Wes Ellis./ a personal notebook
Technology. Stories. Side projects.
A few things worth writing down.
SearchSubscribe
← Back to Short-Order Kitchen

Short-Order Kitchen

Air Fryer Burger and Fries for One

By Wes Ellis2 min read
A sesame-bun cheeseburger with lettuce beside thick-cut fries on a wooden board.
Recipe card
Servings
1
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
14 minutes
Method
Air fryer
Heat
370°F air fryer
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to ingredients & directions ↓

Part 18 of the thread Air fryer weeknights

THE SHORT VERSION4 points
  • One spice mix, split in half: half on the fries, half in the patty.
  • Fries go in alone at 370°F for 7 minutes.
  • Flip the fries, add the patty, 7 more minutes.
  • Beef is done at 160°F, poultry at 165°F.
THE RECIPE · AIR FRYER BURGER AND FRIES FOR ONE

Ingredients

Burger and fries

Spice mix (split in half)

To serve, optional

You'll need

  • Air fryer
  • Bowl
  • Knife and cutting board

Directions

Prep

  1. Cut the potato into evenly sized fries. Toss with half the spice mix, salt, pepper and a light spray of oil if you like.
  2. Gently mix the meat with the other half of the spices. Shape into one patty about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick without packing it tight.
  3. Heat the air fryer to 370°F.

Cook

  1. Spread the fries in the basket and cook 7 minutes.
  2. Toss or flip the fries, then set the patty in beside them with room for air to move.
  3. Cook 7 more minutes, until the burger reads 160°F for beef or 165°F for poultry and the fries are as crisp as you like. Give it a few more minutes if needed.
  4. Serve on a bun with your toppings, or on its own with a green vegetable.
Notes Best fresh. Leftover patty and fries keep 1 to 2 days in the fridge; reheat the fries in the air fryer so they crisp up again. Roughly 250 calories and 15 g protein per serving, give or take.

wesellis.com/blog/air-fryer-burger-and-fries/

A burger and fries for one person, out of one basket, in fourteen minutes. It's small on purpose: a two-ounce patty and half a potato, which is a lunch-sized plate rather than a drive-thru one.

Fries first, burger second

Fries take longer than a thin patty, so they get a seven-minute head start. Then they get a shake, the burger goes in next to them, and both finish together seven minutes later. It's the same staggered-start idea that makes the Salmon and Potatoes Dinner work, and it's worth getting in the habit of.

Cut the fries evenly. Thin ones burn and thick ones stay raw, and in a fourteen-minute window there's no time to rescue either.

Tip

Press a shallow dimple into the middle of the patty with your thumb. It keeps the burger from puffing up into a meatball as it cooks.

Seasoning once

Mix the garlic powder, onion powder and paprika together first, then split it. The fries and the burger end up tasting like they belong on the same plate, and you only measured once.

Heads up

Air fryers run hot or cool depending on the model. Check the patty with a thermometer the first time you make this, and you'll know your machine from then on.

For a bigger, drive-thru-style burger, see the Flying Dutchman-style burger. And if you'd rather skip the bun entirely, the Cheeseburger Salad puts all the same flavors in a bowl.

LINKED FROM5 notes

Keep reading