Air Fried Beyond Burgers : vegan stuffed big mac sliders

Attention all vegans, vegetarians, AND meat eaters! These air fried Beyond Burgers are a total game changer! That’s right…Beyond meat burgers in the air fryer. And the flavor and texture is so spot on…you would never know they are vegan!

These air fried beyond burgers are perfect when you want to keep things plant-based but are craving a burger…more specifically a Big Mac. This recipe consists of air fried beyond burgers, seasoned to perfection and stuffed with gooey, melty vegan cheese…topped with pickles, shredded lettuce, and a white bean Big Mac sauce…served on slider-sized buns, making these the perfect finger food to serve at your next party…or any day of the week!

Air fried Beyond Burgers are so easy to make! This is the perfect vegan recipe for beginners and they make the best meal when you want to spend minimal time in the kitchen. You can have these babies prepped and ready in about 20 minutes!

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**If you are here for instructions on how to Air Fry Beyond Burgers that are pre-made or frozen, see instructions below!

HOW TO MAKE AIR FRIED BEYOND BURGERS

Whether you don’t eat meat at all or are simply trying to eat LESS meat, air fried Beyond Meat Burgers are perfect for those days that you are craving a savory, juicy burger. This recipe is so simple to make and is loaded with flavor. You can buy pre-made Beyond Meat Burger patties and easily cook them in the air fryer (see how to air fry Beyond meat burger patties below) OR you can take it one step further and use a package of Beyond meat to make your own flavor-bomb burgers with this vegan big mac slider recipe. Trust me, it’s worth the little time and effort…these air fryer beyond burgers will really blow you and your dinner party guests out of the water!

BEYOND MEAT

So before we get started, in case you are new to the vegan burger world…what is Beyond meat? Beyond meat is a plant-based / vegan beef alternative that can be found in most grocery stores. Beyond meat tastes incredibly like beef! Really! It’s actually mind blowing! Which makes it the PERFECT vegan beef alternative when you are looking to replace ground beef or burger meat.

Beyond Meat’s main ingredients are pea protein, rice protein, canola oil, and coconut oil. Beyond meat burgers are also GMO free, soy free, and gluten free! Beyond meat is LOADED with protein, containing 20 grams a serving! It is also a good source of calcium and iron.

WHERE TO BUY BEYOND MEAT FOR BURGERS

You can buy pre-made beyond burger patties in the store. This is great for days that you are in a total pinch for time (see instructions below for how to cook Beyond meat burgers in air fryer). But, if you have a little extra time on your hands, I recommend skipping the Beyond burger patties and going for the pound of Beyond meat and making your own air fried beyond burgers. Why? This approach is cheaper AND it gives you the opportunity to add a lot more flavor and create a much more unique burger experience!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR BEYOND MEAT BURGERS MORE FLAVORFUL

Air fried Beyond Meat Burgers are super flavorful if you just make them as is…but add your own seasoning and clever blend of ingredients to the mix…and you will be blown away with flavor!

For this recipe you will be adding a few simple, yet incredibly effective additions to your Beyond meat burger mix. This air fryer Beyond Burger recipe is a new take on the classic Big Mac.

To make air fried Beyond meat Big Mac sliders, simply combine Beyond Meat, diced onion, ketchup, fresh garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.

Mix with a fork until evenly combined.

Now it’s time to form the beyond meat burger patties and stuff them with vegan cheddar.

First cut your vegan American cheese slices into fourths, this will give you two squares per slider.

Divide your beyond meat into 8 portions (you will be making 8 sliders). Take half of a portion and form a slider-sized patty. Place two pieces of the cut American cheese on the patty. Then take the other half of the portion and cover the cheese. Using your hands form the patty around the cheese. And then you have your stuffed slider!

Repeat to make the other 7 sliders.

Once your beyond burgers are formed, its time to take them to the air fryer.

HOW TO COOK SLIDER-SIZED BEYOND MEAT BURGER IN AIR FRYER

Once you have flavored and formed your Beyond meat burger sliders, it’s time to put them in the air fryer! (if you are cooking pre-made Beyond Burger patties, see instructions further down)

• Step 1 – Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the bottom of your air fryer basket with cooking oil to prevent sticking.
• Step 2 – Place Beyond burger sliders into your air fryer basket. Make sure they are in a single layer. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to cook your burgers in smaller batches. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Step 3 – At the 5 minute mark, flip your burgers over. Cook for another 5 minutes. Burgers are done when the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Don’t worry if the burgers have a bit of a red color, this is normal!
• Step 4 – remove the Beyond Burger Sliders from the air fryer, place on slider buns and top with white bean buffalo spread and lettuce. See recipe card below!

