Works Well: Egg Rolls
Whether youre making savory egg rolls for an appetizer or sweet ones for dessert, it can be difficult to nail the balance between a crispy shell and a well-cooked filling. With an air fryer, you dont have to worry. Youll end up with a firm, fried texture on the outside without ruining the soft interior.
Entire Roasts Or Whole Chickens
If you’re wondering if air fryers are just a gimmick, rest assured, this kitchen tool cooks much more than french fries and finger foods. Its abilities are limited, however, when it comes to full roasts and entire chickens. The basket or cooking racks, depending on the model, are smaller in their capacity than an oven so a roast might not fit. Stephanie Pixley, deputy food editor of America’s Test Kitchen, explains the side of the roast closest to the heat source will dry out or burn well before the other side cooks thoroughly. Chicken will end up dried out with a rock-solid exterior in an air fryer.
The issue is you’re likely overcrowding the air fryer basket if you add an entire chicken or roast. Hot air needs to circulate in order for an air fryer to work. To correctly cook chicken in an air fryer, you’ll need to cook a few pieces at a time instead of placing the entire bird inside at once. You’ll want to keep the breasts facing down, then end with the skin facing up since air fryers heat from above. This trick will help make sure your skin is crisp and the meat stays juicy. You can also poke holes in the thighs and drumsticks to help the fat to render.
What Are The Best Air Fryers
Theres a good chance youve already got yourself an air fryer, and thats why youre here!
But just in case youre checking out first what sort of delicious meals you can make with one before you purchase, there are a few things to consider when buying an air fryer.
Size The size of your air fryer basket is one of the most important things to consider. If you live alone or with one or two other people, a small air fryer may be all you need.
But if you have a larger family or plan to cook larger meals, such as whole chickens, cakes, roast dinners and the like, you will want to choose an air fryer with a larger capacity!
Basket vs Oven There is also the option of purchasing an air fryer oven or a standard air fryer with a basket. Air fryer ovens are a little more like a toaster oven compared tobasket style air fryers and they have extra functionality such as roast, bake etc.
We had a Philips Air Fryer which was great, although it was small so we have since upgraded to a larger option and it has been great!
Here are some great options for air fryers:
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Stuffed Peppers Are An Easy And Versatile Dish
Chelsea Knight, chef at Fable Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee, told Business Insider that stuffed peppers cook well in an air fryer.
You can use any kind of filling, from a delicious cream cheese to your favourite meat, said Knight. I would also suggest wrapping the peppers in bacon.
For an air-fried party snack, try stuffing smaller peppers with cubes of mozzarella and serving them with a marinara dipping sauce.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
This picture-perfect recipe is oozing with deliciousness!
The second you pull this dish out of the air fryer, itll be gone in a snap.
These mini buffalo cauliflower bites are low-carb, keto-friendly, and surprisingly healthy.
This dish is basically a vegan alternative to buffalo wings. It still has the spice and kick, without the added calories.
Dont be scared to go a little crazy on your most loved barbeque or hot sauce.
This mouthwatering dish is a Chick-fil-A copycat recipe thats super easy to make.
The chicken is sautéed in pickle juice and buttermilk for that juicy tenderness.
The breading is loaded with paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne for some added heat.
The best part of this recipe is absolutely no oil is required!
Who needs the extra calories from deep fried fast food when you can get the same crispiness and crunch in an air fryer?
These vibrant air fryer fish tacos are paired with a citrus salsa and spicy chipotle mayo.
Dont forget to whip up a fresh guacamole to spread across the fish tacos.
While the recipe calls for white fish fillet, you can opt for salmon or even shrimp.
If youre looking for that extra crunch, you can throw the final product into the air fryer for some added yumminess.
Also Check: How Long To Put Chicken Wings In Air Fryer
Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Recipes
Were not done yet though, and it doesnt matter what brand is on the outside of your hot air machine. We have many more EASY instructions for all types of food too. Things like cooking Italian sausage air fryer style is one we use often on busy days. Pair with some veggies and dinner is served.
Weve got more to share like how to make chicken fried steak and more. If finger food isnt your fancy and you actually want to have a fancy dinner I understand. Maybe a few air fryer lamb chops are more your style.
- Air fryer peppers are great as a side, or throw air fryer onions in with beef for fajitas.
Pizza rolls in the air fryer are OH MY goodness better than any other method out there. When it comes to anything frozen youll be surprised at how good it does turn out. Even frozen hot dogs in air fryer turn out tender but with crisp on the outside. Perfection I tell you.
