Vegan “Beyond Meat” burgers cook like a dream in the air fryer! These pea protein based burgers have taken the vegan world by storm, and are easy to prepare at home for burger night using the air fryer. My recipe includes indulgent air fried toppings and guacamole for a vegan burger with a gourmet feel.

Let’s talk vegan burgers, because they have come a loooong way in the 30 years I have been a vegetarian. They aren’t a consolation prize anymore, they’re a legit option that even meat eaters will proactively choose from a pub menu, and that’s quite a change.

Whether faux meat products have a place on this website is something I’ve grappled with, but lately the popularity of these products has led me to the conclusion that yes, they kind of do belong here. They are piquing interest in meatless cooking and yet there are still subtle differences which make the preparation methods vary, so it’s not as simple as adapting a non-vegan recipe.

The pressing issues I wanted to address are:

Can I Cook a Beyond Burger in an Air Fryer?

Yes you can! And the short answer is that you cook it at 200C for about 10 minutes, flipping it once during the cooking process, and you’ve saved yourself the process of standing over a frying pan or firing up the grill so life is good.

In this recipe, we also cook the toppings in the air fryer – so it is 100% contained to your favorite kitchen gadget.

How do you make an epic vegan burger?

With all this! I wanted to make sure the recipe didn’t call for any additional speciality vegan products, aside from the burgers, so guacamole is our sauce of choice to keep things moist and juicy. We also have air fried onions and mushrooms which are tossed in truffle oil (this is optional if you don’t have the truffle oil) for a little extra hit of flavor. You will not miss the cheese.

More Tips for Cooking Beyond Burgers in the Air Fryer

  • To avoid the burgers sticking to the air fryer grates, and to avoid all of the juices draining straight out of the burger, it’s a good idea to put some parchment paper down first. The parchment paper that is made for air fryer baskets is ideal. They usually have enough holes for some of the liquid to drain off, but not to seep out to the point that the burger will be dry.
  • If you’re working with frozen Beyond Burgers, it is best to defrost them before cooking. If you can’t, just add a few extra minutes to the cook time.

Air Frying Other Brands of Vegan Burger

Beyond Burgers are expensive, and lots of generic and supermarket brand vegan burgers are popping up which also take advantage of pea protein to mimic beef. Some of these are also reeeeally good.

This recipe has only been tested with the Beyond Burger brand, but I wouldn’t hesitate to try air frying any of these imitation versions. Just check in on them around the 6 minute mark and assess whether they would need the full 9-10 minutes. Particularly if they’re smaller. Let me know if you have had success with other brands of vegan burger and I will be sure to update the recipe if and when I try others myself.

Air Fryer Beyond Burgers with Guacamole & Mushrooms

Vegan "Beyond Meat" burgers cook like a dream in the air fryer! These pea protein based burgers have taken the vegan world by storm, and are easy to prepare at home for burger night using the air fryer. My recipe includes indulgent air fried toppings and guacamole for an elevated vegan burger that would feel right at home on a pub menu.
5 from 1 rating

Ingredients

  • 2 small portobello mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small red onion, sliced
  • 1 tsp truffle oil
  • 2 "Beyond Meat" burgers
  • ¼ cup (60 g) guacamole, or to taste
  • 2 burger buns

Instructions 

  • First, cook the mushrooms and onions. Heat the air fryer to 200C / 400F. Toss the mushroom and onion slices in olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Add to the air fryer basket for 8 minutes, or until the onions are browning. Remove from the air fryer basket and place in a bowl. Add the truffle oil, toss through, and immediately cover to keep warm.
    2 small portobello mushrooms, 1 small red onion, 1 tsp truffle oil
  • Lay parchment paper at the bottom of the air fryer basket and place the beyond burgers on top. Cook for 9-10 minutes or until the burgers are browning around the edge and cooked through. Flip at the 5 minute mark.
    2 "Beyond Meat" burgers
  • Remove the burgers, place on the buns with the mushrooms and onions on top.
    2 burger buns
  • Spoon guacamole on over the mushrooms and onions, add the top of the bun on top and serve.
    1/4 cup guacamole
Calories: 483kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 224mg, Potassium: 590mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 47IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 81mg, Iron: 2mg