Why You'll Never Get A Medium-Rare Burger In The Air Fryer

Air fryers have been having a moment. The NPD Group reports that 25 million units have been sold over the last few years, and sales for cookbooks that focus on air fryers have also skyrocketed. That might be because an air fryer can take the most mundane meal and make it crispy and delicious. Sad and soggy chicken nuggets are turned a crispy golden brown if you use this device instead of a microwave, as well as burritos.

You can even make more gourmet recipes with your air fryer like coconut shrimp with spicy marmalade sauce, sriracha-honey chicken wings, panko breaded chicken parmesan with marinara sauce, sweet and sour pork, or even cajun salmon. However, if you're part of the 48% of people who told "60 Minutes" that they enjoy their burgers medium or medium-rare, you might be slightly disappointed with this cooking tool. Here's why an air fryer can't quite give you that juicy cheeseburger you're craving.

There are a ton of great foods that can go into your air fryer and come out perfectly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, but medium-rare burgers are not necessarily one of them. America's Test Kitchen deputy food editor Stephanie Pixley told Insider that if you like your meat medium-rare, that "isn't going to happen without a lot of compromise" if you use an air fryer. She explained that reaching doneness with this kitchen tool doesn't take that long, which means the exterior of your burger won't have time to properly brown like it would on a grill.

However, there's good news if you're someone who likes their burgers well-done. Pixley revealed that the air fryer is the ideal tool to have your burger come out this way. To make them, Air Fryer Eats recommends placing your patties into the basket for four minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then using a spatula to flip them over and cook for an additional four minutes until they're golden brown. If you'd like to add some cheese to your meat, the outlet recommends putting a slice on the patty and cooking for an extra minute until it's melted. Now you're ready to enjoy a quick well-done cheeseburger!