The Best Air Fryer Recipes For Beginners Are Right Here
As a beginner I recall asking myself what should I make first in my air fryer? If you are wondering the same, any of these would be perfect. However most people tend to make frozen French fries first.
Id love to know which you tried first, please let me know in the comments and be sure to click through to each post to get the full details and tips. Now whos ready for some free air fryer recipes?
Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
There are lots of ways to make hard-boiled eggs so why not add an air fryer to the list of possible options? And really, the process couldn’t be easier. Simply preheat your air fryer to 250 F. While it’s preheating, soak the eggs in a bath of lukewarm water. This can help prevent cold eggs taken straight from the fridge from cracking during the cooking process. When the air fryer is ready, simply remove the eggs from the water and place them in the fryer. Let them cook for about 17 to 18 minutes before removing them and placing them in an ice bath for a few minutes to cool down and make them easier to peel.
While you can cook a decent number of eggs in your air fryer , just keep in mind that you don’t want to pack the eggs too close to each other as that can prevent the hot air from circulating evenly. Otherwise, this cooking method couldn’t be easier!
Can’t Cook: Leafy Greens
Greens like spinach and arugula will likely crisp up like kale chips when cooked in the air fryer . To sauté these greens, stick to the stove or oven and whip up this tasty . However, since air fryers hit ingredients with high heat from all sides, its the perfect appliance for roasting veggies like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, potatoes, squash and mushrooms.
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Getting Crispy Skin On Chicken Wings
As chef Chelsea Knight told Insider, some foods work better in an air fryer than others. Chicken wings are one. It’s pretty much the easiest recipe you could ever prepare. You can marinate your chicken wings to your preferences or throw them in the air fryer without even a bit of oil. According to Food52, chicken wings have enough oil to get crisp without dousing. Within a matter of minutes, you’ll have perfectly cooked chicken wings that would be fit for any sports event . The best part of cooking wings in an air fryer is that the machine can make chicken skin ultra-crispy and crackly, especially when you use a little bit of baking powder, as recommended by Serious Eats.
Another secret to making your wings taste as good as possible is ensuring that you allow them to marinate for long enough before starting to cook them. According to BBC Good Food, even just a short time in a savory sauce will up the flavor factor significantly. Still, several hours to overnight is best if you want those wings to soak up the maximum amount of flavor.
Air Fryer Blueberry Muffins
Dont want to make an entire bakers dozen of blueberry muffins? This recipe results in just threebut you can always double it and bake in two batches if you want a few more for the week. To dress them up, try gently pressing a little streusel or a sprinkle of granola on top before baking, or go in a different direction and add a lemon glaze once cooled. Get the Air Fryer Blueberry Muffin recipe.
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Air Fryer Veggie Chip Medley
Sweet, earthy beets and crispy, salty potatoes come together in this easy air-fryer chip medley that’s inspired by the favorite store-bought variety. It will take a couple batches to complete, but the final result is a super satisfying snack you can enjoy any time of the day.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Veggie Chip Medley
Philips Premium Digital Xxl Air Fryer
Weinstein recommended this air fryer from Philips, and while he acknowledged its hefty price tag, he also noted that its built to last. Ive had forever and its lasted a long time, Weinstein said. Like its name implies, the Philips is extra large its rated to hold 7 quarts, more than any other air fryer we recommend here. The Philips has a screen to display the temperature and time. It also comes with five preset options from baked goods to beef and seven functions, ranging from air frying to toasting. It has a dishwasher-safe drawer and basket for easy clean-ups, too, according to the brand. It has a 4.6-star average rating out of nearly 2,000 customer reviews on Amazon and comes with a one-year warranty.
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Getting The Crispiest French Fries
This one may sound obvious, but it bears repeating: If you haven’t already tried making fries in your air fryer, now’s the time to do it. Whether you’re preparing homemade fries or you’re just pouring them straight from the bag into the machine, your air fryer is going to make them super crispy, per Taste of Home. And let’s be honest: It’s a lot easier and much, much less messy than actually trying to deep fry in your kitchen.
