Make healthy, juicy, and delicious air fryer turkey burgers from scratch in half of the time it takes to grill them. And just like air fryer sausage patties made with ground turkey, these burgers come out juicy and flavorful every time.
Can Turkey Burgers be Made in the Air Fryer?
Air frying is a perfect way to make turkey burgers. It’s quick and easy and results in tender burger patties, and juicy burgers are what we all have come to expect from a good burger. Achieving that can be hard to do when working with ground turkey.
Honestly, I think turkey burgers have gotten a bad rap for being dry and tasteless. However, great-tasting turkey burgers begin with fat and flavor. We opt for darker meat and not ground turkey made with only turkey breast, add an egg and mayonnaise. Season the patties with spices and seal in all that flavor by cooking the turkey burgers in the air fryer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Turkey: Select a dark-meat ground turkey that is 80-90% lean, so you have more fat to flavor and keep the burgers together.
- Garlic: I suggest using two cloves, but don’t let my recipe tell you how much garlic to use – measure with your heart.
- Spices: Season the turkey burgers with salt, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, and onion flakes.
- Egg: Add moisture to the burger by adding an egg; the egg works as a binder to keep them intact as they cook.
- Mayonnaise: The mayonnaise helps maintain the moisture and deeply flavors the burgers; it’s the perfect complement to otherwise bland turkey.
- Liquid Smoke: We may not be grilling, but no one needs to know that. A few taps of liquid smoke lend the perfect smokiness that makes it feel like they’re coming right off the grill.
Tools Used to Make this Recipe
- Mixing Bowl
- Air Fryer: I use an Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer with a large basket.
- Rimmed Baking Sheets
- Food Scale
- Food Thermometer
How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine the ingredients for the turkey burgers in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Preheat the air fryer to 320°F (160°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a food scale to portion 3-5 ounces of ground turkey.
Step 3: Form the meat into a ball and set it onto the baking sheet; repeat with the remaining turkey. Use another baking sheet to press down the turkey to create patties.
Step 4: Make an impression in the center of each patty using your thumb.
Step 5: Cook for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Expert Tips
- Refrigerate the turkey mixture before forming and cooking the burgers.
- Lower cooking temperatures prevent the burgers from shrinking and puffing up; you can also use your thumb to press down in the center of each patty to encourage the turkey patties to spread out.
- Turkey is lean and prone to drying out. For this reason, be sure that you don’t overcook the patties.
- Cooking times will vary depending on the strength of your air fryer model; I cook ours for 20-25 minutes in the Instant Pot Vortex. However, the best way to cook turkey burgers is to check the internal temperature using a food thermometer; the safe cooking temperature for turkey is 165°F (73°C).
If you enjoy this recipe, try one of these air fryer favorites!
What to Put on a Turkey Burger?
Like beef burgers, the toppings are up to you, and here are a few of my favorites:
- Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickles, Avocado, Jalapeños, Sumac Onions
- Cheese
- Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Mustard, BBQ Aioli, Guacamole without Tomato, Serrano Crema, McDonald’s Big Mac Sauce Recipe, Ancho Aioli
Serving Suggestions
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries, Roasted Potatoes, Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes
- Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad, Arugula and Spinach Salad, çoban salatasi, Piyaz
- Homemade Coleslaw with Mint and Cilantro, Vinegar Coleslaw
- Corn on the Cob
- Southern Potato Salad, Healthy Potato Salad
- Gluten Free Pasta Salad
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 days.
- Freeze – Wrap and store uncooked turkey patties for 3 months. Cooked turkey burgers will keep for 1-2 months. To prevent freezer burn, layer plastic wrap over the burger patties before securing them in an airtight container.
- Thaw – Defrost the burgers in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat – Warm leftover burgers in the microwave, and enjoy!
- Repurpose – My favorite way to use leftover burgers is to make a cheese burger salad and finish it with homemade Big Mac Sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are turkey burgers healthy?
Ground turkey contains less saturated fat than ground beef, and it’s high in protein.
Do turkey burgers taste like hamburgers?
Ground turkey tastes nothing like ground beef, and because it has less fat it can taste quite bland without spices and additional ingredients to give it more flavor.
Can I prepare turkey burger ahead of time?
Make the mixture, form the patties, and store them in the refrigerator for up to one day.
What’s healthier ground turkey or ground chicken?
It depends on what your goals are. Overall, the two are similar nutritionally. However, turkey has fewer calories and less sodium than ground chicken.
How long does it take to cook turkey burgers in the air fryer?
Cooking times vary depending on the model of the air fryer and the size of your turkey patties; the Instant Pot Vortex cooks for 20-25 minutes. However, the best way to cook turkey burgers is to check the internal temperature of the patties periodically using a food thermometer; the safe cooking temperature for turkey is 165°F (73°C).
More Potluck Meals:
Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- 1 pound ground turkey, 80-90%, dark meat
- 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 egg
- 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 2 taps liquid smoke
- buns or lettuce
- cheese
- red onion
- avocado slices
- Combine the ingredients for the turkey burgers in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 320°F (160°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a food scale to portion 3-5 ounces of ground turkey.
- Form the meat into a ball and set it onto the baking sheet; repeat with the remaining turkey. Use another baking sheet to press down the turkey to create patties.
- Make an impression in the center of each patty using your thumb.
- Cook for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- Refrigerate the turkey mixture before forming and cooking the burgers.
- Lower cooking temperatures prevent the burgers from shrinking and puffing up; you can also use your thumb to press down in the center of each patty to encourage the turkey patties to spread out.
- Turkey is lean and prone to drying out. For this reason, be sure that you don’t overcook the patties.
- Cooking times will vary depending on the strength of your air fryer model; I cook ours for 20-25 minutes in the Instant Pot Vortex. However, the best way to cook turkey burgers is to check the internal temperature using a food thermometer; the safe cooking temperature for turkey is 165°F (73°C).
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
CK
Saturday 2nd of September 2023
Amazing recipe. Easy to follow and makes DELICIOUS and juicy burgers.
The cook time may need to be adjusted based on your air fryer, but this seems common.
I have recommended it to friends and family because of its ease and great taste. Give this recipe a shot!
Tressa Jamil
Saturday 2nd of September 2023
I am so happy you enjoyed the burgers, and thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe. I will make not in the tips section that the cooking time will vary based on air fryer model.