Air fryer frozen turkey burgers are a quick, simple and incredibly easy meal! Cooking frozen turkey burgers in the air fryer creates a tender, juicy burger that has a slightly crispy exterior. This fast, healthy meal is great for when you don’t feel like cooking!
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make – this is such a simple recipe; you don’t even have to defrost the frozen turkey burger patties! Making frozen turkey burgers in the air fryer requires almost no kitchen experience! This is a great recipe for beginner chefs!
- Great “back pocket” meal – for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking or you had to change plans unexpectedly, frozen turkey burgers are easy to keep on hand and are always a delicious meal idea! Dress them up or down with whatever you have on hand.
- Simple ingredients – you really only need one ingredient – the frozen turkey burgers. I like to add salt and ground sage for an even more savory burger, but these are 100% optional!
- Healthy meal – customize your turkey burgers to your diet! Turkey burgers tend to be lower in fat than traditional beef burgers and most brands are gluten free, paleo, low carb, keto and Whole30 friendly!
Ingredients
- Frozen turkey burgers – be sure to check the ingredients on your frozen turkey burgers if you need them to be gluten free, paleo, Whole30 friendly. From my experience, most brands add minimal extra ingredients. Also if you are looking for a leaner meal, be sure to get a turkey burger made with white meat only.
- Spices: Salt and ground sage (optional) – the salt and ground sage help to make the turkey burgers even more savory. These are 100% optional ingredients though.
How to make frozen turkey burgers in the air fryer
Start by taking the turkey burgers out of their wrapping and remove any paper dividing out the burgers. Note: you do not need to defrost the burgers ahead of time.
Place the turkey burger patties in the air fryer basket. Try to ensure they are not overlapping too much.
Sprinkle the turkey burgers with salt and ground sage (optional) and turn on the air fryer 390F for 15 minutes.
Pause the air fryer after 10 minutes (with 5 minutes remaining) and carefully flip the burgers (I use silicone tipped tongs for this). Sprinkle the other side of the burgers with salt and ground sage. Turn the air fryer back on and cook the remaining 5 minutes.
Enjoy immediately with your favorite toppings.
Top tips
- To ensure the frozen turkey burgers cook evenly in the air fryer, I recommend that you pause the air fryer and flip the turkey burgers with about 5 minutes left. I recommend silicone tipped tongs for this (as metal tongs can scratch the air fryer basket coating).
- All turkey burgers are different. Depending on the brand you use, it may take 2-3 more minutes to cook the turkey burgers all the way through if the patties are thick. Note: Trader Joe’s Turkey Burgers are 1/4 pound. Jenny O’ Brand are 1/3 pound but are thin like Trader Joe’s so will not take any additional time.
- To ensure your turkey burgers are fully cooked, check the internal temperature with a quick read thermometer. The internal temperature should be at least 165F.
- Be sure that the frozen turkey burgers don’t overlap too much in the air fryer basket. If the frozen turkey burgers overlap too much, the parts that are covering each other won’t cook at the same rate as the rest of the burger, leaving you with raw turkey in spots. Note that slightly overlapping if fine as the turkey burgers shrink down significantly when cooking.
- Don’t preheat the air fryer. It’s best to not preheat the air fryer when making frozen turkey burgers as you want the entire burger to come up to temperature together (otherwise you risk the center being raw and the outside being dried out).
- For the easiest clean up, you can use a silicone mat (made just for your air fryer) or parchment paper liners in the air fryer. However, it’s pretty easy to clean up the air fryer if you soak it in hot soapy water for a few hours.
- If you want to make cheeseburgers: add the slices of cheese to the burger after done cooking and cook at 390F for 30-60 seconds (just long enough to melt the cheese).
Topping ideas
Sauces: BBQ Sauce, Buffalo Sauce, Ranch Dressing, Avocado Ranch Dressing, Spicy Tahini Sauce, Chimichurri Sauce, Pesto, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo, Pico de gallo, Salsa, Guacamole
Veggies: Lettuce, baby spinach, arugula, tomato, onions, pickled onions, jalapenos, pepperoncini peppers, pickles, avocado
Cheese: use your favorite cheese (Cheddar, American, Swiss, Gouda, Feta, Goats Cheese are all great options)
Protein: Bacon, Fried Egg
Ways to serve air fryer frozen turkey burgers
- On buns (you can heat up the buns in the air fryer basket at 375F for 2-3 minutes. Be sure to cover the burgers as you are waiting for the buns to toast).
