These juicy air fryer turkey burgers are a crowd-pleasing, protein-packed meal that’s super easy to cook. And since you’re using your trusty air fryer, these burgers are as much about creating a healthier twist on a classic favorite as they are about convenience. Ground turkey is seasoned to perfection with a blend of herbs and spices and simply patted into rounds before being cooked
You can even customize your turkey burger exactly the way you like. Love a little spice? Add some chili flakes. Craving something cheesy? Throw a slice of your favorite cheese on top of each patty. And when it comes to toppings, the sky’s the limit! Avocado, crispy lettuce, tangy pickles, caramelized onions, or even a sunny-side-up egg– pick whatever you are craving. For more air fryer dinner recipes, try my Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan, Air Fryer Steak, and Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers next!
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Ground turkey — I suggest using an 85/15 blend of fresh ground turkey for extra juicy turkey burgers. Extra-lean ground turkey (93/7) lacks enough fat, leading to a lack of moisture and dry burgers.
Worcestershire sauce — for adding a dash of umami to the turkey burger patties. If you don’t have Worcestershire on hand, other alternatives include fish sauce, soy sauce, or tamari.
Minced garlic — fresh garlic is best, but you can also swap in about ½ teaspoon of garlic or onion powder instead.
Smoked paprika — for warmth and smokiness, so your healthy turkey burgers taste like they got a kiss from the grill. Note that smoked paprika can either be made with mild/sweet chiles or spicy ones, so choose accordingly. You’re also welcome to swap in ground chipotle chiles for a spicy, smoky alternative.
How To Make Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
1. Preheat the air fryer to 360°F for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, Worcestershire, garlic, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Gently mix to fully incorporate.
2. Shape the turkey mixture into four 3½-inch patties.
3. Press your thumb into the center of each patty to make an indentation. (This will keep them from puffing up too much during cooking.)
4. Place the patties in the air fryer basket with about 1-inch of space between each patty. Cook for 8 minutes, flip, then cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of each patty reads 165°F, 5 to 7 more minutes. Serve on burger buns with your favorite toppings like onion, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, if desired.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Consistency is key. Some air fryers don’t have to be preheated, but I find that the timing is more consistent when I do preheat them. For this recipe, preheating also heats up the basket, helping to get a bit of a sear on the outside of the burgers at the start of cooking.
- Making an indention in the center is the best way to prevent your patties from becoming too puffy and shrinking a lot during cooking.
- Make the patties for easy meal prep, up to 24 hours in advance! Refrigerate the shaped patties covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container to make sure they don’t dry out. Just place the patties in the preheated air fryer and cook as directed.
- Use cooking spray if needed. Once preheat, lightly spray the basket before adding the patties. If the burgers are not browning as well as you’d like when you go to flip them, give them a light spray on both sides and continue cooking.
- Get creative! Feel free to top your burgers with any number of tasty toppings. Go for the classics like sliced tomato, onion, and lettuce on a toasted brioche bun, or add some fiery turkey chili and cheese for a messy meal the whole family will love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of my favorite sides include air fryer french fries, air fryer onion rings, or baked sweet potato fries. It’s also fun to create a toppings bar with all of your favorite classic toppings or more unique offerings like caramelized onions, blue cheese, crispy bacon, french fried onions, and special sauces like honey mustard and barbecue sauce. Have fun with the flavors!
Just about any burger patty will shrink somewhat upon cooking as a result of some of the moisture evaporating. The biggest issue to contend with is that turkey burgers like to puff up when you air fry them, which, if you do nothing about will yield a dinner that looks more like meatballs than burgers. To prevent this, make sure to make a visible indent with your thumb in the middle of the patty before cooking.
Any leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, pop them in the air fryer at 350F for about 4-6 minutes until heated through, or microwave or pan fry them until they hit an internal temp of 160F.
All poultry should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165F to prevent foodborne illness. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your burgers and how powerful your air fryer is, but the target temp always remains the same.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Turkey Burger recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey (450g)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, Worcestershire, garlic, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Gently mix to fully incorporate. Shape into 4 (3½-inch) patties. Press your thumb into the center of each patty to make an indentation. (This will keep them from puffing up during cooking.)
- Place patties in the air fryer basket with about 1-inch of space between each patty. Cook for 8 minutes, flip, then cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of each patty reads 165°F, 5 to 7 more minutes.
- Serve on burger buns with onion, lettuce, tomato, and cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Consistency is key. Some air fryers don’t have to be preheated, but I find that the timing is more consistent when I do preheat them. For this recipe, preheating also heats up the basket, helping to get a bit of a sear on the outside of the burgers at the start of cooking.
- Making an indention in the center is the best way to prevent your patties from becoming too puffy and shrinking a lot during cooking.
- Make the patties for easy meal prep, up to 24 hours in advance! Refrigerate the shaped patties covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container to make sure they don’t dry out. Just place the patties in the preheated air fryer and cook as directed.
- Use cooking spray if needed. Once preheat, lightly spray the basket before adding the patties. If the burgers are not browning as well as you’d like when you go to flip them, give them a light spray on both sides and continue cooking.
- Get creative! Feel free to top your burgers with any number of tasty toppings. Go for the classics like sliced tomato, onion, and lettuce on a toasted brioche bun, or add some fiery turkey chili and cheese for a messy meal the whole family will love.
