Foods You Can Make In Air Fryer

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Air Fryer Chicken Breast

10 Things You Didn’t Know the Air Fryer Could Make

An air fryer is basically a quick cooker since its way faster than the typical oven.

This tasty chicken breast recipe only takes 20 minutes to make and is ideal for a quick meal.

Loaded with spices that I guarantee you already have sitting around in your cabinet, this one ingredient meal is a classic go-to.

Simply add a couple of sides to the dish, and youre good to go!

These delicious, crispy, and crunchy french fries are a gift sent straight from heaven.

Not only will this dish rival your favorite restaurant, its also a million times healthier!

Say goodbye to the excess oil and calories and hello to your latest obsession.

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Pro Tip: Dont forget to space out the fries before air frying to avoid the fries from steaming.

If youre anything like me and catch yourself making a little bit too much rice, then this recipe is for you.

Grab that leftover rice and make some quick and easy fried rice in your air fryer.

This recipe is awesome since it calls for frozen veggies that can easily be stored in the freezer.

You can adjust the flavors to fit your liking, alongside the ingredients.

Feel free to add a protein source like shrimp or calamari for some added goodness!

Do I Need To Preheat My Air Fryer

This is a popular air fryer question in our recipe groups and really theres no right or wrong answer to it. You can get away with making tons of recipes in the air fryer without hitting the preheat button even once.

Most recipes made here at Air Fryer Yum are made without preheating the air fryer and thats because unlike the oven the air fryer heats up really fast.

Personal Pizzas Are Just The Right Size For Cooking In This Appliance

Dang said air fryers are ideal for cooking small frozen or homemade pizzas.

“Because an air fryer has a small cavity that doesn’t require preheating, it gets the cheese bubbly and the bread toasted much faster than an oven would,” she told Insider.

Dang added that combining naan bread, tomato sauce, and mozzarella makes for a quick and tasty personal pizza that’s perfect for cooking in an air fryer.

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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.

These Are The Foods You Just Can’t Make In An Air Fryer

How To Use Air Fryer to Make These 4 Healthy Recipes Quickly

Some foods can’t be cooked with hot air alone.

Air fryers have taken the kitchen appliance world by storm, thanks to their powerful engines that cook food quickly and easily. There is a variety of ingredients that cook perfectly in an air fryer, such as breaded chicken tenders, crunchy cauliflower florets, and even thick-cut steaks! However, weve found that some things are best left to other cooking methods. Heres a closer look at how the air fryer works, as well as what you should and should not air fry at home.

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Air Fryer Chicken Thighs With Salsa Verde And Lemony Kale Salad

An air fryer practically guarantees crispy, juicy chicken thighs. Seasoned simply with lemon zest, salt and pepper, they make a satisfying meal with an Italian-inspired salsa verde and bright kale salad . Air fried panko is the final crunchy touch.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Chicken Thighs with Salsa Verde and Lemony Kale Salad

Air Fryer Chili Garlic Tofu

We’re usually hesitant to make tofu at home because we can never achieve that satisfying sear, but the air fryer changed that for good. The icing on the cake is the sauce made with chili sauce, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Get the recipe for air fryer chili garlic tofu here.

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What Can’t You Air Fry

While we’d love to say that you can make anything in an air fryer, that’s just simply not true. Many of your favorite deep fried foods can be converted to an air fryer method, as well as many proteins, baked goods and more. However, there are some foods that are better left out of the air fryer. Here’s what you should never attempt to air fry.

Battered Foods A very wet batter, like the cornmeal batter on a corndog, will not cook successfully in an air fryer. Any coating that is particularly heavy and wet will drip through the perforated basket before it has time to crisp. The hot oil bath in a traditional deep fryer is key to setting up a battered food. If youre craving something battered, try dipping the food in flour, egg and breadcrumbs for a similar deep fried crunchy exterior, such as these Air Fryer Fried Pickles.

Cake Doughnuts A cake doughnuts does not air fry well, mainly because of the dense batter made of sugar, sour cream and flour. A traditional deep fry keeps these sweet treats perfectly moist and fluffy, while an air fryer will just dry them out. Try air frying a buttery baked-good, such as these Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies instead.

Raw Rice and Other Grains Raw rice and other grains will not cook evenly in an air fryer, even when using a special pan-insert. Try using cooked rice instead to make Air Fryer Fried Rice with Sesame-Sriracha Sauce, so you can achieve the crispy, browned rice without having to heat up a large sauté pan or wok.

