Air Fryer Frozen Turkey Burgers
Air fryer frozen turkey burgers are the meal to make when you don’t feel like cooking. Ready in 15 minutes, it’s as easy as putting your favorite frozen turkey burger in the air fryer and turning it on. This is my idea of a quick and easy high protein meal.
This recipe combines two of my favorite things, the air fryer (for super quick and easy meals) and simple frozen foods (that I always advise you keep on hand for those nights you don’t want to cook).
I promise you, making frozen turkey burgers in the air fryer is even easier than ordering Door Dash, what could be better?
If you love simple recipes like this, be sure to check out my Air Fryer Chicken Burgers or Air Fryer Italian Chicken Meatballs.
More reasons to love this recipe
- Great beginner recipe
- 15 Minute Meal
- Simple ingredients
- Use your favorite toppings to customize
- Healthy – 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.
- Spices: Salt and ground sage (optional) – the salt and ground sage help to make the turkey burgers even more savory. These are 100% optional .
How to make frozen turkey burgers in the air fryer
Prep the burgers: Place the frozen 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).
Cook the burgers: Turn on the air fryer at 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.
Top tips
- To ensure the frozen turkey burgers cook evenly. it’s important to pause the air fryer and flip the burgers with about 5 minutes left.
- I recommend silicone tipped tongs for flipping the burgers (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 (should be at least 165F).
- Be sure that the frozen turkey burgers don’t overlap too much in the air fryer basket or you could have undercooked or turkey in spots. However, 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. Putting the frozen patties in a preheated oven can make the outside cook faster than the center.
- 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).
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
- 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
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.
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.
Do you need to thaw frozen turkey patties before air frying?
No, cook from frozen, no need to defrost.
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 for 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.
More air fryer recipes
Air Fryer Frozen Turkey Burger
$2.54 Recipe/$1.27 ServingIngredients
- 2 frozen turkey burgers - $2.50
- 1/4 tsp sea 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
- Flip the turkey burgers with about 5 minutes left so they cook evenly. I recommend silicone tipped tongs for this.
- All turkey burgers are different, depending on how thick they are.. It may take 2-3 more minutes to cook the turkey burgers all the way through if the patties are thick.
- To ensure your turkey burgers are fully cooked, check the internal temperature with a quick read thermometer (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 they shrink down significantly when cooking.
- Don’t preheat the air fryer or the burgers may not cook evenly.
- 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).
