader Joe’s Grass-Fed Angus Beef Burgers, and more!
What cooks up in under 30 minutes, is easy, yummy, and lets you skip the drive-thru? This frozen hamburgers air fryer recipe, that’s what! We really love these juicy cheeseburgers- we think they’re tastier than fast food!
After following this guide on how to cook frozen burgers, you may never bother thawing hamburgers again! Why make life harder than it has to be?
These air fryer frozen beef patties fit a variety of special diets. Skip the bun or use a low-carb hamburger bun for a low carb and keto friendly option.
Use your favorite GF bun to make your hamburger gluten free. You could also use a lettuce wrap instead of the bun.
For dairy-free air fryer frozen beef patties, skip the cheese. Sliced avocado is a great substitute to provide the creaminess that you’d get with cheese. (That said, they’re not good substitutes for each other nutritionally, as avocado is low in protein and calcium.)
Unless you’re looking for a plant-based burger, this recipe will likely work for you. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do, and that it makes weeknight dinner a little easier.
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📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One serving of Air Fryer Frozen Beef Burgers has 290 calories, 0 grams net carbs, and 19 grams protein. This is Trader Joe’s Frozen Grass-Fed Beef Burgers without a bun or toppings. The exact nutritional information of your burger will depend on the size and leanness of your burger, as well as the toppings and bun you choose.
⭐ Benefits
Why make frozen burgers in the air fryer? Here are some reasons for you:
- Nutritious: Hamburger patties are a whole food that is rich in high-quality protein and highly bioavailable iron and zinc. IMVHO, a bunless beef patty is one of the most nutritious and filling options at certain fastfood restaurants. (Particularly the fast food places that offer little more than burgers, fried sandwiches, sodas, and fries.)
- Fast: You can air fry frozen hamburgers in under 15 minutes. You don’t need a long list of ingredients to make ground beef burgers taste good.
- Customizable: I’m going to share one way I like to top burgers, but feel free to customize! Low carbers can skip the bun, and those avoiding pork can skip the bacon. Add some caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms... you get the picture!
- Easy clean up: My air fryer baking trays are non-stick and they are the easiest thing to clean ever. A little rinse and some soap, and they’re ready to cook the next meal. It’s so much easier than cleaning a skillet or grill.
- No need to use the grill: Speaking of the grill, if it’s winter (or otherwise not grilling season) the air fryer really comes to the rescue. You can air fry frozen burgers in any weather, without the need for outdoor grilling space.
- Delicious: Burgers tend to be a family favorite, loved by kids and adults alike. It’s a great feeling when those we’re cooking for appreciate our efforts!
🥘 Ingredients
The only thing you need to make air fryer frozen hamburger patties is a package of frozen burgers. I used thin ¼-lb (113g) 100% beef patties with no seasoning (Trader Joe’s brand). You don’t even need cooking oil spray for this recipe.
The frozen burgers I used were 80/20 (80% lean, 20% fat). This produced a juicy burger that did not dry out with air frying. I recommend using either 80/20 or 85/15 burgers for this recipe. Lean and extra lean beef (90/10, 93/7, 96/4) may not produce as moist a burger, so I’d use with caution.
Bubba burgers that are ⅓ lb (151g) each may take longer than the burgers I used. Thicker frozen burgers will also take longer to air fry.
Since most don’t eat burger patties alone, you’ll probably also want to have buns and toppings. Here’s what I used for my burgers:
- Brioche buns
- Cheddar cheese slices
- Chipotle aioli mayo
- Cooked bacon
- Sliced red onion
- Tomato
- Lettuce
🍽 Equipment
To make frozen burgers in an air fryer, you’ll need an air fryer and a metal spatula. A meat thermometer is handy to check the burgers for doneness.
I used a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven for this recipe, but any air fryer can work. Feel free to put your frozen burgers in the Ninja Foodi, Cosori, Pampered Chef Air Fryer, Actifry, Nuwave, Instant Vortex, Cuisinart, Philips, Power Air Fryer, and other air fryers. Smaller air fryer baskets may only fit 1-2 burgers at a time.
You may need to make slight adjustments to the cooking times depending on the air fryer you use. I recommend watching the food closely the first time you try a new air fryer recipe. This will help to ensure your food gets cooked perfectly.
🔪 How to Make Frozen Burgers in Air Fryer
Let’s air fry frozen burgers! If you’ll be having the burgers with buns, I would toast them first.
Preheat the air fryer to 400F (200C) and toast the buns (cut side up) for 2 minutes. I use the top rack of my air fryer oven for this.
Next, preheat the air fryer to 350F (175C). Put the burgers in a single layer on a hot air fryer tray. I was able to fit three burgers on the tray.
Put the tray in the air fryer (use the top rack of the air fryer oven). You’re already ready to cook!
️⏲ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to cook frozen burgers in the air fryer? What temp to cook frozen burgers in air fryer? It took a total of 12-13 minutes in an air fryer preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175C) to air fry frozen burgers.
