A true smash burger needs a screaming hot pan, which fills a kitchen with smoke. This is the closest an air fryer gets, and it gets surprisingly close: press the patties thin between paper, cook hot and fast, and add the cheese only in the last minute.
Everything you need
- 500 g ground beef, 20 percent fat
- 1 tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 4 American cheese slices
- 4 burger buns, split
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- ¼ cup pickles, sliced
- ½ white onion, thinly sliced
Single layer, always. Crowding the basket steams food instead of crisping it. Tap any ingredient to open its converter.
Method
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Divide the beef into 4 loose balls of about 125 g. Don't compress them yet, and don't season the mix; salt in the meat draws out water and makes the texture springy.
For this step
- 500 g ground beef
- 1 tsp fine salt
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Put each ball between two sheets of baking paper and press flat with a heavy pan to about 1 cm thick and slightly wider than your bun. Peel off the top sheet.
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Season both sides generously with the salt, pepper and onion powder right before cooking.
For this step
- 1 tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ white onion
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Preheat the air fryer to 200°C / 400°F for 4 minutes; a properly hot basket matters more here than in most recipes. Lay in 2 patties at a time so they aren't touching.
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Air fry for 4 minutes, flip, then cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Lay a cheese slice on each in the last minute and let it melt over the edges.
For this step
- 4 American cheese slices
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Mix the mayo and ketchup into a burger sauce. Build with sauce, raw onion, patty and pickles on a toasted bun. The buns toast in the basket in 2 minutes at 180°C.
For this step
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 4 burger buns
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- ¼ cup pickles
- ½ white onion
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Air fryer notes
- Cook at 200°C / 400°F and preheat for 2 to 3 minutes for the crispiest result.
- Keep everything in a single layer with space around each piece. Overcrowding steams food instead of crisping it, so cook in batches if your basket is small.
- Shake or turn halfway, and check a few minutes early, since air fryers cook faster than ovens and every model runs slightly differently.
Cook's tips
- Fat is doing the work. Anything leaner than 80 percent beef gives you a dry, grey patty with no crust.
- Season only at the last second. Salted mince left to sit turns bouncy like a sausage.
Make it your own
- Press a handful of thinly sliced onion into the raw patty before cooking for an Oklahoma style burger.
- Swap American cheese for gruyère, though it won't drape the same way.
Storing & reheating
Best straight away. Cooked patties keep for 2 days in the fridge and reheat at 180°C for 3 minutes. Freeze raw pressed patties between paper for 3 months.
Frequently asked
Can you really smash burgers in an air fryer?
You can get close. You won't get the full Maillard lacework of a cast iron pan, but pressing thin, preheating hard and cooking at 200°C gives a genuine crust with no smoke.
What internal temperature for a burger?
71°C / 160°F for ground beef cooked through. These patties are thin enough that 6 to 7 minutes total gets there comfortably.
Adapting your own recipe? Use the oven to air fryer converter for temp and time, or the recipe scaler to halve or double this.
More air fryer recipes
A note on cooking safely. Recipes are provided for informational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Cooking times, temperatures and quantities are suggestions: use your own judgement, and check that meat, poultry, fish and eggs are properly cooked before serving.
Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, particularly if you have allergies, a medical condition or specific nutritional requirements.