Name: Taco-Style Air Fryer Burgers
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Ingredients: 1½ pounds ground chuck (or chopped steak); ¼ cup cornmeal; ½ cup salsa (drained (discard the liquid - It will make your burgers too moist, and then they will fall apart while cooking)); ¼ cup cheddar cheese (shredded); 1 tablespoon taco seasoning; ¼ cup fresh cilantro (coarsely chopped or snipped); 2 cloves garlic (pressed); ¼ teaspoon oregano; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 dash black pepper

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

These juicy air fryer burgers are made with ground beef, taco seasoning, and salsa for a fun twist on weeknight dinner. Each patty is full of fresh flavor and cooks up perfectly in 15 minutes. This is an easy summer dinner recipes for the family that is quick, healthy, and full of bold taste. Pin this simple summer dinner idea now to save your next favorite weeknight meal!

3 air fryer taco burgers topped with guacamole, salsa, and cheddar cheese

Some people prefer burgers with just plain old ground meat and nothing added. I personally really like burgers that are different from just plain old ground meat.

Through the years, each of these has been my favorite for a little while: chili burgers (spicy!), bbq hamburgers (lots of stuff mixed in including bbq sauce), and Hawaiian burgers (sweet).

I have a new favorite these days, taco burgers.

Taco burgers are different from the others above. They're very flavorful but not as hot and spicy as chili burgers.

You can, of course, cook your taco burgers on the grill or stovetop, but I've included instructions below for making them in the air fryer, which is the quickest and easiest method, in my opinion.

a taco burger with salsa and cheddar cheese and a pile of French fries

Why these are the best air fryer burgers

These burgers are very easy and quick to prep. Mix the ingredients, divide the mixture into four patties, and air fry. That's really all there is to it!

The ingredients for this easy recipe are common and inexpensive. You probably have most of the simple ingredients already in your pantry, and the remaining couple are available in most grocery stores.

Taco burgers freeze really well (raw or cooked), so you can make a bunch and store them for a future meal. You can even double or triple the recipe for a great make ahead or meal prep meal.

This recipe is allergy friendly and great for special diets. Taco burgers as written are gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, and nut-free. With simple modifications, they can be dairy-free (use a vegan cheese). It does contain cornmeal, but such a small amount that it works with most low carb, keto, and bariatric diets. As always, please check the labels on all the ingredients to ensure they fit your nutritional needs.

one taco burger with lettuce, salsa, guacamole, and cheddar cheese on a tall bun after being cooked in the air fryer

What you'll need to make taco burgers in the air fryer

Equipment

Garlic press - I love the pungent flavor of fresh garlic, and I think it makes these burgers sing. If you don't have a garlic crusher, you can use the flat side of a chef's knife to crush the cloves and then mince the pulp you smashed. (Make sure you remove the papery skin.) But do buy a garlic press because you will use it every day.
Air fryer - Obviously, you will need an air fryer to make air fryer burgers. If you don't have an air fryer, you can still make taco burgers. See below for stovetop and grill instructions.
Instant read thermometer - I never cook any meat or poultry without my thermometer. My ex husband used to make fun of me for this, but my burgers were always tender and juicy, and his were usually dry and tough. This is because I used a thermometer every time! For this recipe, you want medium burgers which is a temperature of 140ºF. (It's actually 145ºF, but they will continue to cook after you take them out of the air fryer, so if you remove them at 140ºF, they will hit 145ºF while they rest.) The link goes to the exact thermometer I have which is a handy dandy wireless model where you stick the probe into the food, and the probe goes right into the oven or air fryer or whatever, and it stays in there and an app on your phone tells you when it reaches the temperature you've set.

Ingredients

See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutrition facts.

Ground chuck or chopped steak - This needs to have at least 15% fat, so that would be an 80/20 or an 85/15 ground beef. If it is any leaner than that, your burgers will be dry.
Cornmeal - You could use breadcrumbs here, but I've chosen cornmeal for two reasons. First, it makes the burgers gluten-free. Second, I like the flavor of the cornmeal with the whole taco shell/Mexican theme.
Chunky salsa - This needs to be well drained. Put the salsa in a colander and let it sit awhile. Discard the liquid. If you use the liquid from the salsa in your burger mixture, it will make your burgers too moist, and they will fall apart while cooking. I learned this the hard way.
Shredded cheddar cheese - I put cheese in everything.
Taco seasoning - I use my homemade taco seasoning (linked here), but you could also use the stuff from a packet. Just make sure you measure it and don't use the whole packet.
Fresh cilantro - Fresh cilantro loses a lot of its flavor when it's cooked, but you will still be able to taste the hint of cilantro in your cooked burgers.
Fresh garlic - There is no substitute for fresh garlic. Garlic powder and garlic from a jar do not taste the same.
Oregano - I will never stop being surprised that oregano is a star in many Mexican dishes, but here we are. Your taco burgers need oregano.
Salt & black pepper

How to make taco-style air fryer burgers

These instructions are really complicated. Try to follow along. I'll go slowly.