Start by air frying the burgers for 6 minutes. Then flip the burgers, and air fry for an additional 6 minutes. For cheeseburgers, flip the burgers once more, top with a cheese slice, and air fry 1 more minute.
You will need to adjust the cooking time and temperature based on the size of your burger. Thicker burgers and larger diameter burgers will require longer cooking times. BUBBA burgers recommends air frying their burgers at 370F (188C) for 15 minutes.
The safe minimum internal temperature for ground beef is 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71C). Some feel that beef burgers cooked to this temperature are overdone. However, I’m providing this information so you can make an educated decision about how well to cook your burger.
If your air fryer smokes when you cook fatty foods, I’ve heard that adding a little water to the drip pan can help. Some use a piece of bread instead to catch the grease. I’ve never had this issue with my air fryer oven, so I haven’t tested these tips.
️🌡️ Leftovers
You can keep leftover cooked burgers in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days. They can also be wrapped individually, put in a freezer bag, and stored in the freezer. Crumble your leftover cooked burger and use it in tacos, burritos, soups, stews, salads, and casseroles.
🥗 Side Dishes
What to serve with air fryer burgers? Here are some of my favorite side dishes for air fried frozen cheeseburgers:
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Frozen Vegetables in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Tater Tots
- Air Fryer Frozen Onion Rings
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 2 recipe (transition and weight maintenance). The frozen burger patties I’m using in this recipe are not lean beef. Because we’re using a fatty (higher calorie) meat, I’m giving this one the bump to level 2.
You can find lean beef hamburger patties that are only 130 calories per 4 ounces (113 g). These patties have over double the calories because I did not choose a lean meat option. Choosing lean proteins is one method that can help you maintain the calorie deficit needed for a weight loss goal.
Additionally, the leaner beef options are lower in saturated fat. If you want to lower your LDL cholesterol, lowering your intake of saturated fats can help.
If you want a low-calorie meal, another thing I recommend is serving the burger as a burger bowl rather than with a bun. Pile your burger bowl high with veggies like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. These will add low-calorie volume to your meal to help keep you full.
Cutting back on refined grains and bumping up veggies is going to be a general health move for most people. That’s true whether your goal is trying to lose weight or just having a more nutrient-dense diet.
The photos show a burger in a fluffy white bun because that’s what people who want a burger usually like to see. Some people aren’t really health-minded, others might be trying to find options for weight gain.
For those who want an indulgent (and higher energy) burger option, you can top your burger as I did. Here’s how I layered the ingredients on my brioche bun:
- Chipotle mayo
- Green leaf lettuce
- Cheeseburger patty
- Sliced tomato
- Sliced red onion
- Cooked bacon
SO GOOD. These were way tastier than fast food burgers, IMVHO.
FAQs
BUBBA burgers recommends cooking frozen burgers in the oven on a greased baking sheet near the top of the oven. Cook the burgers for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 425F (218C). Then flip the burgers and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.
You can use this recipe to air fry frozen turkey burgers as well. However, you will likely need to extend the cooking time. It is important that poultry reaches a safe minimum internal temperature of 165F (74C) to help prevent food-borne illness.
You don’t need to season frozen hamburger patty to make it delicious! If you do want some seasoning, add it when you flip the burgers. I recommend using steak seasoning, BBQ seasoning, Cajun spice, or a sprinkle of liquid smoke.
Yes, you can make air fryer frozen Beyond Burgers using the air frying directions here. You may want to mist the veggie burgers with cooking spray if they’re looking dry. The downside is that Beyond Burgers are a pricey ultra-processed food. Unless you’re vegan, vegetarian, or restricting beef for other reasons, I’d stick with regular beef burgers.
According to the USDA, beef that has been refrigerated for about five days may start to turn brown due to oxidation. This is a normal change during refrigerator storage. However, it may indicate spoilage if all the beef in the package turned brown, has an off odor, and is tacky to touch.
Yes, I recommend flipping burgers while air frying for more even cooking.
👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Burger Recipes
Want more recipes for burgers in the air fryer? Here are some you may enjoy:
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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 no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Frozen Burgers in Air Fryer (Hamburger Patties)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 hamburger patties, frozen 4 ounces (113g) per patty
- hamburger buns and hamburger toppings (as desired)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Put the burgers in a single layer on a hot air fryer tray. I was able to fit three burgers on the tray.
- Air fry the burgers for 6 minutes (use the top rack if using an air fryer oven). Then flip the burgers, and air fry for an additional 6 minutes. (Thicker burgers and larger diameter burgers may require longer cooking times.)
- For cheeseburgers, flip the burgers once more, top with a cheese slice, and air fry 1 more minute.
- The safe minimum internal temperature for ground beef is 160°F (71°C). Check your burgers with a kitchen thermometer and add more cooking time if you want to be food safe.
- Top your cooked burgers as desired, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Chipotle mayo
- Green leaf lettuce
- Cheeseburger patty
- Sliced tomato
- Sliced red onion
- Cooked bacon
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