If its the holidays and youre making a large brunch you might want to try our air fryer ham and or sausage links in air fryer!
How To Air Fry: Air Fryer Tips For Beginners
Air fryers are so easy to use. Just make sure you follow the instructions to get started. Here are a few of our best tips for getting started, so you can uplevel your air frying game:
- Do not overcrowd your air fryer basket. This may mean cooking your food in batches, however, this is better than having your food unevenly cooked.
- Flip foods halfway through the cooking time so that they cook evenly just as you would if you were grilling or frying.
- Air fryers cook food more quickly than an oven or stovetop, so keep a regular eye on the time and temperature to prevent overcooking your food.
- While preheating isnt necessary when air frying food, it can help cook food more evenly. If your air fryer does not have a pre-heat option, just run it for 2-3 minutes at the temperature you plan to cook with before starting.
- If youre cooking meat, be mindful of the doneness so that it doesnt overcook or undercook!
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Works Well: Homemade Chips
Our Test Kitchen has had lots of success making homemade potato chips in their air fryers. You dont have to just stick to russet potatoes, either: try sweet potato chips, kale chips, beet chipseven pickle chips. Ready for a healthy crunch? You can make air-fryer tortilla chips with way less oil than deep-fried tortilla chips!
It’s More Versatile Than You Think
The Spruce Eats / Nita West
If you’ve hopped aboard the air fryer train, welcome to the party. We’re all loving air fryers these days because they can make crispy, crunchy, delicious food while using little oil. For those who love fried food but don’t want to heat a pan of oil, try these amazing air fryer options.
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You Can Make Sweet And Savoury Baby Carrots In An Air Fryer
Chef Zach Cummings of Timbers Kauai in Lihue, Hawaii, told Business Insider that baby carrots are one of his favourite foods to prepare in an air fryer.
The intense, focused heat of the air fryer achieves this beautiful caramelization in a fraction of the time it takes to cook baby carrots that way in a traditional oven, said Cummings.
He said yo get perfectly caramelised carrots, coat them in extra-virgin olive oil, toasted fennel seeds, fresh thyme, sea salt, and pepper. Cook them at 190 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes and shake the basket halfway through.
Don’t Make These 10 Mistakes
Doing any of the following things wont melt your face off, but try to avoid them.
Do not be too generous with oil.
Use a light hand with that oil! Excess oil ends up in the drawer under the grate, but if theres too much buildup, it might smoke. Generally speaking, if theres already fat on the food , you might not need to oil the food at all. Vegetables, however, benefit from a light coating of oil, because it helps make them nice and brown.
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Air Fryer Fried Chicken
Making fried chicken in an air fryer is a revelation. You can achieve a crispy crust and juicy interior without all the steps of deep-frying. A soak in seasoned buttermilk adds extra flavoras little as 1 hour will make a difference, but overnight is even better. Because of the capacity of a standard air fryer, we cook the chicken in batches. You can rewarm the first batch in a 250-degree oven for 10 minutes if you’d like to serve it all hot at once.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Fried Chicken
The 25 Best Things To Cook In An Air Fryer
You don’t really need an air fryer, but if you’ve got one, this is what you should cook first.
Air fryers have suddenly found their place on a number of home kitchen counters. The appliance uses convection plus high circulation effectively a small oven with increased air flow to achieve, ideally, the crispy exterior of deep-fried food without the fat content. Really, air fryers are just tabletop convection ovens with a buzz-worthy name, but the countertop gadget works well for any dish that would usually be cooked in an oven or on the stovetop, without producing as much residual heat in your home . Here are 25 things to cook if you’ve got an air fryer.
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Air Fryer Spinach Pepper And Havarti Frittata
You may not have thought to make a frittata in your air fryer, but you can! You’ll get a gorgeous brown crust with a creamy interiorand clever use of a cake pan makes it a cinch to unmold. We used Havarti for its mild flavor and superior melting qualities, but substitute another good melting cheese such as Cheddar, jack or fontina if you like. Serve the frittata warm or at room temperature.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Spinach, Pepper and Havarti Frittata
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Are there people who dont love French fries? If so, we dont know them!
The good news is that you can enjoy a superfood that is just as good as traditional French fries: sweet potato fries.
These fries are positively mouthwatering and theyre delicious when you dip them in chipotle or ranch.
Sweet potato fries can be a healthy side dish, an appetizer, or just an afternoon snack.
