Making frozen hamburgers in the air fryer is very easy. The air fryer burgers cook quickly and evenly each and every time.
Air fryers are simply revolutionizing the way that we cook in our kitchens.
We have previously shared how to make the perfect fresh Air Fryer Hamburger and how to compliment it with frozen Air Fryer French Fries. Maybe you want to turn it into a Homemade Big Massive Burger!
There are times when we don't have time to thaw out the burgers before we toss them in the air fryer.
That is okay! You can air fry frozen burgers!
It works!
CAN YOU COOK A FROZEN HAMBURGER IN AN AIR FRYER
Yes, you can cook a frozen hamburger in an air fryer.
This is a question we see almost daily in our air fryer facebook group!
Whether you cook your burger in the frozen or fresh form, it comes out consistently juicy and delicious when made in the air fryer.
I appreciate the consistency of how the air fryer cooks.
You can cook thin or thick burgers in your air fryer.
You may need to adjust the time depending on the size and thickness of your burger. It is best to use a meat thermometer.
How to make Frozen Hamburgers in Air Fryer
Place your hamburger patty into the basket/tray of your air fryer.
Cook your air fryer burger for 8-10 minutes at 350F/176C. At the 5 minute mark (halfway through cooking your hamburger), flip the patty over to ensure that it will cook evenly.
When the air fryer is done cooking, you can add a slice of cheese and continue cooking for 1 minutes at 350 degrees F to melt the cheese. (optional)
Remove the hamburger from the air fryer basket and place onto bun.
Add desired toppings, and enjoy!
HOW LONG DO YOU COOK A FROZEN HAMBURGER PATTY IN AN AIR FRYER?
The average sized frozen burger patty will take about 10 minutes to cook.
Cook time will depend on the size of patty you have and how you like your meat cooked.
ARE AIR FRYER BURGERS KETO?
It depends on the burger.
You need to check the ingredient labels of all burgers you purchase or all ingredients you purchase to make your burgers.
Always, always read the labels to confirm it fits your dietary needs. If you are gluten-free, I suggest that you try this Gluten Free Bread with your air fried hamburger!
WHY DOES MY AIR FRYER SMOKE?
If your air fryer smokes while you are cooking a food where the grease drains, like hamburgers or bacon, you might add a tablespoon or two of water to the inner basket.
Other readers have suggested putting a piece of bread between the air fryer baskets to catch the grease.
Wondering. how to cook thawed hamburgers?
Pro Tips
- Use Any Air Fryer: This recipe can be made in an air fryer unit with a basket or an air fryer oven. If you're using an air fryer oven, place your food on the middle rack and select the "air fry" function.
- Check your food as it cooks! Since each air fryer runs differently, sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. When cooking a new recipe, be sure to check on your food often. This will help you avoid over or undercooking, and help you learn your air fryer's specific ways!
If you are interested in a Cosori Air Fryer, check out my review on Cosori Air Fryers! We share pros and cons! We try to share as much information as we can so you can choose the best air fryer!
How to make Frozen Hamburgers in Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 burger patties frozen
Instructions
- Place your hamburger patty into the basket/tray of your air fryer.
- Cook your air fryer burger for 8-10 minutes at 350F/176C. At the 5 minute mark (halfway through cooking your hamburger), flip the patty over to ensure that it will cook evenly. Burger is done when it reaches an internal temp fo 165F. You may need to adjust the time.
- When the air fryer is done cooking, you can add a slice of cheese and continue cooking for 1 minutes at 350 degrees F to melt the cheese. (optional)
- Remove the hamburger from the air fryer basket and place onto bun.Add desired toppings, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
Wondering how you can convert your favorite oven recipes to air fryer recipes? We have an Oven to air fryer conversion calculator or what we like to call an air fryer calculator. It will help you with a starting temperature and cooking time for your favorite oven recipes. Start with the time/temp the air fryer calculator gives you and then check the food as you go and adjust. Be sure to write down the final time so you remember!