Mix everything together.
Form patties.
Cook burgers.

Okay, that's not enough information, but it made me laugh because when I originally wrote this recipe in 2012, that's all the recipe said!

Let's go into a little more detail, shall we?

Add the ground beef to a large bowl, breaking it up with your hands or a wooden spoon.
Pin
Add the cornmeal to the ground beef, but don't mix it in yet. Overworking your ground beef will make your burgers tough.
Pin
Drain the salsa so there is absolutely not liquid left in it. Add this on top of the cornmeal. Don't mix it yet.
Pin
Add the cheese. You can mix it now if you want to, but I wait until everything is in.
Pin
Add the cilantro and garlic. Add all the seasonings to a very small bowl and whisk them together, then dump that into your ground beef.
Pin
Now you can mix it all up. The best way is to use your hands, but if you have an aversion, you can wear disposable gloves or a wooden spoon.
Pin
Divide the meat into 4 patties, making each one slightly larger than the bun and about ½-inch thick. Press the tops slightly with a thumb to make a little dent in the center. Place the patties into the air fryer basket, separating them so that they're not touching.
Pin
Cook hamburger patties in the air fryer at 350ºF for 7 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 135ºF. For cheeseburgers, add a slice of cheddar cheese to each one and cook for an additional minute or until 140ºF. Remove them from the air fryer and let them rest for 5 minutes before assembling the sandwiches.
Pin
Optional: Toast the buns. Brush the cut side of the buns with melted butter and place them, cut side up, in the air fryer at 350ºF for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. You can only toast one or two buns at a time because they need to have room for the air to circulate.
To assemble the taco burgers, place a slice of lettuce on the bottom bun, then the burger, then a spoonful of guacamole and a spoonful of well-drained salsa, and finally, the top bun.
Pin

Variations and substitutions

Do not attempt to lower the fat in these burgers. If you use lean ground beef, your burgers will be dry.

You can vary the flavor significantly by using different flavors of salsa. My favorite is Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa, and it makes these burgers a tiny bit sweet. If you used a medium or hot salsa, obviously your burgers would be spicier.

I love to fry a sweet onion, sliced into rings, in 2-3 tablespoons of butter until they're very brown, then I sprinkle them with 1-2 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning and add them to these burgers with the guac and salsa.

You can top your air fryer hamburgers with whatever burger toppings you want. I've used guacamole and salsa here, but you could just as easily use a slice of tomato and red onion. You can also add mayo, mustard, and/or ketchup as you see fit.

These burgers are great with some crispy bacon on top.

I love sharp cheddar, but you can use American cheese for a more traditional cheeseburger flavor.

If you are dairy-free, leave out the shredded cheddar or use a vegan cheese.

If you hate cilantro, leave it out or replace it with fresh parsley.

Can I cook taco burgers on the grill or stovetop?

Of course. If you use a meat thermometer, you don't really need instructions. Just cook to a temperature of 140ºF. But if you are going to guess when they're done, I suggest the following:

In the air fryer - 7 minutes at 350ºF. No need to flip. Remove the burgers, add a slice of cheese, and cook another minute or until the cheese is melted.
On the grill - Preheat the grill, then cook 4 minutes, flip, add the cheese, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
On the stove - In a hot skillet or grill pan over medium heat, cook the burger for 4 minutes. Do not move or disturb it in any way so that it can properly sear. After 4 minutes, flip it, add the cheese, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.

a finished taco burger topped with cheddar cheese, guacamole, lettuce, and salsa

Please be aware that every grill, air fryer, and stovetop is different, so these times may not give you a perfect burger. If your appliance is hotter than mine, your burgers will be dry and overcooked. If mine is hotter than yours, your burgers may be rare rather than medium.

I cannot stress the importance of a meat thermometer enough. If you use one, you can throw all those guesswork instructions out the window and just cook your burgers to the right temperature.

Storing leftovers

Store leftover air fryer burgers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

You can freeze taco burger patties as well. Stack raw or cooked and fully cooled burgers on squares of parchment paper (so they don't stick together) and transfer to an airtight freezer container or a plastic freezer bag. You can keep them that way for up to 3 months.

To serve frozen taco burgers, transfer to the fridge overnight to thaw and then cook as directed.