Air fryer chicken burgers are moist, juicy, flavorful and ready in just 15 minutes. These healthy air fryer chicken patties are made from scratch with simple ingredients and are egg free, gluten free and dairy free! Great for anytime of the year, these air fryer chicken burgers are sure to become a family favorite.
Why you will love this recipe
- So easy to make – making homemade chicken burgers in the air fryer is so easy! These turn out crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside with very little work!
- Simple ingredients – you can find everything you need to make these chicken burgers in your local grocery stores. You likely have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now! This recipe is great to use with ground chicken or ground turkey!
- Versatile – change up the flavors based on what you are craving! There are so many different variations of these air fryer chicken burgers, you won’t ever get bored!
- Great for most diets – These air fryer chicken burgers are egg free, gluten free, dairy free, Whole30, paleo and low carb friendly.
Ingredients
- Almond flour – almond flour helps to bind the chicken patties and also helps to keep them moist while cooking in the air fryer. You can also use your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs here if you need this to be nut free.
- Apple cider vinegar – adding a touch of vinegar to the ground chicken helps to create a super crispy crust on the outside and also helps to add to that ranch seasoning flavor (the apple cider vinegar mimics the acidic bite from buttermilk).
- Spices: Dried chives, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt, paprika, dried dill – these spices help to create the ranch seasoning for the chicken burgers. The paprika adds a depth of flavor, I include paprika in almost all my favorite chicken recipes! If you have a favorite ranch seasoning, you can use that instead of these ingredients (you will need about 1.5 tablespoons), but be sure to add the paprika and salt. Note if you want a different flavor burger, check out the other flavors below!
- Ground chicken – ground chicken is getting easier and easier to find in most grocery stores (I buy mine at Trader Joe’s). It’s budget friendly and works great to make your own burgers at home! I recommend using a ground chicken that has some fat to help keep the burgers super moist. The Trader Joe’s Organic Ground Chicken that I used to create this recipe has 8% fat.
How to make chicken burgers in air fryer
Start by adding the almond flour, apple cider vinegar and spices to a bowl. Stir well.
Add the ground chicken to the bowl and stir well to incorporate the spices into the chicken. Try not to overmix the chicken. Some people prefer to do this with their hands (you can wear gloves) to really work the spices into the meat quickly.
Press the meat down into the bowl and score it into 4 even sized quadrants. This is a quick and easy way to ensure your burgers will be similar sized.
Form the patties into about ½ inch thick patties. Press your thumb into the center of the burger patty to help ensure the burgers cook evenly.
Place the burgers directly into the air fryer basket lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper with holes cut for air flow to help ensure the burgers are easy to flip and clean up is simple. Be sure that the burgers don’t overlap.
Cook the chicken burgers in the air fryer at 390F for 14 minutes. When there is 5 minutes left, pause the air fryer and flip the burgers. Continue to cook on the other side for the last 5 minutes.
Check the internal temperature to ensure they have reached 165F then let the burgers rest 3-5 minutes before serving (this helps ensure the burgers will be juicy).
Top tips
- The almond flour helps to keep the burgers moist. If you need this to be nut-free, use 1/4 cup of your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs.
- Feel free to use your own ranch seasoning (you will need about 1.5 tablespoons) instead of measuring out all the spices for these burgers.
- Change the flavor depending on what you are craving! See the list below for more ideas on how to make these chicken burger patties.
- Make this with ground chicken or ground turkey. The chicken is a little more neutral in flavor than the turkey but both will work great.
- Press down in the center of each burger with your thumb to make an imprint. This helps the burgers cook evenly and come out evenly sized when cooking.
- To double the recipe, you will likely need to cook 2 batches back to back unless your air fryer is very large. For the second batch, cook the burgers 1-2 minutes less since the air fryer will be preheated.
- Use a silicone liner or parchment paper liner (cut a few holes in the parchment paper for circulation) to help ensure the burgers don’t stick to the air fryer basket. If you don’t have this, spray the bottom of the burgers with olive oil or avocado oil spray to ensure they don’t stick.
- Don’t overlap the chicken patties in the air fryer basket. This helps to ensure that everything cooks evenly. This may mean that you have to cook your chicken burgers in batches.
- Try not to overwork the meat when mixing in the spices. Overworked ground chicken (or turkey) can make the protein tough, resulting in a dry burger.
Other flavors
- Italian: Omit the spices and use 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and use balsamic vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar
- Curry: Omit the spices and use 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Sundried tomato: Omit the spices and use 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 3 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes
- Pesto: Omit the spices and apple cider vinegar and use 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and add 1/4 cup pesto. Add 2 additional tablespoons almond flour.
- Sriracha: Omit the spices and apple cider vinegar, and use 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 3 tablespoons sriracha and 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos or soy sauce. Add 2 additional tablespoons almond flour.
