Initially, I was skeptical to cook frozen burgers in air fryer. But once I figured out how to do it, I never looked back. It is easy, quick, and hands down the most convenient way to cook frozen burger patties to perfection without the hassle of preheating the ovens, grills, and then cleaning.
Still, wondering, Why should you make frozen burgers in an air fryer?
- It is quick or rather the quickest way to cook the frozen hamburger patty.
- There is no need to thaw the frozen hamburger patties.
- You do not need to use any oil. It is optional.
- No need to wait for the grill to heat, then waste time cleaning. The air fryer does not take time to heat like grills. It is best if you are going to cook just a few frozen burger patties.
- The frozen burgers made in the air fryer are equally good as the grilled and pan-seared ones. In fact, quicker and better!
- You can also toast the burger buns evenly on both sides in an air fryer.
- It is the simplest, fuss-free, hands-off way to cook frozen burger patties
- Be it the fish burgers, frozen chicken burgers, veggie frozen burgers or Beyond burgers, or other vegan burger patties. They all can be cooked to perfection in an air fryer.
Ingredients required for making frozen burgers in an air fryer
To make these air fryer frozen burgers you are going to need the following ingredients.
1. Frozen burger patties
I have used Earth grown’s veggie burger. The cooking duration that I have used should work for almost all sorts of frozen vegan and veggie burger patties(plus-minus a minute). If you are using a meat-based patty or thicker frozen patties, you might need more time.
You can use the frozen or homemade fresh burger patties in this recipe. All will give the same result. Try considering this vegan Soya chunks burger patty.
2. Salt and spices:
You can use spices of your choice. I have just sprinkled some salt and black pepper on my frozen veggie burger patties. Though these are already spiced, but not appropriate enough for my taste.
3. Vegetable oil/ cooking oil
You can use cooking oil spray or brush them with some vegetable oil. Oil is not an essential ingredient. You can certainly omit it if you want.
4. Burger buns
Use your favorite burger buns to fill these air-fried burger patties. I usually use homemade burger buns. My favorite is the multigrain buns that I make using this multigrain bread dough.
You can try these vegan hamburger buns recipes. These are quick, vegan, soft, and delicious homemade burger buns. I often use crunch rolls to build my burgers. They have an amazing texture and flavor that will complement these air-fried burger patties.
I have been feeling lazy lately, so today I have used the store-bought burger buns in this recipe.
5. Vegetables+Toppings+ Greens+ Sauces +cheese
Prepare your favorite topping in advance. I have used cucumber slices, tomatoes, and onions as vegetable options.
If you are adding cheese, have the slices taken out of the fridge. You are going to need your favorite sauces for building this air-fried burger.
Step by step Instructions
Step 1 Air fry frozen burger patty
Unwrap the frozen burger patties and rub them with salt and spices of your choice. Then, place them in the air fryer basket spaced such that air can circulate freely. Brush them with cooking oil and place the basket in the air fryer. Air fry at 370 0F for 6-7 minutes. Then open the air fryer basket and flip the patties. Brush them with cooking oil ( if required) and let them air fry at 370 0F for additional 6-7 minutes.
If you want to add cheese slices to your air fryer burgers, this is the time to place the cheese slices on the air-fried burger patties. Put back the basket into the air fryer. The air fryer should be hot enough to melt the cheese.
Pull out the basket in a minute and check. If still not melted, air fry at 370 0F for 1 minute to melt the cheese.
Step 2 Air fry hamburger buns
Place the hamburger buns inside the air fryer and air fry them for 3-4 minutes of total time at 350 degrees F.
Step 3 Build the air fryer frozen burger
Fill the burger buns with the greens of your choice and then, place the patties. Top with sliced vegetables, pickles, and sauces of your choice. Serve and enjoy.
Storage and reheating of the air fried frozen burgers
Store the air fried burger patties at room temperature for a day. And refrigerate for 2-3 days. For prolonged storage freeze in an airtight Ziplock bag and cover with a foil.
Suggestions for the new air fryer users:
Are you are just starting with an air fryer? A few general suggestions that stay true to this recipe as well.
- If you are new to an air fryer, my advice to you is to just think of an air fryer as a small and efficient oven and beyond, with some smart and dynamic technology behind it. An air fryer cooks and reheats most things like an oven, but quicker and better! Do not limit its use to air fryer frozen foods only.
- All air fryers are built differently. They come in different sizes and shapes, and temperature settings. So, to get the same results with two different sized or designed air fryers, there could be a differential of a few seconds to a few minutes.
- Pull out the air fryer basket before the lowest given cook time in a recipe and see for yourself, how much more time you need. Your garlic bread might need lesser than the suggested time. This way you will know the cooking time that works best for you.
Pro tips for cooking frozen burgers in air fryer
- Place the burger patties in the air fryer in a single layer, such that there are gaps for air circulation. Never overcrowd or overlap the bread.
- Do not forget to flip the patties halfway through the cooking time. This ensures even cooking on both sides
- Also, if you want to top your burger with a cheese slice, place the cheese slices on the patties once they are done cooking. Turn off the air fryer but close the air fryer basket. It is hot enough to melt the cheese.
- If you are making meat patties made with beef or something that will leave a lot of greases, consider placing some pieces of bread under the basket to catch the grease. If not collected, grease will collect under the basket and cause smoking in the air fryer. Also, it creates a mess and makes cleaning more difficult.
- It is always a good idea to open the air fryer and check for the doneness before the suggested time.
Frequently asked questions
There is no limitation to what kind of frozen or homemade burgers you can make in an air fryer. Be it the frozen beef burger patties, frozen chicken burgers, turkey burgers, keto burgers, veggie burgers, beyond meat, or other vegan burger patties. You can cook them all to perfection in an air fryer. We are a vegetarian family, so I usually make veggie and vegan burger patties in my air fryer. But I have friends who use air fryer to cook frozen chicken and beef patties. The little issue that you will face is with the high-fat meat patties like beef, which leave a lot of grease. Read below for more on this.
