Air Fryer Meat Patties
A patty in a pan drinks oil and needs constant attention. In an air fryer it browns in its own fat and the excess drips away, which makes it lighter — but there is a trap. Lean mince dries out instantly in hot air, so use a beef and pork mix or add a spoonful of sour cream. And always press a dimple into the middle, or the patty domes up and stays raw inside.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 32 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 320 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: 8 patties, 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Mix the meat
Combine the mince with the blitzed onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs and sour cream. Season. Work it by hand for 2 minutes, until sticky and even.
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Step 2: Slap the mixture
Lift the mince and throw it back into the bowl 10–15 times. That knocks the air out and stops the patties falling apart — it matters more than any bread in the mix.
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Step 3: Let it rest
Cover and chill 15 minutes. The crumbs take up moisture and the mixture stops sticking to your hands.
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Step 4: Shape with a dimple
With wet hands form 8 patties 2 cm thick. Press a shallow dimple into the middle of each with your thumb, or they dome up and stay raw in the centre.
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Step 5: Preheat and grease
Heat the air fryer to 200 °C. Brush the basket lightly with oil so the patties do not stick and lay them out in a single layer.
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Step 6: Cook both sides
Cook 6 minutes, turn and cook another 5–6. They are done at 71 °C inside; with raw mince this is a case where the thermometer earns its keep.
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Step 7: Serve at once
Take them out and serve hot. Air fryer patties do not like waiting: the crust softens within ten minutes.
Tips & variations
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Tip
All-beef or chicken mince dries out. If that is what you have, grate in 50 g of cold butter — it melts inside and supplies the juiciness.
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Variation
Put a cube of hard cheese in the middle of each patty and seal it in. In an air fryer these do not leak the way they do in a pan.
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Tip
Blitz the onion to a pulp or grate it, rather than cutting it with a knife. Chopped onion stays in pieces and the patty breaks along them.
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Storage
Three days in the fridge. Raw shaped patties freeze for a month and cook from frozen with 4 minutes added.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 320 kcal | 1,280 kcal |
| Protein | 24 g | 96 g |
| Fat | 21 g | 84 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g | 36 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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