Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
These Air Fryer Turkey Burgers are a quick and easy meal that the whole family will love! Seasoned ground turkey patties are cooked in the air fryer to juicy perfection.
My Turkey Burger Recipe is one of my family’s favorite dinners, especially when it’s summer grilling season. But when it’s not grilling weather, I make these air fryer turkey burgers instead. I love cooking with my air fryer because it keeps meats especially juicy and tender inside and it makes dinner prep so easy. See these Air Fryer Hamburgers and Air Fryer Chicken Breast for two more delicious examples!
I’ve intentionally kept this recipe for air fryer turkey burgers especially simple, so that you can make it in almost no time on a busy weeknight. A few dried seasonings give the ground turkey lots of flavor, and you won’t need to chop a thing. Round out the meal with a few simple side dishes, like sweet potato fries and a green salad. Hooray for burger night!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Turkey: I use 93% lean ground turkey. Avoid using 99% lean turkey, since it will give you dry turkey burgers. You need a little fat for flavor! Here are more ground turkey recipes to make for dinner.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds umami flavor. If you need a substitute, try soy sauce or balsamic vinegar.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper are all you need.
- Burger Buns and Toppings: Grab a package of buns at the store or make my Brioche Buns recipe. Then let everyone at the table add their favorite burger toppings!
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for the full recipe with measurements.
Season the ground turkey. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Mix with your hands until just combined.
Make the patties. While the air fryer preheats, divide the turkey mixture into 4 equal balls and shape each ball into a patty that is no thicker than ยฝ-inch thick.
Air fry at 380ยฐ F for 6 minutes, then flip and cook for 5-7 more minutes, until cooked through.
How Long to Cook Turkey Burgers in an Air Fryer
Air fry turkey burgers at 380ยฐ F for about 6 minutes per side. The best way to tell when turkey burgers are done is to use a meat thermometer. The center should be cooked to 165ยฐ F.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overwork the meat. Mix just until everything’s combined, since over-mixing can make burgers tough and dry (same with Turkey Meatballs!).
- Preheat the air fryer so that it’s already hot when you add the burgers to the basket.
- Try to make the turkey patties no thicker than 1/2-inch thick. They will shrink and puff up a bit as they cook, so it’s good to start with them on the thin side.
- Cook the burgers in a single layer in the air fryer basket, without overlapping. If they won’t all fit in your air fryer at once, you can cook them in batches. Keep them warm on a covered plate until serving.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check that the burgers are cooked through. Different air fryers may cook differently, so it’s always a good idea to check that your turkey burgers have reached 165ยฐ F in the center.
To Make Ahead/Freeze
You can freeze the shaped patties before cooking. Lay them in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, stack the patties with squares of parchment in between and place in a zip-top bag or other airtight storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can cook frozen turkey burger patties in the air fryer. They will take a few extra minutes to cook through.
Recipe Variations
- Fresh onion – Substitute 2 tablespoons of finely minced yellow onion for the onion powder.
- Fresh garlic – Substitute 2 cloves of minced garlic for the garlic powder.
- Parsley – Add 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley.
- Mayonnaise – Adding 1 tablespoon of mayo is an easy way to make the turkey burgers extra moist.
- Ketchup or Mustard – They’re often used as burger toppings, so why not flavor the patties themselves with ketchup and/or mustard? Add up to 1 tablespoon of each. I’m partial to using Dijon mustard for its more complex flavor.
- Breadcrumbs – If the turkey mixture seems very wet, you can mix in a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs (panko, regular bread crumbs, whole wheat or Italian seasoned crumbs will all work).
- Store-bought patties – You can cook store-bought turkey patties using this recipe. Just preheat your air fryer and cook them according to the recipe directions.
Topping Ideas
- To add cheese, place a slice of cheese on top of each cooked turkey burger in the basket and put the basket back in the air fryer, with the air fryer off, for a minute to melt the cheese.
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- BBQ sauce
- Pesto
- Ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise
- Lettuce and tomato
- Red onion
- Pickles
What Should I Serve with Air Fryer Turkey Burgers?
Here are a few of my favorite side dishes when these air fryer turkey burgers are on the menu:
Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon black pepper
For Serving:
- burger buns, sliced cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado or guacamole, ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce, etc., as desired for serving
- Place the ground turkey in a large bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce and then sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper over the turkey.
- Use your hands to work the seasonings into the meat until they are evenly distributed. Try not to overwork the meat.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380ยฐ F for 5 minutes.
- While the air fryer preheats, shape the burgers (you can lay them on a sheet of parchment paper or a plate after shaping). Divide the turkey mixture into 4 equal balls and shape each ball into a patty that is no thicker than ยฝ-inch thick.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, place the burgers in the air fryer basket. If you can't fit all 4 burgers in at once without them overlapping, you can cook them in batches.
- Cook at 380ยฐ F for 6 minutes. Then flip them over and cook for 5-7 more minutes, until they are cooked through. Burgers should be cooked to 165ยฐ F in the center.
- If you'd like to add cheese, place a slice of cheese on top of each cooked turkey burger in the basket and put the basket back in the air fryer, with the air fryer off, for a minute to melt the cheese. Serve turkey burgers on buns with toppings as desired.
- You can substitute fresh onion and garlic for the onion powder and garlic powder. Chop/mince them finely and use 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion and 2 cloves garlic.
- Nutrition estimate is for turkey burger patties only.
