Air Fryer Cajun Pork Burgers

Cooking homemade pork burgers in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to get a delicious dinner on the table. Succulent and bursting with flavor, these air fryer pork burgers will be a hit with the whole family!  

How to cook pork burgers in an air fryer

This recipe for air fryer pork patties is one of my favorite ground pork air fryer recipes. It is simple to make, quick to cook, and delicious!  

These delicious Cajun-inspired pork burgers can be air fried, shallow fried, or grilled the recipe card below includes cooking instructions for all 3 cooking methods.

Air frying is a great way to cook burgers. For more, check out my recipes for air fryer hamburgers and air fryer chicken patties.

Scroll down for the printable recipe card for these air fryer pork patties, or read on for all the details! 

Ingredients

• Ground pork/ pork mince: Use good quality lean ground pork. You can substitute lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken for a variation. 
• Cajun seasoning: I use store bought, but you can make a simple substitute from garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, Cayenne pepper, and oregano. Or use any other type of seasoning that you like with pork. 
• Bread crumbs: these help to make moist patties, by keeping the mixture lighter and retaining more moisture during cooking. No one wants tough pork burgers! 
• Egg: to bind the pork mixture together
• Salt: if you are using kosher salt, flaked salt or sea salt use ½ teaspoon salt. If you are using table salt, use ¼ teaspoon. 
• Ground black pepper

Variations

Cajun pork and apple burgers: Core, peel and shred one small green apple, and add into the raw pork patty mix.

Low carb, keto or gluten-free pork patties: skip the breadcrumbs (or use a keto/gluten-free alternative like almond meal).

Directions

• Add the pork burger patty ingredients to a large bowl and combine thoroughly. You may want to use your hands to do this (they are going to get messy during the next step anyway). 
• Shape the ground pork mixture into two equal sized patties. Make them slightly concave in the centre (they will dome up when cooking).  
• Preheat air fryer to 360°F/ 180°C.
• Place pork burgers in air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching. If your air fryer is prone to food sticking, give the basket a quick spritz with olive oil first (or use a small sheet of parchment paper if your air fryer brand allows that. See >>Can you put parchment in an air fryer?). 
• Air fry pork burgers until golden brown and cooked through. This will probably take around 10-12 minutes.

The exact cook time will depend on a number of factors, so you should always test the internal temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer to check they have reached the safe internal temperature for pork of 160°F/ 72°C.

Serving

I generally serve these pork patties as a burger in a bun, though you can serve them bunless with a side salad, or in a wrap for a variation.

Some of our favorite burger toppings for these pork patties are:

• Pork and apple burgers: top patty with bbq sauce and apple slaw
• Blue cheese burgers: add a slice of blue cheese to the top of the patty when it is cooked, and air fry for 1 minute to melt. I also like to add some caramelized onions for a little sweetness to balance out the saltiness of the cheese, and a lettuce leaf or two for some crunch.
• Pork cheeseburgers: add a slice of cheese to cooked patty and air fry for 1 minute to melt. Place in buns and top with sliced dill pickles, mustard and tomato ketchup.
• Avocado and chili burger: add cooked patty to burger bun, top with a slice of tomato, chili jam or sweet chili sauce, spread avocado onto the top half of the burger bun, and add a dab of mayo.
• Salad, avocado, mayo and onion jam.

Storing and reheating

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days. 

To reheat pork patties you can either microwave them for 1-2 minutes, or air fry them at 360°F/ 180°C for 3-4 minutes until heated through. 

Freezing

Freeze raw patties in a freezer-safe container. Once they are frozen you can pop them into a ziplock plastic bag for easier storage. Use within 3 months.

To cook frozen burger patties, there is no need to defrost them first. Place them in the air fryer as you would if cooking them from fresh and air fry at 360°F/180°C for 15-20 minutes.

When cooking frozen burgers, it is really important to check that they have reached the safe internal temperature, so use an instant-read thermometer to ensure they have reached at least 160°F/ 72°C in the center of the thickest part.

Air fryer pork burgers recipe card     

You may also like:

• Air fryer pork steaks
• Air fryer pork roast
• Air fryer pork tenderloin
• Air fryer pork chops
• Air fryer frozen chicken burger patties
• Air fryer bacon
• Slow cooker pulled pork