How to cook frozen turkey burger in air fryer or Ninja Foodi so it’s tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. Put them on a bun and dress them up!

Make a frozen turkey burger in air fryer tonight! Dressed up with lettuce, tomato and ketchup, they make a great protein packed dinner. Easy air fryer recipes are our favorite. (affiliate links present)
Air Fryer Frozen Turkey Burgers Recipe
Ok so we first made frozen chicken patties in air fryer. They turned out so well that turkey burgers were next. Let’s be honest, we are a busy family. With kids sports, both of us working full time and having to figure out new meals each week, these are great.
in Ninja Foodi
You can just throw them into a preheated basket, heat and then top with all your favorite burger toppings to add vegetables into your dinner. Try them both and see which is your favorite, or rotate from week to week. Use any brand of machine or Ninja Foodi to make these.
Basically all the different models are the same except for the size and shape of the basket. Meaning, some will hold more pieces than the others which means less batches for you.
I know, it’s hard to believe that cooking frozen meat in an air fryer would come out good, but it does. I mean, frozen chicken in an Instant Pot worked great so we thought, it’s gotta’ be good. Here are a few questions you might have before you get going:
14 minutes works perfectly for us. Of course if you like them really crispy you could add another minute or two. To keep it juicy don’t overcook.
Yep, this is how to cook frozen burgers in an air fryer. That uses ground beef but prepared turkey or chicken patties work well too.
You can broil them in the oven, but I think they’re better to air fry. Hamburgers in Instant Pot come out quite well too when defrosted.
Sometimes I will make a batch of these and Instant Pot hamburgers so everyone can have what they like. If you buy high quality you can’t tell a huge difference.
You literally just throw them right in, no prep required. I mean if you wanted to add some seasonings you could but would need to wait a few minutes until they defrosted a bit. That way your salt and pepper (or whatever you choose to add) will stick nicely for added flavor.
Ingredients
- These were the frozen turkey burgers used, there are several brands out there and most are the same size.
- I like to use a light coating of olive oil non stick spray too so they don’t stick.
How do you make frozen turkey burgers taste better?
Dress them up of course! Think about:
- Lettuce
- Sliced tomatoes
- Ketchup and mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Fry sauce is yummy
The more the better when it comes to sliders and burgers to me. Yes the meat is important and typically the star of the show but that is just the very beginning. If I can find beautiful avocados at the store I will grab a ton and load it up with slices. Mash and add some salsa into the mix to make guacamole turkey burgers too.
Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
Now these aren’t for ground turkey. If your meat is defrosted you’d want closer to an 8 minute burger cook time. At 4 minutes flip them over. Test at the end to ensure they reach 165 degrees F.
Internal temperature of 165 degrees will ensure the very middle is not raw and safe to eat. Just sprinkle with salt and pepper if you like, or leave burger patties plain in air fryer basket.
Either way all pieces should stay in a single layer and not overlap or they won’t cook properly. You can cook a turkey burger Ninja foodi grill style too, that has the air crisp function for that.
With preheating time this will take about 15 minutes total, talk about a quick dinner idea! To improve your experience I do recommend spraying your basket lightly with non stick spray.
How to cook frozen turkey burger in air fryer
- Preheat air fryer to 375 F for 5 minutes.
- Lightly spray basket and put frozen patties in without overlapping.
- Cook for 14 – 16 minutes, no need to flip but you can if desired.
- Remove and dress on a bun as you’d like with lettuce, tomato, ketchup and more.
If you have a bunch of people coming over you can create a burger bar, that is fun! For a healthier choice, try making frozen salmon in air fryer too.
Looking to air fry everything! Here are a few other good ideas we love:
- For a quick snack, try air fryer frozen corn dogs.
- I love a few air fryer frozen mozzarella sticks, they’re great served alongside these.
- Air fryer frozen chicken nuggets are great, way better than in the oven for sure.
Frozen Turkey Burger in Air Fryer
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 4 turkey patties, frozen, not defrosted
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375 F for 5 minutes.
- Lightly spray basket and put frozen patties in without overlapping.
- Cook for 14 – 16 minutes, no need to flip but you can if desired. Remove and dress on a bun as you'd like.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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