Air Fryer Burger Bites

When you are craving the taste of a hamburger, but you don’t have the time or energy to light up the grill, turn to these air fryer burger bites! All the flavors of a traditional burger but instead of being served on a bun the low-carb miniature burgers are served on a small skewer.

Once the burgers are on the stick, add your favorite toppings such as lettuce, pickles and tomatoes. Then serve them with a few dipping sauces and you have a delicious snack, dinner or party appetizer that your friends and family will love!

It is a delicious recipe that you can make at home in your air fryer with minimal effort. And they turn out to be just as amazing as any restaurant-style burger!

The best thing about this recipe is that it is very simple and easy to make as it doesn’t need much preparation. Simply season the beef with real bacon bits, yellow mustard, onion powder, salt and pepper.

Then divide the mixture into small balls, about the size of a golf ball, and they are ready to go into the air fryer. Once they are cooked, you can slide a skewer through the center of each one.

And all that is left to do is to add your favorite burger toppings! It is a crowd favorite recipe that takes under 30 minutes, from start to finish.

What Type of Beef to Use

Although there are several types of beef that you find at the supermarket, there is one variety that works best to make burger bites in your air fryer. Ground beef that has a 90/10 meat-to-fat ratio is best to use.

Although the Best Grilled Hamburgers are made with 80/20 ground beef, it is not ideal when making the burgers in an air fryer.

This is because the grease drippings can drop to the bottom of the air fryer and begin smoking. This is especially true if you have a smaller air fryer and need to cook them in batches.

However, if all you have in the refrigerator is 80/20 ground beef, you can certainly make this recipe. Although if you do have to work in batches, be sure to wipe the grease out of the bottom drip tray when a new set of burger bites go in.

Or you can also use a piece of white bread and place it in the bottom of the air fryer. The bread will catch the grease as it drips, preventing it from smoking.

However, as the bread toasts during the cooking process, you may need to add a new slice of bread for each batch.

How To Flavor The Beef

Although you could technically make air fryer burger bites with only the ground beef, I prefer to add more flavor to the meat. By adding 5 simple ingredients you will take your burger bites to the next level of deliciousness!

• Bacon

Bacon bits add a smoky and sweet flavor to the beef with a tinge of saltiness. You can cook up bacon strips and crumble them before adding them to the beef.

Or purchase a container of REAL bacon bits to make life easy on yourself. However, I highly suggest steering away from the red colored, imitation bacon bits.

• Mustard

Standard prepared yellow mustard will add a slight tangy flavor to the beef. Although if you really want to ramp up the flavor, add in stone ground, spicy brown or even Dijon mustard instead.

• Salt

A tiny bit of salt does wonders in ground beef recipes. Not only does it give you a hint of saltiness, it enhances the other flavors in this recipe.

• Onion powder

Onion powder is an essential spice for these mini burgers. It adds both flavor and aroma of onion to enhance the savory flavor of the beef.

• Black pepper

A pinch of black pepper will add a slight bit of heat and peppery flavor to the beef. When combined with the other ingredients it makes for the perfect flavor profile for the burger bites.

Why Cook Burger Bites In An Air Fryer?

Cooking mini burgers in an air fryer is easier, simpler, and healthier than pan-frying them. You don’t have to add oil or butter to a skillet, nor do you have the worry about the grease splattering all over you while standing over the skillet.

And if you think it would be easier and faster to make them on the grill, think again! By the time the grill heats up your burger bites will be cooked and ready for assembling.

In addition, have you ever tried to cook something small on a standard gas or charcoal grill? The small burgers are at a huge risk to slip through the grates.

Cooking Tips

Here are some helpful cooking tips for this air fryer burger bites recipe:

• Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) even if your brand doesn’t have a preheat setting.
• Make sure to arrange the burgers in a single layer in the basket.
• If there are too many, then work in batches.
• Air Fry them for 8 to 10 minutes and flip them halfway through.
• Clean out the grease at the bottom of the drip pan between batches.
• Once done, check the temperature with the meat thermometer to get the desired result.

Customize The Toppings

You can customize the topping ingredients according to your taste preferences. Although here I add the burger to the skewer with lettuce, tomatoes and pickles, you can switch up the toppings to whatever you like.

For instance, add a chunk of cheese to the skewer. Or add a whole Gherkin pickle, cooked bacon strip, or even hot banana peppers to name a few.

Get creative or have your guest make their own with a topping bar! It makes for a great addition to any gathering!

Best Dipping Sauces For Air Fryer Burger Bites

Besides the classic mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard, you can serve other dipping sauces with the burger bites. Some great additions are barbecue sauce, Yum Yum sauce, Chipotle mayo sauce, and Thai sweet chili sauce to name a few.

Air Fryer Burger Bites Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. 90/10 ground beef
• 2 oz center cut bacon, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 head small iceberg lettuce, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 15 whole cherry tomatoes
• 15 dill pickle chips

For Dipping

• ketchup, mustard, and/or mayonnaise

INSTRUCTIONS

Gently mix together the beef, bacon, mustard, salt, onion powder and pepper with two forks or with your open hand. You don’t want to over work the mixture.

Divide the meat mixture and form 15 balls about the size of golf balls.

Preheat the air fryer 400°F (200°C). Arrange burgers in a single layer in the air fryer basket (work in batches if needed).

Air Fry for 8-10 minutes, flipping half way through. Check the internal temperature with an instant read digital meat thermometer for the desired doneness as all air fryers cook at different rates.

Assembly Instructions

Place each burger on a separate skewer with a chunk of lettuce, a pickle chip and a cherry tomato and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Enjoy! Mary

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