- Wraps – lettuce wraps, collard green wraps, wraps, tortillas or homemade lentil flatbreads
- On salads
- Open face with lots of toppings
What to serve with air fryer turkey burgers
Sauce: Homemade Ketchup, Buffalo Sauce, Chimichurri Sauce, Pesto, Honey Mustard
Fries: Sweet Potato Wedges, Parsnip Fries, Carrot Fries, Butternut Squash Fries
Tots: Sweet Potato Tots, Broccoli Tots
Salad: Cauliflower Potato Salad, Moroccan Potato Salad, Greek Salad, Cruciferous Crunch Salad
Veggies: The Best Broccoli (Ever), Creamy Kale, Red Cabbage Slaw, Roasted Radishes
Common questions
How long do you need to cook frozen turkey burgers in the air fryer
The cooking time for frozen turkey burgers in the air fryer will depend on the wattage of your air fryer and the thickness of the frozen turkey burger patty. It should take between 12-17 minutes (15 minutes is where I recommend you start and you can adjust as needed). Turkey burgers should always reach 165F before consuming.
What temperature do you cook frozen turkey burgers in the air fryer?
Cook the turkey burgers at 390F. This helps ensure the turkey burgers cook quickly and get a nice crispy exterior while staying juicy in the center.
Do you need to thaw frozen turkey patties before air frying?
No, frozen turkey burgers can be cooked from frozen (right out of the freezer) in the air fryer in about 15 minutes.
Can you cook fresh or defrosted turkey burgers in the air fryer?
Yes, be sure to reduce the cooking time to about 8-10 minutes (depending on how thick the burgers are). Pause the air fryer after 4 minutes and flip the burgers.
Other spices you could add
Turkey burgers have a pretty neutral flavor, making them great for adding lots of toppings and sauces. You can also add flavor to the turkey burgers by sprinkling them with spice blends before cooking. Some great options include:
- Taco seasoning – divide about 1 teaspoon to taco seasoning between the 2 burgers when cooking.
- Cajun seasoning – divide about 1 teaspoon to Cajun seasoning between the 2 burgers when cooking.
- Italian seasoning – divide about 1 teaspoon to italian seasoning between the 2 burgers when cooking.
- Ranch seasoning – divide about 1 teaspoon dried chives, ½ teaspoon dried parsley and ¼ teaspoon dried dill between the burgers when cooking.
How to make turkey cheese burgers in the air fryer
After the turkey burgers are done cooking, add the slices of cheese to the burgers then cook at 390F for 30-60 seconds (just long enough to melt the cheese).
Can you warm the buns for burgers in air fryer
Yes! You will want to remove the turkey burger patties from the air fryer basket and cover them to keep them warm. Add the buns to the air fryer and cook 375F for 2-3 minutes until perfectly warm. Add 1-2 minutes to really toasted buns.
Storing leftovers
Fridge: If you have leftover cooked turkey burgers, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days in a well-sealed container. Reheat in the air fryer at 350F for 5-7 minutes.
Substitutions
Turkey burgers – you can also use frozen chicken burgers in place of the turkey burgers. Beef burgers cook in less time
If you love this recipe, you should try
Spatchcock Chicken (Air Fryer)
Chicken Drumsticks (Air Fryer)
Air Fryer Frozen Turkey Burger
$2.54 Recipe/$1.27 ServingIngredients
- 2 frozen turkey burgers - $2.50
- 1/4 tsp salt - $0.01
- 1/4 tsp ground sage - $0.03
Instructions
- Add turkey burgers to air fryer basket.
- Combine the salt and ground sage. Sprinkle half of this on top of the turkey burgers.
- Cook 390F for 15 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, pause the air fryer and flip the turkey burgers (I use silicone tongs). Sprinkle the other side of the turkey burgers with salt and sage and cook 5 minutes.
- Check turkey burgers internal temperature (165F). Serve with your favorite toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- To ensure the frozen turkey burgers cook evenly in the air fryer, pause the air fryer and flip the turkey burgers with about 5 minutes left. I recommend silicone tipped tongs for this (as metal tongs can scratch the air fryer basket coating).
- All turkey burgers are different. Depending on the brand you use, it may take 2-3 more minutes to cook the turkey burgers all the way through if the patties are thick. Note: Trader Joe’s Turkey Burgers are 1/4 pound. Jenny O’ Brand are 1/3 pound but are thin like Trader Joe’s so will not take any additional time.
- To ensure your turkey burgers are fully cooked, check the internal temperature with a quick read thermometer. The internal temperature should be at least 165F.
- Be sure that the frozen turkey burgers don’t overlap too much in the air fryer basket. Note that slightly overlapping if fine as the turkey burgers shrink down significantly when cooking.
- Don’t preheat the air fryer or you risk the center being raw and the outside being dried out).
- For the easiest clean up, you can use a silicone mat (made just for your air fryer) or parchment paper liners in the air fryer.
- If you want to make cheeseburgers: add the slices of cheese to the burger after done cooking and cook at 390F for 30-60 seconds (just long enough to melt the cheese).
