Published: Dec 17, 2023 by Tanya · This post may contain affiliate links · 81 Comments

The Juiciest Air Fryer Turkey Burgers (Seasoned and Flavorful)

Name: The Juiciest Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey (85/15); ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce; ½ onion (grated); 1 Tablespoon ranch seasoning; 2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs; Salt and pepper to taste

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These Air Fryer Turkey Burgers are juicy, delicious, and full of amazing flavor. I use my healthy secret ingredient to keep these turkey burgers nice and juicy with no added oil or butter.

air fryer turkey burger on bread with lettuce, tomato, and onion

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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

I’ve used ground turkey to replace ground beef in a ton of recipes for as long as I can remember. Not because I think it’s better for you, but because I like diversity in my food.

But turkey burgers usually get a bad rap for being dry and tasteless. That’s because turkey has to be cooked to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can’t get away with undercooking it a bit as you can with other meats. But the secret ingredient to keep those turkey burgers nice and juicy is unsweetened apple sauce.

Apple sauce without sugar adds moisture to burgers, keeping them juicy without extra oil. I also add a bit of grated fresh onion to the meat mixture to add moisture and flavor. It works every time and results in perfectly cooked juicy turkey burgers. And because I love my Air Fryer, that’s exactly what I use to cook them.

Core Culinary Cooking Skills

🌰 Flavorful Mix Preparation: Combine ground turkey, apple sauce, grated onion, and seasonings.
🍔 Patty Shaping: Form the mixture into even-sized patties.
🕒 Chilling: Refrigerate patties to firm up before cooking.
🌪️ Air Fryer Cooking: Cook patties in the air fryer, flipping halfway to the right temperature.

For detailed ingredient quantities and instructions, check out the complete recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Air Fryer Turkey Burgers

Start by grating half an onion using a box grater or a small food processor. I add minced onion to burgers for juiciness and flavor, without big onion chunks.

Mix onion, turkey, apple sauce, ranch seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until combined.

ingredients for air fryer turkey burgers laid out in bowl

ingredients for turkey burger mixed up in bowl

Form into 4 hamburger patties. I use my burger press to ensure that my burgers are equally sized and perfectly formed.

turkey burger after being pressed into burger

Then place your burgers in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to have them firm up a bit. This step will help your patties stay together when you are air frying.

four raw turkey burgers laying on parchment paper

Preheat your Air Fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit by running your Air fryer on 360 degrees for about 3 minutes. Place your burgers in your Air Fryer basket, ensuring they don’t overlap or touch. Cook on 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Your burgers are finished when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a quick read thermometer.

cooked air fryer turkey burgers in air fryer basket

Serve them however you like. I generally top them with lettuce, tomato, and a slice of red onion. I also top them with a little cranberry sauce if I'm feeling fancy.

air fryer turkey burger with bun and lettuce and tomato

How to make burgers from frozen in the Air Fryer

These turkey burgers freeze beautifully and can go straight from the freezer to the Air Fryer. For frozen turkey burgers, cook on 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 minutes, flipping halfway over. Use a quick-read thermometer to ensure your turkey burger has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to add cheese to these burgers

Whenever we get the craving for a little melted cheese, I add them after I cooked the burger in the air fryer and then close the basket for a few minutes without running the air fryer. The cheese will melt on your burger while it sits in the warm air fryer.

Subbing Ground Beef

If you would rather make ground burgers, I recommend using ground chuck for your burgers (80/20 fat content) as it has so much flavor. I don’t add any additional ingredients to my beef patties except salt and pepper.

I cook beef burgers in the Air Fryer at 360°F for 13-15 minutes. I cook them until my thermometer reads 165°F. You can also cook frozen ground beef burgers in the air fryer.

Storage Options

Refrigerator: Cool the cooked burgers and then place them in an airtight container; the burgers will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Freezer: For longer storage, wrap the burgers individually and freeze them, where they can last for up to 3 months. Always make sure to thaw them properly and reheat them to the correct temperature before consuming.

I hope you enjoy these turkey burgers as much as we do. If you’re looking for sides to go with these burgers, try these out:

Looking for other recipes with ground turkey? Try these out:

air fried turkey burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion on white plate

Tanya