How To Air Fry Burgers To Your Desired Doneness Every Time

If you were wondering how to air fry burgers so that they're done to your exact liking, you'll need just one extra kitchen gadget — a handy meat thermometer. Start by cooking the burgers at anywhere from 370 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and play around with the time settings (a good rule of thumb is to start around three minutes per side). The temperature of the burgers will determine the exact timing. Cook them so that they're just under what your desired doneness is, as determined by a meat thermometer. You want them to be slightly underdone when they come out of the air fryer because carryover cooking typically adds 5 to 10 degrees of heat to your food. 

The more you cook your burgers in the air fryer the more you can perfect your technique and get your timing down. Letting them rest for about five minutes after cooking gives the juices time to redistribute themselves inside the patties, keeping them from drying out. It also allows time for the aforementioned carryover cooking to run its course.

A rare burger runs from 120 F to 130 Fahrenheit, medium rare from 130 to 140, medium from 140 to 150, medium well from 150 to 160, and well-done runs in the 160 to 165-plus Fahrenheit range. Bear in mind, too, that eating undercooked meats comes with its own set of risks, including exposure to food-borne illness, and anything under 160 F is considered not cooked all the way through. You'll want to take the temperature of your burgers right when they come out of the air fryer, and then again after they have rested. If carryover cooking has not brought them up to your desired temperature at this point, you can decide if you need to add more time to achieve your perfect doneness.

To properly take your burger's temperature, stick the probe into the patty until it has reached about the center. This is especially important if your burgers are plumper in the middle, as you always want to take the temperature from the thickest part of the meat. Wait until the temperature remains steady for a few seconds, as you don't want to cut it off if it's still climbing, put your burger back in the air fryer for longer, and then end up with it overdone.

The best ground beef to use for handmade burgers is 80/20, or 80% beef and 20% fat. It's important to have a bit of fat in your burgers so that they stay moist and juicy when cooking. In fact, 80/20 ground beef tends to be so flavorful that it requires little seasoning other than salt and pepper, but if you want to add your favorite regional seasoning or a homemade Dorito spice blend, by all means do. You may, however, want to put down some aluminum foil or a basket liner in your air fryer when cooking burgers, because they do put off a decent amount of grease that can be a pain to clean up afterward. Forewarned is forearmed.

Also, when you're resting your burgers, it can help to keep them elevated on some kind of rack. Your air fryer did all the hard work of not only cooking the burgers, but also giving them a nice crust in some places. Keeping them elevated preserves that crust; allowing them to sit in their juices makes the crust soggy.