Heres another great idea. Sweet potatoes keep well in the pantry, so you can always have a bag on hand.
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Healthy Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken With Broccoli
This chicken gets incredibly crunchy, thanks to a light coating of panko and Parmesan and a quick cook in the air fryer! Serve it with charred broccoli and a tangy yogurt sauce for a healthy and complete meal you can throw together any day of the week.
Get the Recipe: Healthy Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken with Broccoli
Air Fryer Biscuit Egg Sandwiches
PSA: You can and should be cooking refrigerated biscuit dough in your air fryer. Its ready in 10 minutes and the result is much lighter and flakier than the oven-baked version. While youre at it, put beaten eggs and ham into silicone baking cups and air fry them at the same time. Layer with the biscuits, top with hot sauce, and just like that, youll have rich, savory restaurant-worthy egg sandwiches.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Biscuit Egg Sandwiches
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What Can You Make In An Air Fryer
The better question might be: What cant you make in an air fryer? These are just 15 of the most surprising air fryer recipes we found. So if youve been waffling over whether you should get yet another kitchen gadget, these easy recipes might be just the thing that finally pushes you over the edge.
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What To Cook In An Air Fryer
‘There are plenty of things you can air fry,’ says Adele Brennan, home electrics buyer at VonHaus . ‘From healthier snacks, such as sweet potato or peppers, to more indulgent treats like fried bacon or frozen chicken strips air fryers are completely versatile.
The best food for you comes down to personal preference. However, bacon, doughnuts, and homemade chips are known to be popular choices. Here’s what else the experts are enjoying in this emerging kitchen must-have.
Below, you can see our top suggestions for what to cook in an air fryer, plus tips on getting the best results for tasty food.
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Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Get ready for restaurant quality and crispiness foods right at home. All the time! The simplest things like crisping your own taco shells in air fryer now can only take minutes.
There are many styles of machines out there. Choose which one is right for you but I will show you the main difference I have found.
I have a Ninja Foodi machine thats a pressure cooker and air fryer thats great too.
Air Fryer Butternut Squash Soup
The high heat of an air fryer quickly caramelizes vegetables, giving this creamy soup deep flavor. The addition of a few dried spices adds warmth and seasoning. Drizzle the finished soup with creme fraiche or plain yogurt and sprinkle with pepitas and chopped chives for a delicious vegetarian meal thats particularly weeknight-friendly.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Butternut Squash Soup
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Foods You Didnt Know You Could Make In An Air Fryer
You know all about the meats, fried foods, gameday snacks, and other obvious things you can make in an air fryer, but that versatile appliance can also make some foods that might surprise you. Some of these are straightforward, others take some creativity, but here are 20 foods you didnt know you could make in an air fryer.
Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
The amazing zucchini is a wondrous vegetable and one of the most versatile for cooking.
You can do so much with zucchini. From making zoodles to soups, appetizers to salads, it seems that there is no end to the meals you can create with the humble zucchini.
One great way to use up a bumper crop of zucchini is to make these addictive little zucchini chips in the air fryer.
These will disappear quickly! We love them sprinkled with parmesan cheese. These are as addictive as potato chips with none of the guilt.
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Ninja Foodi Brussels Sprouts
Its time to take Brussels sprouts to a whole new level with this Ninja air fryer recipe.
This dish has everything from the savoriness of parmesan cheese and the kick of apple cider vinegar, to the spice of Dijon mustard and the freshness of lemon juice.
All these flavors perfectly intertwine for a life-changing side dish.
Dont believe me? Give this recipe a try for yourself and enjoy!
What Size Do You Need
Heres the rub: You cannot fit a lot of food in basket-type air fryers. You and your air fryer will have a much better relationship if you accept this.
An air fryer with a 1.75- to 3-quart capacity is best suited for preparing meals for one or two people. Dont expect leftovers, either.
Even a large air fryer often needs to run food in batches. If a recipe serves more than two people, youll likely need to cook it in more than one batch.
Consumer Reports found that the actual capacity of some air fryers was a tad smaller than what manufacturers claimed. This can seem like a drag, but remember, air fryers cook food fast.
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Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings With Dipping Sauce
The O.G. reason for getting an air fryer? Almost certainly chicken wings. Who doesnt love savory, spicy buffalo wings , fresh out of the fryer? But traditional fryers use a lot of oil and are messy to operate. Thats why I love, love, love making wings in the air fryer! All you need is a teeny bit of oil, and the perfect appetizer is only minutes away.
