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Air Fryer Turkey Burgers are the perfect answer when you want a juicy, flavorful burger that’s a bit healthier. With a seared outside and moist tender inside it’s the ideal burger!
Air frying is quick, delicious, and usually a healthier way to cook and you must try it out! Start with some of my best classic air fryer recipes like this Air Fryer Grilled Cheese, this delicious tender and juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast or this Perfect Air Fryer Steak with Garlic Herb Butter.
The Best Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
Air Frying burgers has rocked my world! The way the air fryer uses circulating air to create a heavenly crust while leaving the inside juicy and moist is heaven. So often, poultry in general, will dry out so quickly before the inside has a chance to get done. The air fryer changes that. The forced air browns and crisps, just like an oven would, but faster which allows the inside to cook and stay juicy. This is all accomplished with minimal oil or fat added!
These turkey burgers are perfect for the main meal. Top your burger these with tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and all your favorites, and then place them on your favorite bun and enjoy! Serve them up with some Homemade Air Fryer French Fries or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries. Add some Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts and you’ll have a complete air fryer meal! Plus, using the air fryer means you don’t have to heat up the grill when it’s cold outside!
Turkey Burgers Ingredients
With only 4 ingredients, these burgers can’t get much easier. Feel free to add more spices to your turkey burgers to vary the flavor as desired. You can find ground turkey next to ground beef in your local grocery store. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient measurements.
- Ground Turkey: Ground chicken or ground beef can also be used.
- Garlic: The garlic should be minced finely to blend in nicely with the burgers.
- Salt and Pepper: Use these to flavor your burger as desired.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds incredible umami flavor to the burgers
- Toppings: Sprouts, butter lettuce, and sliced tomato.
Making Turkey Burgers in the Air Fryer
Using fresh ground turkey in your burgers will make them easier to shape than frozen ground turkey. Air frying them is going to give them that crusty outside and tender and juicy inside.
- Mix: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the turkey, garlic, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Shape: Shape into four patties, keeping them ½ inch thick because they will shrink.
- Fry: Add two patties to the basket and cook at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 minutes. Then, flip the patties and continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until cooked throughout. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the burgers are done.
Tips for Amazing Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
There isn’t a whole lot that can go wrong with turkey burgers, but there are a few tips to remember to make sure you have incredible burgers.
- Checking for Doneness: Because all air fryers are different, always remember to judge if your burger is done by the temperature, not the time. Check your user manual for your air fryer for best cooking times and adjust if needed. Turkey burgers are done when they reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sticky: Sometimes your ground turkey is sticky and hard to form or shape. If this happens, use parchment paper to help form them. Â You can also refrigerate or freeze the meat for a little bit to help firm it up.
- Divot: To help the burgers keep from shrinking too much, push your thumb into the middle and create a divot.
- Turkey:Â Any ground turkey will work for these burgers. I typically use lean turkey meat like 97/3 or 85/15.
Perfect Turkey Burger Variations
Another nice thing about turkey burgers is how easy they are to customize. And just like any burger you can make a bunch of them and freeze them for quick dinners on a busy night. Then you will be all ready to go with little preparation for dinner!
- Add-Ins: Turkey burger meat is ideal for adding vegetables. Finely chopped mushrooms, peppers, onions, or shredded zucchini all give the turkey flavor and add moisture.
- Seasonings: I love the flavor that the simple ingredients of garlic and Worcestershire sauce add to these burgers. But the possibilities for other seasonings are endless. BBQ seasonings, taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, greek spices, and even Italian spices would all be amazing.
- Toppings: Tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, BBQ Sauce, avocado, and sprouts, are all great additions to a turkey burger.
- Cheese: Don’t forget the cheese! Because cheese is my favorite, I love switching it up with Swiss, cheddar, pepper jack, feta, blue cheese, and Monterey jack. They will all change up the flavor and no matter what, you can’t go wrong.
Can You Make Turkey Burgers Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can make a double or even a triple batch of these air fryer turkey burgers to freeze and then pull them out to cook when you need them.
- Form the turkey into a burger shape and place it on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for 1-2 hours or till firm but not frozen solid.
- Using parchment paper to separate the patties, stack the burgers and place them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready to use, you can cook the burgers in the air fryer from frozen, adding 3-5 more minutes to the cooking time. Or thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.
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In a medium sized bowl combine the turkey, garlic, salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce. Shape into four patties keeping them ½ inch thick because they will shrink.
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Add two patties to the air fryer basket and cook at 360 degrees for 7 minutes. Flip the patties and continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until cooked throughout.
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Place the patties onto your hamburger bun and add desired toppings and serve.
Serves: 4
Calories134kcal (7%)Carbohydrates2g (1%)Protein27g (54%)Fat2g (3%)Saturated Fat1g (5%)Cholesterol62mg (21%)Sodium100mg (4%)Potassium378mg (11%)Sugar1g (1%)Vitamin A28IU (1%)Vitamin C1mg (1%)Calcium12mg (1%)Iron1mg (6%)
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
This story originally appeared on TheRecipeCritic
