Juicy homemade burgers in the Ninja Crispi

Four thick, juicy beef patties at once is what the 3.8 L container is for. The trick for homemade burgers in the Ninja Crispi is a slight indentation in the centre of the patty so it doesn’t puff up as it cooks.

I first tried cooking thick patties in my Crispi without making this dimple: they quickly turned into round balls. Since I shape the centre with my thumb, the shape stays flat and fits my burger buns.

Juicy homemade burgers in the Ninja Crispi

Recipe by Marion LundCourse: Main courseCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

people

Prep

10

minutes

Cook

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

A precise method to cook thick beef patties through without them shrinking, with cheese melted just by the residual heat of the appliance.

Ingredients

• 450 g minced beef (20% fat)

• 4 burger buns

• 4 cheddar slices

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil

• Salt and pepper from the mill

• Toppings of your choice (lettuce, tomatoes, sauce)

Instructions

• In a bowl, divide the meat into 4 portions of approximately 115 g each. Shape into patties about 2 cm thick without packing the meat too tightly. With your thumb, make a slight indentation in the centre of each patty. The centre of the patty should be slightly lower than the edges.
• Lightly brush both sides of the patties with the oil, then season generously with salt and pepper. The meat should be shiny and the seasoning clearly visible.
• Place the crisper plate into the 3.8 L container. Put the 4 patties on the plate, spacing them out slightly. Put on the adapter and the PowerPod. The patties should not overlap.
• Select the Air Fry mode and set the time to 15 minutes. Press START. For Pro and Pro 5 modes models, use Air Fry mode at 200 °C for 10 to 15 minutes; on the DualZone, Air Fry at 190 °C for 12 to 15 minutes. The countdown begins.
• When the display shows 7 minutes remaining, lift the PowerPod. Gently turn the patties over using silicone-tipped tongs. Place the PowerPod back on and press START. The top side should be nicely seared and golden.
• When the appliance displays END, lift the PowerPod. Immediately place a slice of cheese on each patty. Replace the PowerPod with the unit switched off for 1 minute. The cheese will melt quickly on the hot meat.
• In the meantime, prepare your buns and toppings, then assemble the burgers with the hot patties. The cheese will be melted and the meat juicy.

Frozen burgers

For frozen burgers (110 g) on the basic Crispi: use the 3.8 L container, in Air Fry mode for 18 to 22 minutes, without oil, turning halfway through cooking. On Pro models, set the Max Crisp mode at 240 °C for 12 to 15 minutes for 4 pieces.

Choice of container and appliance adjustment

Cooking four thick patties requires space for the air to circulate properly. The 3.8 L container is recommended here with its crisper plate placed at the bottom.

Air Fry mode sears the meat quickly while allowing excess fat to drain under the plate. Here are the settings to remember according to your equipment:

• Standard Crispi: 3.8 L container with adapter, Air Fry mode for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Pro and Pro 5 modes models: Air Fry mode at 200 °C for 10 to 15 minutes. No cooking times are published for fresh patties on these models: I start from Air Fry at 200 °C, as for the frozen burgers, and check the centre from 10 minutes.
• DualZone: Air Fry at 190 °C, 12 to 15 minutes for 2 patties of 160 g, 2.5 cm thick, per 3.8 L container, turning them halfway through cooking.

Patty format and monitoring

The look of a regular burger patty comes from how it is shaped. Packing minced meat excessively makes the patty dry and dense during cooking, and it loses its juices. Handle the meat lightly just to give it its patty shape.

The small dimple in the centre of each raw patty is essential. This prevents the meat from puffing up in the middle under the heat coming from the top. You thus get nice, flat pieces that fit in the burger buns without making the toppings slide off.

Monitor the browning through the glass of the container. Forgetting to turn the meat halfway through will overcook the top and leave the bottom pale. Use silicone-tipped tongs so you do not scratch the coating of the crisper plate when you turn the portions.

Quick assembly and storage

Adding the cheese just after stopping the appliance is an effective technique. The heat accumulated in the patty and the container walls is enough to melt it in one minute. Since the appliance is stopped, the airflow no longer lifts the slice of cheddar.

Prepare your sauces, buns, and vegetables while the machine is running. Once the cheese is melted, assemble immediately. The storage lid can be placed on the container once the latter has cooled down completely.

Cooked patties can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat them in Recrisp mode with the plate in place for 5 to 12 minutes, until they are hot all the way through.

Which cheeses do you prefer to melt on your homemade burgers?

Frequently asked questions

Can I cook the burger buns in the Crispi?

It is best not to cook them with the raw meat. On the basic Crispi, Keep Warm mode (70 °C) warms halved buns on the plate in a few minutes before you assemble the burgers.

How can I prevent the cheese from flying off during cooking?

Always add the cheese once the cooking cycle has finished. The heat accumulated in the meat and the container is more than enough to melt it in one minute, without the appliance running.

How do I turn the patties without breaking them?

Lift the PowerPod to pause the cooking, turn each patty in one move with the silicone-tipped tongs, place the PowerPod back on and press START. A patty shaped without packing keeps its form.