- Cajun: omit the spices and use 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt
Topping ideas
Serve these air fryer chicken patties with your favorite burger toppings, some of my favorites are:
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Red onion or Pickled Red Onion
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Pickles
- Ranch dressing, ketchup, mustard, mayo
- Sliced avocado
- Bacon or turkey bacon
- Jalapeno (regular or pickled)
Ways to serve chicken burgers
On a bun, roll, in an English muffin, between two slices of bread or in an oat tortilla
In a lettuce wrap to make it low carb
On salad greens (with ranch dressing – yum)
With cauliflower potato salad, red cabbage slaw, Moroccan potato salad or sweet potato tots.
Common questions
Can you make this with ground turkey instead?
Yes, you can make these air fryer chicken burgers with ground turkey instead. Ground turkey is sometimes easier to find and the spices for this pair well with ground turkey.
What is the best ground chicken for burgers?
You want a good amount of fat in the burgers or they will dry out when cooking in the air fryer. I do not recommend getting the extra lean 99% lean chicken. Look for ground chicken with around 10-15% fat, the ground chicken I used for this recipe had 8% fat.
Can you freeze air fryer chicken burgers?
Yes! You can freeze the patties before cooking or after cooking and cooling.
- If you want to freeze the patties before cooking, combine the ingredients, shape the patties and place them on a wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid then transfer to a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Cook the frozen chicken patties using the method in this air fryer frozen turkey burger recipe).
- To freeze leftover cooked chicken burgers, allow the burgers to cool completely then place in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Can you make these nut free?
Yes! If you don’t want to use almond flour, use your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs or crush up your favorite gluten free crackers (these sunflower seed pumpkin crackers would be great for this).
Storing leftovers
Fridge: Store leftover chicken burgers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the air fryer at 375F for 5-7 minutes, on the stove 3-4 minutes per side on medium heat or in the microwave for 1:30-2 minutes.
Freezer: Allow the chicken patties to cool completely before putting them in a freezer safe bag or container. Store for up to 3 months, be sure to defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Substitutions
- Almond flour – use your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs or crushed up crackers in place of the almond flour.
- Apple cider vinegar – use lemon juice, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar
- Spices – See the list above for other spices you can use. If you want to keep the ranch flavor, you can use 1.5 tablespoons of your favorite ranch seasoning blend.
- Ground chicken – you can also make this with ground turkey.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Sloppy Joes (with Ground Chicken)
Air Fryer Chicken Burger
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp dried chives
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 pound ground chicken
Instructions
- In a bowl add the almond flour, spices and apple cider vinegar. Stir well to combine.
- Add the ground chicken to the bowl and stir well to incorporate the spices throughout the mixture.
- Press the ground chicken down in the bowl into an even layer then score the meat into 4 even sections.
- Take 1/4 of the chicken mixture and form into a patty. Press down the center of the chicken patty with your thumb or a spoon to make an indention.
- Optional: Put down a silicone liner or parchment paper with holes cut out down in the air fryer.
- Place the chicken burgers in the air fryer basket so they are in one layer, no overlapping.
- Cook at 390F for 14 minutes total. After 9 minutes (5 minutes left), pause the air fryer and flip the chicken burgers. Resume cooking for the remaining 5 minutes.
- If possible let the chicken burgers rest for 3-5 minutes for super moist, juicy burgers.
Equipment
Notes
- The almond flour helps to keep the burgers moist. If you need this to be nut-free, use 1/4 cup of your favorite gluten free breadcrumbs.
- Feel free to use your own ranch seasoning (you will need about 1.5 tablespoons) instead of measuring out all the spices for these burgers.
- Change the flavor depending on what you are craving! See the list below for more ideas on how to make these chicken burger patties.
- Make this with ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Press down in the center of each burger with your thumb to make an imprint. This helps the burgers cook evenly and come out evenly sized when cooking.
- To double the recipe, you will likely need to cook 2 batches back to back unless your air fryer is very large. For the second batch, cook the burgers 1-2 minutes less since the air fryer will be preheated.
- Use a silicone liner or parchment paper liner (cut a few holes in the parchment paper for circulation) to help ensure the burgers don’t stick to the air fryer basket. If you don’t have this, spray the bottom of the burgers with olive oil or avocado oil spray to ensure they don’t stick.
- Don’t overlap the chicken patties in the air fryer basket. This helps to ensure that everything cooks evenly. This may mean that you have to cook your chicken burgers in batches.
- Try not to overwork the meat when mixing in the spices. Overworked ground chicken (or turkey) can make the protein tough, resulting in a dry burger.
- Italian: Omit the spices and use 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and use balsamic vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar
- Curry: Omit the spices and use 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Sundried tomato: Omit the spices and use 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 3 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes
- Pesto: Omit the spices and apple cider vinegar and use 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and add 1/4 cup pesto. Add 2 additional tablespoons almond flour.
- Sriracha: Omit the spices and apple cider vinegar, and use 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 3 tablespoons sriracha and 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos or soy sauce. Add 2 additional tablespoons almond flour.
- Cajun: omit the spices and use 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt
- Fridge: Store leftover chicken burgers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 375F for 5-7 minutes, on the stove 3-4 minutes per side on medium heat or in the microwave for 1:30-2 minutes.
- Freezer: Allow the chicken patties to cool completely before putting them in a freezer safe bag or container. Store for up to 3 months, be sure to defrost in the fridge before reheating.