However, you don’t have to stop at french fries. We believe that pretty much any kind of fried potato product works well in an air fryer. Make homemade chips, or revitalize those tater tots that have been sitting in the back of the freezer for months. You can even make breakfast a breeze by popping some hash browns in the air fryer while you’re cooking your eggs. There are no limits when it comes to the dynamic duo that is potatoes and air fryers.
Doesnt Work So Well: Feeding A Crowd
While air fryers come in a range of sizes, even the largest model can only fit food for a handful of people, which is why finding the best air fryer size for your needs is crucial. If you have a large family or you plan on using your air fryer for a bigger gathering, youll have to make your food in batches. Youll probably be better off using these dinner recipes guaranteed to feed a crowd.
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What Meals Can I Make With An Air Fryer
If you have ground beef, make meatballs in air fryer with baked potatoes on the side stuffed with all the things! With any leftover potatoes, scoop out the middles and mash. Then store in the fridge and make air fryer potato pancakes the next day.
- Or keep things simple and make air fryer egg rolls with an array of dipping sauces on the side.
- Spring rolls are really a complete meal if you add chicken or pork inside.
- And air fryer cornish hens really rock, next to our favorite air fryer tri tip or ribeye in air fryer recipes.
There are lots of different steak recipes because we cook a lot of beef. You can use the same dry rub to make air fryer flank steak and all other sorts of things.
Lets talk chicken a bit here. You could make chicken fries in air fryer for a snack or a fun dinner idea. My girls love trying different sauces but air fryer bbq chicken wings would be their fave.
We love air fryer fried chicken thighs, that arent really fried but taste like they were. For a low carb choice, try our air fryer chicken tenders no breading recipe with air fryer brussel sprouts.
What Are The Best Foods To Cook In An Air Fryer
Well that would depend on whom you asked really.
In our opinion we air fry everything!! Seriously, you can even make things like air fryer salsa in it. I know, game changer right? Have leftovers? This is the best way to reheat chicken ever to keep it moist.
I will say there is nothing I have tried in it that hasnt turned out delicious. SO I do it all. I even cook frozen food in air fryer all the time too. For dinner or a side dish like air fryer frozen cauliflower, its a true game changer.
- When I figure out the exact time and temperature that is best I share it here with you. BOOKMARK THIS PAGE so you can come back often.
To make frozen foods like a crunchy batch of tater tots they come out soft inside, and restaurant crunchy on the outside. Its an easy way to make a side dish, same goes with these air fryer hush pupppies and frozen hashbrowns in air fryer.
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Works Well: Chicken Strips
Air fryers work wonders when it comes to frozen foods. One of our favorite recipes includes these crispy chicken fingersjust be sure to freeze the batter onto the meat before throwing it inside the machine. Or take a shortcut and use a frozen chicken tender. We have a list right here of every way to cook chicken in an air fryer.
Can’t Cook: Fried Dough
When it comes to making churros and zeppoles, its best to stick with hot oil. Its runny batter wont set or form its shape in an air fryer. But on the plus side, an air fryer is the perfect appliance for cooking other sweet, warm treats with the help of castings. You can also try this scrumptious .
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Best Air Fryer Recipes
You can just add some salt and pepper, or our homemade dry rub to this salmon in the air fryer and it comes out perfect every time.
And making a whole chicken in an air fryer has never been easier. Way better than rotisserie.
Then lets move on to something like air fryer chicken parmesan. It is simple and gets that crunch on the outside you love. If you use our kitchen hack to make Air Fryer Chicken Wings baking powder youll never go back.
Air fryer fried shrimp is delicious with Old Bay seasoning which I love. If you love spicy, give air fryer firecracker chicken a whirl. Paired with fried ravioli without any oil is great.
- Zucchini boats can be made with cheese or meat. Either way it is simple to make and really cheap too.
- Make air fryer hard boiled eggs and make egg salad for lunch.
Want a really quick meal that your kids will love to dress up just the way they want to? Try a frozen turkey burger in air fryer tonight.
Want to make the unusual amazing? Give our air fryer chicken gizzards a whirl. Never know what to do with that stuff in the bag you pull out of a whole chicken? Now you do!