HOW TO COOK PRE-MADE BEYOND MEAT BURGER PATTIES IN AIR FRYER (DEFROSTED)

Like I mentioned above, the Buffalo blue beyond sliders are DELICIOUS…but if you are in a pinch for time, pre-made beyond meat burger patties are perfect for air fryer and are also super delicious. This the cook time is slightly different from the sliders (above) due to size and thickness.

• Step 1- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F. (Some people air fry beyond burgers at 360 or 380, but I personally found 375 to be the sweet spot on my air fryer. Feel free to experiment if desired). Spray the bottom of your air fryer basket with a non-stick oil to prevent sticking. You can skip the spray since beyond burger does contain oil, but I appreciate the easier clean up.
• Step 2 – Place your defrosted Beyond burgers into your air fryer basket. Make sure they are in a single layer. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to cook your burgers in smaller batches. Cook for 4 minutes.
• Step 3 – At the 4 minute mark, flip your burgers over. Cook for another 4 minutes. Burgers are done when the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Don’t worry if the burgers have a bit of a red color, this is normal!
• Step 4 – Remove the Beyond Burgers from the air fryer, place on burger buns and top with white bean buffalo spread and lettuce. See recipe card below! Or whatever toppings your heart desires!

HOW TO COOK FROZEN BEYOND MEAT BURGER IN AIR FRYER

It is recommended that you defrost Beyond Burgers before cooking them for the best texture. The best way to defrost you frozen Beyond burgers is overnight in the fridge. But you CAN cook frozen Beyond burgers in the air fryer! Here’s how!

• Step 1- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F. (Some people air fry beyond burgers at 360 or 380, but I personally found 375 to be the sweet spot on my air fryer. Feel free to experiment if desired). Spray the bottom of your air fryer basket with a non-stick oil to prevent sticking. You can skip the spray since beyond burger does contain oil, but I appreciate the easier clean up.
• Step 2 – Place your frozen Beyond burgers into your air fryer basket. Make sure they are in a single layer. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to cook your burgers in smaller batches. Cook for 6 minutes.
• Step 3 – At the 6 minute mark, flip your burgers over. Cook for another 6 minutes. Burgers are done when the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Don’t worry if the burgers have a bit of a red color, this is normal!
• Step 4 – Remove the Beyond Burgers from the air fryer, place on burger buns and top with white bean buffalo spread and lettuce. See recipe card below! Or whatever toppings your heart desires!

TIPS FOR COOKING BEYOND MEAT BURGERS IN AIR FRYER

• Remember to preheat your air fryer – always preheat your air fryer when making air fried beyond meat burgers! This will allow your beyond meat burgers to air fry evenly and in the amount of time recommend in the recipe. If your air fryer does not have a preheat setting, just turn on you air fryer, set at 375, for 5 minutes prior to cooking. Do not have parchment paper in the air fryer during the preheating process! With nothing holding the paper down, it could rise and catch on fire!
• Use cooking spray or parchment paper – Beyond burgers do have oil in them, so you could skip the cooking spray or parchment paper. But for easier cleanup use one of them!
• Flip your burgers – Remember to flip your beyond burgers at the half way point! This step is crucial for air fryer beyond burgers. It allows your burgers to cook evenly and brown on both sides.
• Make sure your burgers are cooked all of the way through – Undercooked air fryer beyond burgers are not your friend! They are squishy and weird…trust me, you don’t want to eat them. For best result, air fry beyond meat burgers until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Don’t have a thermometer? Then cut one in half, meat should be a firm texture, not soft and squishy. As mentioned above don’t worry if the burgers have a bit of a red color, this is normal!
• Wait for the cheese! – For this recipe we stuffed out burgers with cheese, so the cheese will be in the air fryer during the cooking process. However, if you are topping your air fryer beyond burgers with cheese wait until the end. Once your burgers have finished air frying, top them with cheese and close the basket without turning the air fryer back on. In about one minute you will have perfectly melted cheese!
• Make your own Beyond meat burgers – You can buy pre-made Beyond meat burger patties. These are a good option when you are short on time, but when you have the time, make your own! Why? They are cheaper for one, about half the price. But more importantly, making your own Beyond meat burgers gives you the opportunity to create a more flavorful, unique burger! Add seasoning, hot sauce, chopped onions, garlic, peppers, or veggies…sky is the limit! GO CRAZY!
• How to thaw Beyond meat burgers – Thawed Beyond Meat is better when it comes to air fryer burgers (they cook more evenly and the texture is better). But you can air fry beyond burgers when they are still frozen. The best way to thaw your Beyond meat burger is in the fridge over night. But if you are in a pinch you can defrost them in the microwave. Just cook microwave on the defrost setting and for 30 seconds at a time.
• How to REHEAT Beyond meat burgers in the air fryer – yes! You can reheat your already cooked beyond meat burger in the air fryer. Cook at 375 degrees for 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness).

