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Air fryer turkey burgers are my go-to for a healthy and delicious burger. They are super lean, containing minimal fat, and are perfect for low-calorie meal prep. These air fry turkey burgers are freezer-friendly, making them great to cook in batches and have later in the month. The turkey burgers just take 10 minutes to cook!
Serve them up with some salad and delicious sweet potato fries for a healthy, wholesome meal. I love serving them in a lettuce wrap for a low carb option.
Contents
Equipment Info
An air fryer is a kitchen tool that helps make healthier meals with minimal fuss. Accessories such as tongs and an instant-read thermometer are important to use it properly.
- Air fryer: I use a 4-quart air fryer is ideal for cooking two Chicken Kiev pieces, allowing enough space to ensure even cooking.
- Kitchen tongs: Grab food from the air fryer with kitchen tongs featuring a silicon coating that won’t damage the machine’s interior
- Instant Read thermometer: A meat thermometer is essential for knowing if meat is cooked to the desired temperature.
Why Use an Air Fryer to Cook Homemade Turkey Burgers?
Using an air fryer to cook frozen turkey burgers is a great way to enjoy a healthier version of the classic burger. Air frying is a healthier alternative to traditional deep-frying because it uses little to no oil.
This means that the lean ground turkey burgers cooked in an air fryer will be lower in fat and calories than their deep-fried counterparts. Additionally, air fryers cook the turkey burgers quickly and evenly, ensuring they are done to perfection while maintaining a nice crispy crust outside.
I recently decided to try making turkey burgers in my air fryer, and the results were amazing! I was so happy that they turned out that I started experimenting with different healthy air fryer recipes, such as adding seasoning and my favorite toppings to the air fryer turkey burger to switch things up. I’ve even made delicious sweet potato fries with my turkey burgers as a main course!
Ingredients
The burger ingredients are flexible and can be adjusted to suit your taste or cooking style. Want to heat it up a notch? Toss in a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Want to amp up the garlic powder? That may kick it up a notch. That’s one of the greatest things about the burgers. They are flexible enough to satisfy anyone’s tastebuds!
Frozen turkey patties – Use good quality, store bought patties for the freshest and most flavorful ground turkey burger.
Panko Crumbs – We used panko crumbs for extra texture, but you can replace them with regular breadcrumbs
Mustard – We loved the slight kick for spicy mustard, but other mustards like Dijon are a great replacement
Herbs & Spices – Feel free to mix the herbs and spices up; more delicious additions include dry parsley, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
Expert Tips & Tricks
How to stop your air fryer burgers from sticking
When you’re making air fryer turkey burgers from scratch, they can get sticky, and it’s entirely normal. The best way to stop them from sticking is to use non-stick cooking spray and parchment paper. You can also put foil in your air fryer basket to catch drippings.
Use a cooking oil with a high smoke point
Air fryers are hot! It’s what helps give you those delicious results. It’s essential to use a high smoke point cooking oil, and this will avoid burning.
We recommend avocado oil, it’s a little more expensive, but it’s healthy and has an extremely high smoke point!
Half freeze your turkey burgers
Place your air fryer turkey burgers in the freezer for 20 minutes; this will help them hold their shape while cooking.
Step by Step Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir with a sturdy spoon or mix with hands until thoroughly combined.
2. Form an approximately 50 gram round turkey patty from the meat mixture, using a ramekin if needed. Make as many burgers as needed.
3. Place formed air fryer ground turkey patties on non-stick parchment paper and carefully put them into a disposable plastic bag. Coat the seasoned and shaped turkey patties in an egg wash and then toss them in panko crumbs.
4. Place bag of turkey patties into the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
5. Different air fryers may cook slightly differently when cooked at the same air fryer temperatures. If you prepare turkey burgers from a frozen patty, you will want to set the air fryer to “Air Crisp” and preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees – following manufacturer’s instructions (see notes). Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray, then place the frozen turkey patties into the air fryer basket.
6. Cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway until the burgers have cooked all the way through. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Remove from air fryer basket, serve with sweet potato fries, burger buns, lettuce wrap, or your favorite burger fillings. Feel free to enhance the flavor of your turkey patties! Consider Italian herbs, smoked paprika, cajun, or jerk seasoning.
How to Serve the Turkey Burgers
While turkey burgers are delicious, they also work well as part of a larger meal. Try serving them alongside these accompaniments:
- Sweet Potato Fries: These are a great accompaniment to turkey burgers. Cut sweet potatoes into strips, season with salt, pepper, and other spices, and then bake in the oven.
- Salad: A salad of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and other vegetables makes a great side dish for turkey burgers.