- This semi homemade air fryer pizza is a favorite with a fast cook time. My kids will even make frozen crab cakes in air fryer after school which are delicious.
- you can also make it as an air fryer hot pocket which is fun for the kids to eat
Air Fryer Potato Chips
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 together don’t skip this step.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Potato Chips
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Bella Electric Hot Air Fryer
The Bella Electric Hot Air Fryer has a 2.6-quart removable basket thats dishwasher-safe and holds up to 2.2 pounds of food, according to the brand. Because it’s smaller, the Bella is better for one or two people instead of a larger family. All you have to do to use the Bella is set the temperature and timer its indicator light will tell you when your food is ready, the brand says. It has a 4.6-star average rating on Amazon, with more than 3,600 customer reviews. It also comes with a two-year warranty, double the warranty lengths of every other air fryer on this list.
Is Air Fryer Healthier Than Oven
I wouldnt say there is much more of a benefit between these two devices, but your finger food will get crispier this way! From cheese sticks to air fryer tuna patties and everything in between this can do it all I tell you.
If youre comparing a deep fryer to this though there is a BIG guilt free health difference!
- The benefit is youll get that same fried food crispiness with NO oil needed .
- This is my favorite olive oil spray I use for almost all of these healthy air fryer recipes.
- For things such as air fryer sausage patties it IS much healthier because the grease drains away as it cooks.
- Appetizers made like air fryer crab cakes that would normally be deep fried take on way less fat and calories this way.
You can air fry any and all vegetables you want. This method makes them tender but with a little crisp on the edges which we love cauliflower steaks air fryer style is a game changer.
Just a little spray on top at the end makes the outside of everything turn out extra crispy and tastes fried. No need to deep fry anymore when making air fryer artichoke hearts, just do it this way! Just look at these air fryer flautas and/or our air fryer empanadas.
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Common Mistakes When Cooking And Peeling Hard
- Using super fresh eggs. Although it might seem weird, using older eggs makes all the difference once theyre ready to peel. The closer the egg to its Use By date, the more likely the shells wont stick to the egg white as you crack them. Find out the trick that tells you how old your eggs really are.
- Dropping your eggs right into boiling water. If you decide to make hard-boiled eggs on the stove, put them in the water at the same time that you put the pot on the stove so they gradually rise in temperature with the water. If you drop the eggs into boiling water, they might crack. Find out more mistakes you might be making with eggs.
- Boiling the eggs too long. Doing this will create a green ring around the edge of your yolk that isnt prettyespecially when you want picture-perfect yolks for recipes like Scotch eggs. Keep a close eye on your timer for the best results!
- Cramming in too many eggs on the steamer basket. The more you overfill your steamer basket, slow cooker or Instant Pot, the more likely it is that your eggs will cook unevenly.
Thats all it takes for pain-free peeling. Now youre ready for lunch!
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Fry Up Chickpeas For A Crispy Savory Treat
Whether you’re looking for the perfect salad topping or just want something healthy to snack on, air-fried chickpeas may be the answer.
“Air-fried chickpeas are crispy, portable, and delicious,” said Dang. “You can easily toss in some spices and seasonings along with a small amount of oil to jazz them up a little.”
Za’atar, curry powder, or chili powder are perfect seasonings to experiment with if you want to add an extra kick of flavor to air-fried chickpeas.
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What Is The Difference Between An Air Fryer And A Toaster Oven
Air fryers have a single fan and heating element on top of the oven. Some toaster ovens may have an air fryer function but usually have heating elements on the top and the bottom.
We do have one which we tried for a while but ended up breaking down and buying a standard machine.
It works better. Some multi function machines work well, I dont think this combo is quite as good. I suggest buying JUST an air fryer machine vs. a crisplid too. The biggest difference with the new lids are that its a small area to fry so you cant cook a lot and with things like air fryer frozen sausage you wont get it as browned.
Doesnt Work So Well: Raw Vegetables
While the air fryer can cook up some delicious fried veggies from the freezer, they dont have the same superpower with raw produce. Test cooks all over the Internet will tell you how soggy they turn outdefinitely not the texture youre going for! Check out these 25 kitchen shortcuts youll wish you knew sooner.
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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.