Air Fryer Hamburger Buns
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Learn how to effortlessly make fluffy, golden-brown hamburger buns right in your air fryer. This easy method ensures fresh, bakery-quality buns every time without heating up your kitchen!
Looking for more sandwich bread options? Check out these recipes for whole wheat hamburger buns, homemade hot dog buns, and homemade sourdough bread too!
Air fryers have revolutionized the way we cook. We can now reheat leftovers, like pizza, and make small batches of our favorite recipes without turning on the oven. Living in Arizona makes keeping the kitchen cool during the summer an absolute must!!
What you’ll need
- All-purpose Flour: Flour serves as the base of the bun, providing structure and volume.
- Instant Yeast: Yeast is essential for that perfect rise and airy texture.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar adds a hint of sweetness and aids in activating the yeast for proper fermentation.
- Butter enriches the dough, contributing to a tender crumb and rich flavor.
- Egg: Adding egg to the dough improves the texture, flavor, appearance, and nutritional profile.
- Water: The water needs to be between 110-115°F (43-46°C) for best results. Too hot and the yeast will die, too cold the yeast will take forever to rise.
Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.
My friend Michelle started this air fryer hamburger bun adventure, and it has been a lot of fun. The goal was to create a small batch of perfectly fluffy, but not too squishy hamburger buns. We were able to perfect the baking time using two different air fryers, she has a Ninja and I have an Instant Pot Vortex.
Michelle prefers measurements by weight for baking, so you will find grams and ounces listed in the recipe card. If you would like to make a larger batch of buns, simply double the ingredient amounts listed.
How to make air fryer hamburger buns
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, warm water, and butter. Mix these ingredients until they come together to form a cohesive dough.
Knead the dough on a floured surface, ensuring it is smooth and elastic. This step is crucial in developing the bun’s texture, so don’t skimp on kneading. Aim for a dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky.
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover it with a clean tea towel, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place. This allows the dough to double in size, about 1.5 hours depending on the room temperature. The ideal temperature is 86-90°F (30-32°C)
Note: The dough should double in size during the first rise, which typically takes 1-2 hours. You can test it by gently pressing two fingers into the dough; if the indentation remains, it’s ready.
After the dough has risen, gently deflate it and divide it into 4 equal portions (4 ounces/113 grams each). Shape each portion into a smooth ball, ensuring they are uniform in size for even baking.
Place the shaped buns in the air fryer basket that has been lined with parchment paper or brushed with oil. Do not turn on the air fryer, simply place the basket inside and allow the dough to rise until doubled.
Note: Lightly press down on the top of each bun with your hand if you prefer flatter, wider buns than I made.
Brush the tops with half of the melted butter (or egg wash). Set air fryer to 300°F (150°C) using the Bake setting, for 8 to 10 minutes, and allow it to preheat with the buns inside.
When buns are golden brown, and internal temperature reaches 190°F (88°C), remove buns from air fryer basket and place on a wire cooling rack.
Brush the tops with additional melted butter and allow to cool before slicing and serving.
Variations
Take your homemade burger buns to the next level with these creative variations that will be the perfect finishing touch to your burger recipes.
- If you want to add toppings like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or coarse salt, an egg wash acts as a glue, helping these toppings stick to the surface of the dough during baking.
- Egg Wash: Whisk one egg yolk or egg white with 2 tablespoons of cold water or milk.
Expert Tips
- Store leftover buns in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag, at room temperature up to 3 days. Avoid refrigerating the buns, as this can dry them out quickly.
- For longer storage, wrap each bun individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This helps to prevent freezer burn and keeps them from sticking together. Place in a resealable bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to use, remove the buns from the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- Avoid adding too much flour, which can make the dough dense. Remember, we want a dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky.
- To make ahead, you can prepare the dough ahead of time. After the first rise, punch it down and place it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to 24 hours. Let it come to room temperature before shaping and baking.
Delicious burger recipes
- Classic Diner Burger with Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
- Bistro Burger with Garlic Aioli – shown above
- Guinness Burger with Guinness Glaze
- Cowboy Burgers with barbecue sauce and onion rings
- Santa Fe Burgers with Pepper Jack and Adobo Aioli Sauce
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it!
Tag @cookingwithcurls on Instagram & Facebook and leave a ⭐️⭐⭐⭐⭐ review below!
Enjoy!!
Air Fryer Hamburger Buns
Equipment
Ingredients
- 0.5 cup warm water 110-115°F (43-46°C) – 118ml
- 1 tablespoon softened butter 14g/0.5oz
- 1 tablespoon beaten egg 14g/0.5oz
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 30g
- 0.75 teaspoon kosher salt 3.75g
- 1.75 cups all-purpose flour 250g – plus more for kneading
- 0.5 tablespoon instant yeast 4g/0.2oz
- 1.5 tablespoons melted butter to brush on top of buns – 21g/0.75oz
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, warm water, and butter. Mix these ingredients until they come together to form a cohesive dough.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface, ensuring it is smooth and elastic. This step is crucial in developing the bun’s texture, so don’t skimp on kneading. Aim for a dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover it with a clean tea towel, and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place. This allows the dough to double in size, about 1.5 hours depending on the room temperature. The ideal temperature is 86-90°F (30-32°C)
- After the dough has risen, gently deflate it and divide it into 4 equal portions (4 ounces/113 grams each). Shape each portion into a smooth ball, ensuring they are uniform in size for even baking.
- Place the shaped buns in the air fryer basket that has been lined with parchment paper or brushed with oil. Do not turn on the air fryer, simply place the basket inside and allow the dough to rise until doubled.
- Brush the tops with half of the melted butter (or egg wash). Set air fryer to 300°F (150°C) using the Bake setting, for 8 to 10 minutes, and allow it to preheat with the buns inside.
- When buns are golden brown, and internal temperature reaches 190°F (88°C), remove buns from air fryer basket and place on a wire cooling rack.
- Brush the tops with additional melted butter and allow to cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
- The dough should double in size during the first rise, which typically takes 1-2 hours. You can test it by gently pressing two fingers into the dough; if the indentation remains, it’s ready.
- Lightly press down on the top of each bun with your hand if you prefer flatter, wider buns than I made.
- If you want to add toppings like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or coarse salt, an egg wash acts as a glue, helping these toppings stick to the surface of the dough during baking.
- Egg Wash: Whisk one egg yolk or egg white with 2 tablespoons of cold water or milk.
- Store leftover buns in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag, at room temperature up to 3 days. Avoid refrigerating the buns, as this can dry them out quickly.