- Corn on the cob: Corn is a low-carb classic side to serve with turkey burgers. Boil or grill the corn for a delicious option.
Air Fryer Turkey Burger Toppings
A turkey patty is a great way to enjoy the taste of summer without the added fat and calories that come with ground beef. They’re also a great alternative when you’re feeding kids or have vegetarian guests at your table.
Here are some easy ways to top your air fryer turkey burgers:
- Avocado: Spread slices of avocado over your turkey patties just before serving. The meat will soak up all the delicious flavor during the cooking process, giving you a double dose of healthy fats and your protein fix.
- Cheddar cheese: I recently made turkey burgers for a family BBQ, and I added a layer of cheddar cheese on top just before serving. It was a hit! Everyone loved the extra flavor and texture it added to the burgers.
- Fresh vegetables: Lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, and red onion are all delicious additions to your turkey patties. Use them as-is or sauteed beforehand for extra flavor!
- Pickles: Thinly sliced pickles provide a crunchy and salty contrast to the flavor of the burger.
- Mayo: Mayonnaise adds a creamy and tangy flavor to the air fryer turkey burger.
- BBQ Sauce: BBQ sauce adds a smoky and sweet flavor to the turkey burger.
- Worcestershire sauce: When used as a topping for an air fryer turkey burger, it adds a depth of flavor to the burger. It can be used as a marinade, a sauce, or simply as a condiment.
- Bacon: Bacon adds a smoky and salty flavor to the turkey burger.
Healthy Air Fryer Turkey Burger recipe variations
These are a few more ideas for how you can use your air fryer to make delicious and healthy turkey burgers.
Experiment with different spices and ingredients to make your own unique turkey burgers. You can also mix and match these ideas to create your own custom turkey burger.
Southwest Turkey Burger
To make a Southwest-style turkey burger, add 1/2 cup of salsa, 1/4 cup of diced onion, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin to the turkey burger mix. Serve the burgers with a dollop of guacamole, extra salsa, and a dollop of Greek yogurt on top.
Greek-Style Turkey Burger
This air fryer turkey burgers recipe for a Greek-style turkey burger includes feta cheese, red onion, oregano, and garlic added to the burger mix to give it a unique flavor. Grill the burgers and top them with a dollop of hummus, extra feta, and diced tomatoes.
Super Useful Air Fryer Accessories
If you want to take advantage of all the benefits of an air fryer, you’ll need to make some accessories part of your kitchen. Here are some of the most useful air fryer accessories.
- Air Fryer Cookbook dedicated to air frying is essential for anyone looking to take their air fryer skills to the next level.
- 12-piece air fryer accessories kit for 3.7-5.8 quart fryers containing a pizza pan, cake barrel, toasting/warming rack, skewer rack, and silicone mat and more
- Non-Stick Oil Sprayer to evenly coat your food with oil without creating a greasy mess.
- Thermopen instant-read thermometer reads the temperature of your food quickly and accurately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are turkey burgers healthier than hamburgers?
Both ground turkey and beef are nutritious meats that are a great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. If you’re looking to reduce your calories or follow a weight loss meal plan, ground turkey is better.
How do I keep my air fryer turkey burgers from drying out?
Make sure to follow the cooking times precisely, and this won’t be an issue. If you’re using a small air fryer and need to cook in batches, the best way to stop the air fryer turkey burgers from drying is to keep them under aluminum foil. You can stack the burgers on top of each other so that any juices will drip onto the patty lower while keeping them hot.
Do I need to flip over my air fryer turkey burgers while they’re cooking?
No, that’s the great thing. Once you add the turkey burgers to the air fryer, you don’t need to think about them until the timer goes off.
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Air Fryer Turkey Burger
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Sturdy Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Ground Turkey lean
- 1/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Red Onions finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Egg
- 1 tablespoon Mustard spicy
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper ground
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir with a sturdy spoon or mix with hands until thoroughly combined.
- Form approximately 50 gram round patties from the meat mixture, using a ramekin if needed.
- Place formed turkey burger patties on non-stick parchment paper and carefully put them into a disposable plastic bag.
- Place bag of turkey burger patties into the freezer for at least 20 minutes.
- Set air fryer to "Air Crisp" and preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees – following manufacturer's instructions (see notes). Spray the air fryer basket with non-stick cooking spray, then place the turkey patty into the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the turkey burgers have cooked all the way through.
- Remove from air fryer basket, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Richmond Howard started Meal Prepify in 2019 and has helped over a million people learn how to meal prep, get better at meal planning, and create a kitchen they love to use. He’s an avid home chef and loves to bbq, grill out, and make awesome food for family and friends. He’s been featured on MSN, Renaissance Periodization, and Good Financial Cents.
