Burgers in the air fryer
Burgers takes 10 to 18 minutes at 375°F (190°C) in an air fryer, shaken or turned at 7 minutes. It is safe to eat at 160°F (71°C) measured at the thickest part.
Use a thermometer. Burgers is safe at 160°F , measured at the thickest part.
Ground meat and sausage — Beef, pork, lamb, veal — anything minced. Source: FoodSafety.gov (USDA, FDA, CDC) , reviewed 2024-11-21. Cook times vary with the size and power of your machine. The safe internal temperature does not.
What to know about air frying burgers
Ninja's UK guide gives 190°C for 10 to 18 minutes, and notes four burgers taking just ten minutes in its AF100 model. Because a burger is minced beef, it has to reach 160°F — there is no medium-rare option that is also safe, which is the single biggest difference between air frying a burger and grilling a steak. The spread of 10 to 18 minutes is mostly patty thickness; a quarter-pounder and a half-pounder are different propositions.
The mistake people make
Pressing the patty flat during cooking. In a pan that squeezes juice into the fat and creates a sear; in an air fryer the juice just runs into the drawer and is gone. There is no hot surface to reward you for it, so leave the patty alone.
How to tell when it's done
160°F in the centre. Colour is unusually unreliable in minced beef — patties can stay pink at temperature or go grey below it, depending on how they were packed and how long they were exposed to air, so this is a thermometer job rather than a look-and-see.
At a glance
| Air fryer temperature | 375°F |
|---|---|
| Time | 10–18 minutes |
| Shake or flip | At 7 minutes |
| Preheat | Yes |
| Single layer | Yes — do not stack |
| Oil | none |
| From | Raw |
Questions people ask
How long does burgers take in an air fryer?
10 to 18 minutes at 375°F, shaking or turning at 7 minutes. That figure comes from Ninja (SharkNinja UK) and FoodSafety.gov (USDA, FDA, CDC). Cook times shift with the size and power of your machine, so treat the lower end as the point to start checking.
What temperature should I air fry burgers at?
375°F, or about 190°C. That sits inside the 350–400°F band the USDA describes as typical for air frying.
Can you air fry burgers?
Yes. No oil is needed. Keep it to a single layer — crowding the basket blocks the air circulation the machine depends on, which the USDA specifically warns about. Preheat the machine first.
What internal temperature should burgers reach?
160°F (71°C), measured with a food thermometer at the thickest part. This is the published minimum for ground meat and sausage from FoodSafety.gov (USDA, FDA, CDC) and it does not change with the machine, the recipe or the cook time.
How do you know when burgers is done in an air fryer?
160°F in the centre. Colour is unusually unreliable in minced beef — patties can stay pink at temperature or go grey below it, depending on how they were packed and how long they were exposed to air, so this is a thermometer job rather than a look-and-see.
What is the most common mistake when air frying burgers?
Pressing the patty flat during cooking. In a pan that squeezes juice into the fat and creates a sear; in an air fryer the juice just runs into the drawer and is gone. There is no hot surface to reward you for it, so leave the patty alone.
People also air fry
Worth reading next
Safe internal temperatures for air frying
The full USDA safe minimum internal temperature chart, plus why an air fryer changes cook times but never changes these numbers, and where to put the probe.
Why your air fryer is smoking
Smoke from an air fryer is almost always rendered fat hitting the element, not a fault. Five causes, ranked by likelihood, and the fix for each.
Sources
- Air Fryer Cooking Time Guide — Ninja (SharkNinja UK). Checked 2026-08-06.
- Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature — FoodSafety.gov (USDA, FDA, CDC). Checked 2026-08-06.
Times are a starting point, not a guarantee. Every air fryer differs in wattage and basket size, so check early and trust a thermometer over a timer. Written and checked by Christian Weber. Please read the disclaimer.