How Long to cook hamburgers in your air fryer

Updated on October 2nd, 2025

How long should you cook hamburgers in the air fryer? The easy answer is 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F or 170°C. This assumes you’re starting with 6-oz. burgers that are no more than 1-inch thick.

Read on for tips to help you make the most of your air fryer hamburgers, plus a recipe card that’s easy to follow along.

Tips for the best air fryer hamburgers

While cooking time is crucial to the success of any recipe, other factors do also come in handy. And keeping these in mind can help you make the best air fryer hamburgers you can imagine.

Check the thickness and fat ratio

The air fryer can get clogged if excess grease drips into its unit, so consider using lean ground beef to make your patties. And if you’re buying pre-made ones, check for the meat-to-fat ratio, and confirm it’s at least 80-20. This tip isn’t just good for your air fryer but also ensures healthier hamburger recipes.

Also, you’ll want to keep the patties at a thickness of one-inch maximum. And if you’re making them yourself from scratch, check that every patty is roughly the same thickness and size.

Cook multiple patties at once

Depending on your air fryer size, you can prepare up to four patties at a go. But ensure that this number doesn’t overcrowd the basket; otherwise, hot air won’t properly circulate to cook the patties fully. So, if your basket can only take two hamburger patties at a go, stick to that. The procedure is relatively fast anyway, so you don’t need to rush.

Check for doneness

Beef needs to cook to a safe temperature of 160F before eating. So, always check for the doneness with a meat thermometer. And the best way to do it is by poking the probe at the side of the patties till it reaches the center. So don’t stick it from the top, or you’ll break the shape and ruin the recipe.

Forming hamburger patties

For those making hamburgers from scratch, you’ll need a quick guide on the best way to prepare the patties. Here’s how to go about it;

• Sprinkle a moderate helping of salt and pepper on the ground beef. Always start with cold ground beef straight out of the fridge, so the shape and structure are retained after molding. You can also include other ingredients like garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika. But keep the amount moderate, as you can over-season the ground beef and disrupt the structure-forming nature of the burger fat.
• When mixing the beef, try using a cold fork to fold the seasonings into the meat gently.
• Divide the patties into equal amounts and gently roll them on a countertop or cold baking tray. Then, lightly mold them into 1-inch-thick patties.
• Place the patties into the basket and cook as instructed if you’re cooking at once. But if you’re making them for later, wrap the patties in plastic and chill them in the fridge or freezer until you need them.

Cooking time for air fryer hamburgers

The sweet temperature spot for cooking hamburgers in an air fryer is 350°F or 170°C. A 6-oz. burger should cook in 10 to 12 minutes.

What about frozen hamburgers?

If you’ve formed hamburgers patties and kept them in the freezer, you can cook them using an air fryer. And what’s more, is you won’t have to thaw them; they’ll cook straight out of cold storage if you’re in a hurry. But consider extending the recipe by one or two minutes, depending on when the 160F safe doneness is reached. And remember that this only applies to frozen burgers of one-inch thickness.

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