There is a possibility of smoking in the air fryer while you cook high-fat foods like bacon or beef patties. The grease kind of drops in the basket and burns, causing smoke in the air fryer. This issue can be easily solved by placing something under the basket ( a flatbread or something else) to catch the grease or putting 1-2 teaspoon of water in the lower basket to diffuse the grease and delay burning and smoking.
Choose the air fryer temperature depending on the thickness of the burger and the type of burger patty. You can choose temperature from anywhere from 360-400 0F for 8-10 minutes on each side. Choose a lower temperature of 360-370 0F(whatever option is available in your air fryer) if the frozen burger patties are thick. Choose 400 0F for thinner burger patties. If you use higher temperatures for thicker patties, they are likely to stay raw in the center and cook faster on the exterior. So, keep the temperature at 360-370 0F and look for the perfect cooking duration that will work for you.
If you have an instant-read thermometer, check the internal temperature of the patties. It should be more than 160 0F. Also, sometimes you tell by the aroma, external texture, and feel of the patties that they are done. If not, then you have no choice but to slice one of the patties to check if it is done fully from the center.
Well, you can put aluminum foil in the air fryer, but I would not recommend doing it unless you need it. One such instance would be in case you need to cook the food wrapped in the foil. Other than that putting it to cover the food is a bad idea, as it will fly around in the air fryer basket and can block the heat and cause uneven heating. You can use it to place under the food, but make sure to punch holes all over, to allow circulation of air. For such needs, I like to use parchment paper with holes, and air fryer liners ( reusable silicone mats for air fryers).
Other frozen foods that you can cook in air fryer are
- How to cook frozen pizza bites (veggie pizza rolls) in air fryer
- How to fry frozen okra in air fryer? Breaded and plain cut okra
- Frozen potstickers in air fryer: The best way to make frozen dumplings
- Frozen spring rolls in air fryer: Quick, easy, and crispy!
- Best way to cook frozen garlic bread in air fryer
I hope you enjoy making these frozen burger patties air fryer and it becomes your go-to method to cook frozen food. Share it with friends if you find it helpful.
Till then,
Make it quick and delicious!
Recipe card for making frozen burgers in an air fryer
Frozen burgers in air fryer (Frozen veggie burger)
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pack veggie Frozen burger patties (I used earth-grown veggie burger)
- Salt and spices
- Vegetable oil/ cooking oil
- Burger buns
- Vegetables, Toppings, Greens, Sauce, cheese of your choice (of your choice)
Instructions
Step 1 Air fry frozen burger patty
- Unwrap the frozen burger patties and rub them with salt and spices of your choice. Then, place them in the air fryer basket spaced such that air can circulate freely. Brush them with cooking oil and place the basket in the air fryer. Air fry the frozen patties at 370 0F for 6-7 minutes. Then open the air fryer basket and flip them. Brush them with cooking oil ( if required) and let them air fry at 370 0F for additional 6-7 minutes.
- If you want to add cheese slices to your burgers, this is the time to place the cheese slices on the air fried burger patties. Put back the basket into the air fryer. The air fryer should be hot enough to melt the cheese. Pull out the basket in a minute and check. If still not melted, air fry at 370 0F for 1 minute to melt the cheese.
Step 2 Air fry hamburger buns
- Place the hamburger buns inside the air fryer and air fry them for 3-4 minutes at 350 0F.
Step 3 Build the burger
- Fill the burger buns with the greens of your choice and then, place the patties. Top with sliced vegetables, pickles, and sauces of your choice. Serve and enjoy!
Storage
- Store the air fried burger patties at room temperature for a day. And refrigerate for 2-3 days. For prolonged storage freeze in an airtight Ziplock bag and cover with a foil.
Notes
- I have used Earth grown’s veggie burger. The cooking duration that I have used should work for almost all sorts of frozen vegan and veggie burger patties(plus minus a minute). If you are using a meat-based patty or thicker frozen patties, you might need more time.
- You can use spices of your choice. I have just sprinkled some salt and black pepper on my frozen patties. Though these are already spiced, but not appropriate enough for a burger patty.
- Oil is not an essential ingredient. You can certainly omit it if you want.
- Use your favorite burger buns to fill these air fried burger patties. I always use homemade burger buns. My favorite is the multigrain buns that I make using this multigrain bread dough.
- You can try these vegan hamburger buns recipes. These are quick, vegan, soft, and delicious homemade burger buns. I often use crunch rolls to build my burgers. They have an amazing texture and flavor that will complement these air fried burger patties.
- Prepare your favorite topping in advance. I have used cucumber slices, tomatoes, and onions as vegetable options.
- If you are adding cheese, have the slices taken out of the fridge. You are going to need your favorite sauces for building this air fried burger.
- Place the burger patties in the air fryer in a single layer, such that there are gaps for air circulation. Never overcrowd or overlap the bread.
- Do not forget to flip the patties halfway through the cooking time. This ensures even cooking on both sides
- Also, if you want to top your burger with a cheese slice, place the cheese slices on the patties once they are done cooking. Turn off the air fryer but close the air fryer basket. It is hot enough to melt the cheese.
- If you are making meat patties made with beef or something that will leave a lot of grease, consider placing some pieces of bread under the basket to catch the grease. If not collected, grease will collect under the basket and cause smoking in the air fryer. Also, it creates a mess and makes cleaning more difficult.
- It is always a good idea to open the air fryer and check for the doneness before the suggested time.
Nutrition Facts
Mellanie.P
These air fryers could make everything guys! They have almost replaced our domestic ovens.