Burgers in an air fryer

An air fryer is a small convection oven, so burgers cooks at 180 °C rather than 200 °C and takes 10–15 min instead of 20–25. That is roughly the usual 20 °C drop and a fifth off the time.

Side by side

The temperature that actually decides it

Times above are for planning. Whether burgers is done is decided by the internal temperature and nothing else — appliance wattage varies by roughly a factor of two across the category, and thickness changes the time more than any setting does. A probe thermometer in the thickest part is the only reliable answer.

What goes wrong

• Ground beef must reach 71 °C throughout — unlike a steak, bacteria are mixed through the whole patty rather than sitting on the surface, so a rare burger is a genuine risk rather than a preference.
• Press a shallow dimple into the centre of each patty. It stops them doming as the proteins contract.
• Cheese goes on for the final minute only.

Air fryer wattage and basket size vary widely, so treat the first batch as a calibration run and write down what worked. These figures are compiled guidance, not a published standard.