Air Fryer French Toast

What You Should Absolutely Never Cook In An Air Fryer

Again, French toast isn’t necessarily something you’d think about putting in the air fryer. And yet, you know the perfect French toast is served with slightly crunchy, crispy edges, and that nice, soft interior. So, clearly, it’s air fryer material.

And luckily, it’s incredibly easy to make. You need all the basic ingredients you’d expect in a French toast recipe bread, eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla extract then simply dip the slices of bread in a mix of the other ingredients, and air fry at 335 F for six minutes. You might want to flip the slices of bread halfway through the fry for a more even finish. Otherwise, the only tip to make the process easier is to line the air fryer with parchment paper to help prevent the French toast from sticking to the appliance.

When it’s ready to go, serve with a dash of cinnamon or powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, or fresh sliced fruit or berries. The result is even better than a pan-fried version.

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Air Fryers Can Take Gnocchi From Gummy To Golden

Dang told Insider that she thinks using an air fryer is one of the best ways to prepare premade, frozen gnocchi.

“The first time I tried frozen cauliflower gnocchi, I didn’t get the appeal I just wound up with a gummy mess,” she said. “But when I tried them again in the air fryer, they came out golden and crispy.”

Things You Should Never Cook In An Air Fryer

Air fryers have gained massive popularity due to the convenience and ease of making a wide range of quick meals. Cooking experts recommend using an air fryer to prepare frozen food, bake cookies, and even “fry” bacon. For the uninitiated, an air fryer isn’t actually a fryer at all but more like a countertop convection oven using a bit of oil. The device circulates hot air using an internal fan for faster cooking times than most standard convection or household ovens.

In addition to quicker results, air fryers are designed to be a healthier alternative to regular deep fryers. The air fryer’s health benefits are the result of the reduction of harmful compounds regular deep fryers produce when heating oil to high temperatures. In reality, the eliminated compounds might actually be replaced by other harmful chemicals if food is charred or burned. Reducing heavy oil in general, however, does put people on the path to healthier eating. The Cleveland Clinic found most people reduce their calorie intake by 70 percent to 80 percent on average when using air fryers.

Despite the ingenuity of the device, you’ll want to avoid using an air fryer for some specific foods out there. Results may vary, but some foods will dry instead of fry, overcook, or just create a mess. Home cooks with health and convenience in mind can also get creative to make some of the following foods on the “no” list into a delicious air-fried dish.

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What’s Best To Cook In An Air Fryer

Our experts agree that the best thing to cook in an air fryer is bacon because it comes out crispy, perfectly cooked and less fatty than when cooked under a grill or in a pan.

That said, we think fruit is wonderful cooked in an air fryer particularly bananas, which caramelize beautifully if put into the air fryer sliced or whole and brushed lightly with oil or melted butter.

What Cant Be Cooked In An Air Fryer

Think Air Fryers Are Only for Fries? Think Again! Here

Not surprisingly, there are some foods that cant be cooked in an air fryer. Generally speaking, dishes that have a wet batter arent suitable for air frying the batter wont set properly, and itll be very difficult to clean the machine after, so youre better off sticking with a deep fryer.

Other foods that dont work so well include raw greens such as broccoli, and dishes that require water, like rice. If youre a big cheese fan, then air frying foods with cheese isnt going to be the best idea – youll end up with a whole load of mess rather than a tasty treat.

Sophie writes about all things appliance-related and is currently the Home Editor at TechRadar’s sister site, Top Ten Reviews. When she’s not testing coffee machines and appliances, Sophie is thinking of eating delicious food, and asking people what they’re having for dinner.

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It’s More Versatile Than You Think

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

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.

Air Fryer Baked Potato

If youre looking for a side dish to add to your dinner, then check out this air fryer baked potato recipe.

Simply coat the potatoes in cooking spray, add some sea salt and garlic powder, and throw it in the oven.

These bad boys will be out in 40 minutes and are ideal to make if youre low on ingredients and time.

If theres one thing that we always have lying around, its a sack of potatoes!

While an air fryer is ideal for recreating our most loved classic recipes, its also perfect for trying out something new.

These fun bacon avocado fries take air frying above and beyond anything we thought possible.

How could you go wrong with anything wrapped in bacon?

This recipe is ideal for my keto-lovers since its loaded with healthy fats and absolutely scrumptious.

