These juicy air fryer chicken burgers are absolutely bursting with flavor! Just add your favorite toppings or sauces to turn the chicken patties into a delicious weeknight meal, ready in just 30 minutes!
Say goodbye to bland chicken burgers! These mouthwatering air fryer chicken burgers are seasoned to perfection for a flavorful alternative to regular beef burgers. Serve them on a toasted bun or wrap them with romaine or butter lettuce for a lighter option.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: For the best-tasting burgers, prepare the patties with ground chicken thighs (80-90% lean). You can use ground chicken breast, but I prefer to work with a bit more fat and flavor.
- Garlic: Add two fresh garlic cloves.
- Spices: Season the air fryer chicken burgers with kosher salt, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and onion flakes.
- Egg: Eggs add moisture and bind the ground turkey mixture together.
- Mayonnaise: Since chicken is lower in fat than ground beef, I like adding a small amount of high-quality mayonnaise, like Duke’s or Hellman’s, to flavor the burgers.
- Liquid Smoke: We may not be grilling the burgers, but no one needs to know that. Add a few taps of liquid smoke to give the burgers a subtle smoky flavor.
Additions and Substitutions
- Spice things up. Don’t be shy. Experiment with different spice blends to find what you like. Season the patties with Kinder’s burger blend, Montreal’s steak seasoning, Cavender’s Greek seasoning, or this Slap Ya Mama Seasoning recipe for a tasty Cajun flavor.
- Add breadcrumbs. Toss some panko breadcrumbs (about ⅓ cup) into the ground chicken mixture if you want more of a crispy chicken sandwich texture.
Tools You’ll Need
All you need to make the easy air fryer chicken burger recipe is an air fryer, and keep a food thermometer handy to ensure the burgers reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
How to Air Fry Chicken Burgers
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Use clean hands or a stand mixer on a low setting to combine the ingredients for the chicken burgers. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, careful not to over-mix.
Step 2: Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then use a food scale to divide the chicken mixture into 3-5 ounces portions, depending on the size of burger you want.
Step 3: Form the meat portions into smooth balls and arrange them on the baking sheet. Place another baking sheet over the balls and press down to form the patties. Then, preheat the air fryer to 320°F (160°C).
Step 4: Set the burgers in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Use your thumb to create an impression in the center of each patty and air fryer for 20 minutes, flipping the burgers halfway through.
Cooking Tip
Cook the burgers in a single layer in the air fryer so the hot air can circulate freely around the patties. You may need to cook the chicken burgers in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
Expert Tips
- Mix the ground chicken. Use clean hands or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to combine the burger ingredients. Mix until just combined, but don’t overdo it. Overmixing can cause the burgers to become dense and dry out as they cook.
- Chill the mixture. Refrigerate the burger mixture before shaping it into patties. Chilling allows the ingredients to combine for deeper flavor. It also helps bind the mixture, preventing the burgers from falling apart as they cook.
- Cook low and slow. It’s weird because I am saying this about cooking chicken burgers in the air fryer, but it’s true. Cooking the patties at a lower temperature for longer prevents the burgers from shrinking and puffing up.
- Use a thermometer. Chicken is lean and prone to drying out, so you don’t want to overcook it. That’s why I recommend using a food thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken. According to the USDA, the safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F (73°C).
If you enjoy air fryer chicken burgers, try more air fryer recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Serve air fryer chicken burgers with sweet potato fries, roasted potatoes, or Hasselback potatoes. And you can pair them with avocado, cucumber, tomato salad, or sumac cucumbers for a lighter meal option.
If you’re making burgers for a barbecue or cookout, create a spread with classic vinegar coleslaw, southern potato salad, pasta salad, or egg salad with pickles.
Use a creamy sandwich spread like ancho aioli, Sriracha mayo, chipotle lime sauce, or BBQ aioli to enhance the flavor of the burgers. If you want some topping ideas for burgers, here are a few of my favorite:
- Lettuce, Tomatoes, Pickles, Jalapeños, Onions
- Sumac Onions, Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms
- Grilled Pineapple
- Avocado or Guacamole
- Cheese, Fried Egg
- Bacon
- Homemade Coleslaw
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover patties in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze (Uncooked Patties): Wrap and store uncooked chicken burgers in the freezer for 9 months.
- Freeze (Cooked Patties): Wrap the cooked air fryer chicken burgers in plastic before transferring them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Chicken burgers freeze for 4-6 months.
- Reheat: Warm leftover patties in the air fryer at 360°F (182°C) for 5 minutes for the best results.
- Repurpose: My favorite way to use the leftover burgers is to chop the patties to make a quick Big Mac salad with tomatoes, pickles, onions, and homemade Big Mac sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe in advance?
Combine the burger mixture and even form the patties 1-2 days before cooking them. You can also make the patties to freeze. Then, all you have to do is cook the chicken burgers in the air fryer from frozen for a quick weeknight meal when you are in a pinch.
How long to cook chicken burgers in the air fryer?
The cooking time for air fryer chicken burgers varies depending on the thickness and size of the burger patties and the strength of your air fryer. I recommend cooking 3-5 ounce chicken burgers in the air fryer at 20°F (160°C) for about 20 minutes for the best results.
More Burger Recipes:
Air Fryer Chicken Burgers
- 1 pound ground chicken thighs, 80-90% lean
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion flakes
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 2 taps liquid smoke
- Use clean hands or a stand mixer on a low setting to combine the ingredients for the chicken burgers. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, careful not to over-mix.
- Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then use a food scale to divide the chicken mixture into 3-5 ounces portions, depending on the size of burger you want.
- Form the meat portions into smooth balls and arrange them on the baking sheet. Place another baking sheet over the balls and press down to form the patties. Then, preheat the air fryer to 320°F (160°C).
- Set the burgers in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Use your thumb to create an impression in the center of each patty and air fryer for 20 minutes, flipping the burgers halfway through.Tip: Cook the burgers in a single layer in the air fryer so the hot air can circulate freely around the patties. You may need to cook the chicken burgers in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Mix the ground chicken. Use clean hands or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to combine the burger ingredients. Mix until just combined, but don’t overdo it. Overmixing can cause the burgers to become dense and dry out as they cook.
- Chill the mixture. Refrigerate the burger mixture before shaping it into patties. Chilling allows the ingredients to combine for deeper flavor. It also helps bind the mixture, preventing the burgers from falling apart as they cook.
- Cook low and slow. It’s weird because I am saying this about cooking chicken burgers in the air fryer, but it’s true. Cooking the patties at a lower temperature for longer prevents the burgers from shrinking and puffing up.
- Use a thermometer. Chicken is lean and prone to drying out, so you don’t want to overcook it. That’s why I recommend using a food thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken. According to the USDA, the safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F (73°C).