SUBSTITUTE FOR BEYOND MEAT BURGER FOR AIR FRYER

What’s the best substitute for Beyond Meat burgers? Impossible burgers! For this recipe you can easily swap out impossible meat and keep cooking times the same!

Vegan American Cheese for Air Fried Beyond Burgers

What’s a Big Mac burger without it’s cheese?! Yes, this is a VEGAN Big Mac slider. And yes, there are delicious vegan cheese options out there! For this recipe I went with Violife’s American sandwich slices. Feel free to use your favorite brand of vegan cheese slices!

Why stuff the sliders with cheese?

For this air fried beyond burger recipe I chose to stuff the sliders with vegan cheese rather than laying it on top. Why? First of all stuffed burgers are just fun! But they are also purposeful. Putting the cheese on the inside of the burger takes a little bit more prep work, but it allow you to stuff more cheese into it and the cheese tends to melts better while staying nice and moist.

If you don’t want to take the time to stuff the burgers they will still turn out great! Just cook your Beyond meat burgers in the air fryer. When they have finished cooking, top them with cheese and close the air fryer basket without turning the air fryer back on. The cheese will be nice and melted in about one minute!

Healthy White Bean Big Mac Sauce

Want to ditch the calorie rich, Big Mac sauce and try something new? This is your chance! This healthy Big Mac sauce made with white beans has all the flavor of your traditional Big Mac sauce, but significantly less calories. This is a burger spread you can truly feel good about!

This Healthy Big Mac sauce is made with white beans consists of cannellini beans…instead of mayo, giving this sauce a super creamy consistency. It’s loaded with all of the flavor of your traditional Big Mac sauce by blending ketchup, mustard, sweet relish, pick juice, apple cider vinegar, and the perfect blend of seasoning. 

How to make white bean Big Mac sauce

Making this vegan, healthy version of Big Mac sauce is super simple! Simply combine a 1/2 can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans, 1 1/2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, 1/2 tbsp sweet relish, 1 tbsp pickle juice, 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/8 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/4 tsp white sugar in a high speed blender.

Blend until smooth. And DONE! A big batch of creamy, flavorful healthy Big Mac sauce made with white beans! No mayo, no oil, just creamy, plant-based goodness!

TOPPINGS FOR AIR FRIED BEYOND MEAT BURGER

Love this recipe, but want to experiment with toppings? There are so many great choice out there!

Try topping you air fryer beyond meat burgers with:

• Vegan mayo
• vegan crema
• Hummus
• Vegan cheese
• Ketchup
• vegan sweet mustard cream cheese
• mustard
• BBQ sauce
• vegan wasabi cream cheese
• More hot sauce
• lettuce, tomato, onion
• pickles
• hot peppers
• kale, spinach, or arugula
• sautéed mushrooms and peppers…drool
• sky is the limit! Dig in your fridge and to crazy!

What to serve with Air Fried Beyond Burger Big Mac Sliders

These air fried sliders are perfect as a finger food to snack on at your next party! They will make vegans, vegetarians, AND meat eaters super happy. But you can also serve these air fryer beyond burgers as a meal! Serve them with air fried fries, steamed veggies, air fried veggies, or Mac and cheese! Serve these at your Super bowl party!

• Air fried Japanese Sweet Potatoes and Gochjang Dip
• Air fried Garlic Miso Radishes
• Vegan Steak and potato kale salad

BEYOND MEAT BURGER IN AIR FRYER IS PERFECT FOR MEAL PREP

Making Beyond meat burgers in advance is an excellent idea! Have a party coming up and want to get a jump on things? Prep these babies the night before and quickly air fry them up during the party! You can also make a big batch of these Beyond meat sliders and freeze them! Simply form the patties and place them on a sheet of parchment paper to separate each one. Then place them in a freezer bag and freeze! When you are ready to cook them, just let them defrost (or keep them frozen) and cook them in the air fryer. If you choose not to defrost your Beyond Meat Burger Slider, just up the cooking time by 2-3 minutes on each side.

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