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Did You Make Any Of These Easy Air Fryer Recipes

Please leave a comment and rating below, and let me know what you thought of this round up of these easy air fryer recipes. Be sure to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

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Air Fryer Potato Chips

What Can You Cook in an Air Fryer? | Consumer Reports

These crunchy air-fryer potato chips are a salty, satisfying snack thats a cinch to cook up. A mandoline makes fast work of slicing the potatoes paper thin. Rinsing the sliced potatoes before cooking will remove most of the natural starch and prevent the chips from sticking togetherdon’t skip this step.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Potato Chips

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Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Chicken tenders are a go-to easy meal for many families. Theyre wonderful for dipping and there is a dipping sauce for everyone.

The good news is that you can enjoy these handy little golden strips of wonder without the added oil from frying them.

These chicken tenders are coated in mayonnaise and dijon mustard. Then, theyre dredged in a breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese mixture

Another thing you can try to get the perfect chicken tenders is to marinate them in creamy buttermilk and then coat the tenders in the breadcrumb mixture.

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.

Also Check: Test Kitchen Air Fryer Cookbook

What Can I Make With My Air Fryer

You can make the regular things like wings and frozen items. Well the question I throw back is, what cant you make in it? I really havent found anything, really. Even our tofu air fryer recipe rocks.

We used to make stuffed bell peppers in the oven but not anymore! After making air fryer stuffed peppers there is no other way.

It has given me the ability to cook a lot healthier, and homemade meals on a more regular basis. Now I might make a meal in a few batches like:

The real game changer for us was when we figured out how to make air fryer ground beef!! Then used it to make ground beef egg rolls. I mean, air fryer popcorn chicken was a win but this could be used for a multitude of recipes.

Throw it into a pot of spaghetti or make our favorite chili mac recipe. For a quick meal or fun appetizer, make air fryer oysters that taste like they were deep fried.

You can even cook frozen salmon in air fryer that comes out perfectly.

The grease drains away so its super lean, then throw it into spaghetti or make taco meat out of it. Or use it to make a batch of air fryer won tons!

Use Your Air Fryer To Reheat Leftovers

10 Surprising Things You Can Make in an Air Fryer and 6 You Can

While you can use your air fryer to make plenty of from-scratch appetizers and dinners, youll also find it useful for reheating yesterdays leftovers. Everything from day-old fried chicken to leftover pizza gets a new life in the air fryer.

The circulating hot air heats the food evenly and gives it the crisp texture that microwaved leftovers lack. Heres how to reheat fries and other leftovers in your air fryer.

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What Foods Are Good In The Air Fryer

Here are some of the best things to make in an air fryer, according to the pros.

  • Cooking bacon in an air fryer is pretty easy.
  • For a quick dessert, try cooking up some bananas.
  • You can cook a flavorful steak in an air fryer.
  • Fry up chickpeas for a crispy, savory treat.
  • Air-fried doughnuts are often light and fluffy.

Whats The Big Deal With Air Fryers

At first, the cooking worlds latest craze of air frying might seem too good to be true. Dont know what it is? We have a longer explanation here, but its essentially a device that gives the texture of deep frying with only a fraction of the oil. With such a device comes the promise that fried foods dont necessarily have to be reserved for state fairs and fast food, especially with this healthier alternative. To find out if this device was all its cracked up to be, we asked our Test Kitchen pros, What can you cook in an air fryer? They let us know what works and what definitely does not.

Check out our Test Kitchens entire guide to air fryers.

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Easy Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryers are the new, hip kitchen tool, allowing you to follow the rules on cheat day! Don’t worry if you don’t have this trendy new appliance yet, we have shopping suggestions too!

Looks tasty, right? You might just end up making this a weeknight regular instead of pizza!

A tailgate classic turned into a weeknight meal. This version is the perfect hot dish to win over a crowd, please a family of four or even divide in half and indulge by yourself!

A light, lemony lunch that will leave you satisfied but not overbearingly full! The fresh parsley sprinkled overtop makes for a beautiful garnish.

Seasoned ground beef with a savory custard-like sauce overtop. We hope you like spice, because this brings both the heat AND the flavor!

These air fryer brownies are gluten-free, guilt-free and utterly addicting!

This chicken parmesan not only is used in an air fryer, but is topped with low-fat mozzarella and uses the leanest cut of chicken. This guilt-free pleasure is great for a weeknight treat!

Truffle has the most umami flavor, but putting it on fries tops it off! You wouldnt believe these werent fried traditionally, because the crisp factor is high!

Air-fried salmon with a crispy exterior, seasoned with miso and set directly onto a bed of bright green Brussels sprouts.

Who knew you could get the same effects of crispy bacon from an air fryer? Now, you can wrap it around asparagus and amp up your veggie sides!

-Jonathan Melendez

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