If you are looking for basic Air fryer cooking times we have those too! We even has a downloadable (free) cheat sheet for you. Get the sheet here: Air fryer cooking timesNeeding more air fryer recipes? Here are some ideas to get you started! Air fryer hot pocket, Turkey bacon in air fryer, Frozen corn dogs in air fryer, Air fryer hamburger patties, Air fryer chicken tenders no breading, Air fryer lamb chops ,Air fryer plantains, Air fryer calamari and Air fryer turkey meatballs.
A HUGE thank you for my friend Chrystal for shooting the stacked patty picture. She is an amazing friend and does amazing work. She writes at https://www.glutenfreepalate.com/ and https://www.fourscoreliving.com/. You have GOT to check out the wonderfully creative and delicious recipes she shares!
Carol
How do you keep the cheese on? Every time I have tried the cheese blows every all over!
Cindy
Great question, what I usually do if the cheese seems to fly, then I quickly put the cheese on and put back into the air fryer. But I don't turn it back on, I like the heat that already in there melt it. You can also put a toothpick in it. 🙂
Tom
Wow, I can't believe how easy this was! I never have to thaw a hamburger again!
Cindy
Hi Tom, it is super easy to make frozen hamburger in the air fryer, isn't it? We love the ease of doing this! Glad you did too!
Lucy H
Wow, this is super easy, thanks for sharing this directions. It worked out great for me.
Cindy
You are very welcome Lucy!
Pearl
This worked great for me. Thanks for reaching me how to use my air fryer!
Cindy
Hi Pearl, so glad it worked well for you!
Cynthia
Burgers in the air fryer are great. Being able to pop them in when frozen is such a time saver! Thanks so much for the tips.
Cindy
You are very welcome, glad you liked the frozen hamburgers in the air fryer. It is so easy, isn't it?
Maureen Olson
Does the cooking time change if you are doing just one burger?
Cindy
Nope, it does not as long as they are side by side and not stacked 🙂
Vic
No mention of patty weight? I pack/freeze 8 ounce patties.
Cindy
Sorry about that Vic 🙂 I added it into the notes section of the recipe card, thanks for bringing that to my attention. This recipe gives a starting point of temp/time for 8 oz patties. With the variety of air fryers out there they all run a touch different so you may need to adjust your time a bit, but that gives you a good idea :).
Todd
Used this method with my Costco burgers and they turned out great, thank you.
April
Just threw in some frozen burgers for lunch. So good.
Mehul Edward Martin
hey, my air fryer cant fit two in at a time, can i stack them?
Cindy
Hello, I wouldn't stack them, they won't cook evenly 😉
mehul
hey do you think i would be able to stack the pattys
Cindy
I don't think you should stack them, they probably will not cook evenly 🙂
Chase
My air fryer doesn't have an adjustable temperature - it's always 392. Should I still cook a frozen patty for 10 minutes or back off on the time a bit?
Cindy
Hello Chase, I would lessen the cook time. I haven't tried it at a higher temp. I would do just one and test it to see how long. That way you experiment with just one and not a whole meal 🙂 If you find the right number of minutes for your machine at 392F please come back and let me know! 🙂
Keith Price
I haven't tried your recipe, yet. (I will). But, every time I cook a frozen Kirkland (Costco) hamburger in my air fryer, it comes out a bit rubbery. Any idea what I might be doing wrong?
Cindy
Hello Keith! Great question! I haven't tried Costco burgers yet, but I know that when burgers are rubbery or chewy they are a bit over cooked. That happens when the fat in the burger heats up and the fat in the burger emulsifies. It may be that your air fryer is running a bit hot. So you might try turning your air fryer down 5-10 degrees and test it out. It may help to cook it with a lower temp 🙂
Debra Hoffman
I love hamburgers and so much more in my airfryer, since I've been cooking with my air fryer I hardley use my microwave anymore
Cindy
Hi Debra! We love hamburgers too! They are great in the air fryer! It makes cooking so much easier and quicker!
Yomi
FYI- using an Instant Pot Vortex Mini Airfryer and one Great Value 85% lean 4 oz frozen burger, it took 18 minutes at 350 degrees to get to medium-well. Not sure why it took so long because this air fryer cooks everything fast. Maybe it has something to do with thermal mass?
MandyProctor
Hi Yomi! It's good to remember that often, machines work differently to each other so maybe you need to play around to find out what works best for you 🙂