Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

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These Air Fryer Turkey Burgers are made from scratch with fresh ingredients. Cooked in the air fryer, they are perfectly crisp on the outside while remaining juicy and tender on the inside!

Serve these burgers in your favorite burger buns, and load them with your favorite toppings for an easy meal on busy weeknights that the whole family will love.

cooked turkey burger patties in black air fryer basket

Air Fryer Turkey Burgers are so easy to make! They’re made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry (plus the turkey!).

I love using my Air Fryer to make these healthy turkey burgers. I’ve found it’s the best way to get them to be just the right amount of crispy on the outside AND juicy on the inside.

Of course, you can make the patties and cook them on the grill if you’re having a BBQ, or even just finish them off on the grill to give them that smoky flavor. Either way, they are so delicious serve on a Homemade Hamburger Bun.

It’s one of those easy recipes I turn to when I’m too tired to cook a big meal but we’re all super hungry and need food quickly.

They’re a great make-ahead recipe as well because these burgers freeze so well.

Just wrap them individually (or flash freeze), pop them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer, and you can pull out a couple at a time when you need them.

You can even cook them in the air fryer from frozen in a few minutes.

This recipe is quick and easy, and fully customizable to whichever herbs or spices I fancy in the moment too. It’s every busy Mom’s dream recipe, and I know it’ll become a new family favorite!

If you like this juicy burger recipe, you’ll love my Grilled Turkey Burgers, my Chicken Burger recipe, or try my Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe for something a bit different!

Ingredients Needed:

Overhead shot of air fryer turkey burger ingredients on grey surface.
  • Ground turkey: I like to use lean ground turkey for these burgers. See my air fryer burgers recipe if you have ground beef, and my chicken burger recipe if you have ground chicken.
  • BBQ sauce: use your favorite kind of BBQ Sauce depending on the flavors you want in your burgers. Choose something sweet, smoky, and savory with a bit of kick!
  • Red Onion: red onions have a slightly sweet but savory flavor which goes well in burgers.
  • Breadcrumbs: use fine breadcrumbs in these patties to bind the mince together.
  • Garlic: use garlic powder for a strong garlic flavor.
  • Seasoning Salt: I use Lawry’s seasoning salt, it’s a great blend of salt, herbs, and spices that works wonderfully on most meats.
  • Pepper: freshly ground black pepper will add a bit of a peppery spice to these burgers.
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How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

These juicy air fryer turkey burgers are quick and easy to make. Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.

  1. Make meat mixture: Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until just combined.
  2. Divide meat: Divide the mixture into 4.
  3. Make patties: Make the sections of meat mixture into balls, then flatten them onto parchment paper.
  4. Cook: Put patties in the air fryer and cook until done. Brush with BBQ sauce and serve.

Air Fryer Turkey Burger FAQs

Do you have to flip turkey burgers in the air fryer?

You can flip turkey burgers over half-way through the cooking time if you wish to, but I never do and they always come out fine. It may depend on your type of air fryer (and it’s always a good idea to check them half way!).

How do I store air fryer turkey burgers?

Store cooked turkey patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Allow them to cool to room temperature before putting them in the fridge. Reheat in the air fryer for a couple of minutes until heated through.

Can I freeze turkey burgers?

These turkey burgers freeze perfectly!
You can make a double or triple batch to freeze, then cook one or two as needed right from frozen. Flash-freeze the burgers on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then store them in a zip-top freezer bag with parchment paper between each one to prevent them from sticking together.
You can also cook them in the air fryer from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the cook time as needed.

overhead view of fried turkey burgers on white plate with toppings beside.

Tips and Notes

  • The patties shrink as they cook. Burger patties shrink as they cook, so you want to make the patties just a bit larger than your buns if you’re wanting them to fill the buns.
  • Flavor. Add little bit of Worcestershire sauce or dijon mustard to the mince mixture for an even more flavorful burger,

Air Fryer Turkey Burger Variations

  • Mix up the meat. You can use this recipe to make burgers with ground beef (like in my Best Burgers recipe), ground lamb, or a meat-free ground meat alternative if you like.
  • BBQ Sauce: Try my Homemade BBQ Sauce, my Easy Homemade Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce, this Easy Homemade Cherry BBQ Sauce, or my tangy Pineapple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce.
  • Spice it up. Add red pepper flakes, chili powder, or finely chopped jalapeno peppers to the mince mix before making patties to give them a spicy kick!
  • Seasoning. Mixing up the seasoning with your favorite herbs and spices combinations.
  • Onion powder. Add some onion powder into the mixture for a stronger onion flavor, or substitute it for the raw onion in the burger.
  • Cheese. Serve topped with a slice of cheese. Use cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or another of your favorite cheeses.
  • BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Turkey Buns. Use this burger mince with my recipe for BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Buns for a turkey variety of these tasty snacks.
Close up of two hands holding turkey burger with lettuce and buns in the background.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these juicy turkey burgers in a Brioche Bun recipe for super soft buns and a richer flavor.

Burgers are delicious when set on a bed of crisp lettuce with sliced tomato, cheese, or any of your other favorite toppings.

To fill out your meal, serve these burgers with classic BBQ side dishes. Try this Easy Potato Salad recipe, these Maple Bacon Baked Beans, alongside my Air Fryer Potato Wedges, or these Air Fryer French Fries too.

More Air Fryer Recipes To Try

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Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

5 from 2 votes
These Air Fryer Turkey Burgers are made from scratch with fresh ingredients. Cooked in the air fryer, they are perfectly crisp on the outside while remaining juicy and tender on the inside!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Air fryer, Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Calories 200cal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • cup barbecue sauce
  • ¼ cup red onion finely diced
  • ¼ cup fine bread crumbs
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon seasoning salt I use Lawry’s
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, barbecue sauce, onion, bread crumbs, garlic, seasoning salt, and pepper until just combined.
  • Form the meat mixture into 4 large turkey burger patties (they will shrink as they cook so you want to make them slightly larger than your buns). The easiest way to do this is smooth the burger mixture in the bowl, then use a knife to divide the mixture into 4 even sections (picture above).
  • Grease the air fryer basket with non-aerosol non-stick spray and cook burgers for 8-10 minutes, flipping once if desired (I didn’t bother), until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F.
  • Brush with additional barbecue sauce and serve as desired.

Notes

Storage
  • Store: Store cooked turkey patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Allow them to cool to room temperature before putting them in the fridge. Reheat in the air fryer for a couple of minutes until heated through.
  • Freeze: Flash-freeze the burgers on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then store them in a zip-top freezer bag with parchment paper between each one to prevent them from sticking together. You can also cook them in the air fryer from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the cook time as needed.
 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 200cal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 644mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 83IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
Keywords air fryer turkey burgers

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Dee says

    Excellent burger! I did add almost 1/2C of sharp shredded cheddar to the mix. It did take almost 20 minutes for my burgers to reach 165 degrees but they were well worth the wait. Will definitely make again.

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