What To Do With Air Fryer

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How Air Fryers Work

Air Fryer 101 – How to Use an Air Fryer – Beginner? Start HERE!

Your air fryer is like an amazing convection oven. It’s small, yet mighty, and you can roast, broil, or bake in it. You cannot deep fry in it.

Need a refresher on convection cooking? No problem.

Heat rises, so in a regular oven the top rack is always the hottest spot, which leads to uneven doneness.

In a convection oven, however, fans blow hot air around so the temperature is equalized throughout the oven.

Air fryers arent exactly like convection ovens their airflow is designed to more closely replicate the heat distribution of deep-frying in hot fat. But for our purposes, the convection oven analogy is good enough.

Solo Air Fryer: Best For Most People

The most basic of air fryers looks like a small robot. They are generally just a cylindrical base with a basket to hold the food that pulls in and out. These come as small as two quarts and can be as big as six or seven. These models come with digital controls or manual dials. There are also air fryers with dual compartments so you can make two types of food at different temps simultaneously. Ninja makes a particularly good one with two 4-quart cooking baskets .

Solo air fryers are the least expensive too, and they can be had for as little as $30. I’d say if you just want to try air frying but don’t want to commit a lot of money or kitchen space, opt for one of these.

Ninja’s basic air fryer oven is one of the best we’ve tested.

Read more: The best air fryers in 2022

Practice Portion Control With Baked Goods

You can bake all kinds of things in your air fryer, from cookies to Pop Tarts and brownies to doughnut holes and chocolate chip cookies. Its ideal for these treats because it functions as a small convection oven, helping you churn out small batches of goodies in less time than baking in a regular oven, says Swanhart.

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Things To Cook In An Air Fryer

Air Fryer French Fries the perfect first air fryer recipe for beginners!

Air Fryer Hamburgers by Noshtastic

Air Fryer Fried Oreos by Recipe Diaries

Air Fryer Blooming Onion from The Sugar-Free Diva

Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes by Recipe This

Air Fryer Bacon from Make Your Meals

Air Fryer Potato Wedges by Plated Cravings

Pork Egg Rolls with Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce from Our Table For Seven

How to Bake a Chocolate Cake in an Air Fryer by Spaceships and Laser Beams

Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets by Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Tucanos Fried Bananas by Oh! Sweet Basil

Air Fryer Breakfast Pockets by Ginger Casa

What do you say? Are you ready to enjoy fried food again without all of the guilt.

Grab an air fryer today and you will be well on your way to cooking in an entirely new fashion that tastes delicious!

How Much Do Air Fryers Cost

Perfect Air Fryer Steak

Like anything else, you can pay a whole lot for an air fryer but in our experience, the most expensive air fryers aren’t necessarily the best. A basic air fryer is actually not a terribly complex machine so you really needn’t break the bank. Small no-frills air fryer models start at $25 or $30 and I’ve found they will do a serviceable job. That said, if you bump up another $30 or $40 you’re going to get a better build, sharper look and generally a bit more power too.

At the high end are the hybrid countertop ovens with air fry functions. These can go as high as $300 but you can get less advanced models from bargain brands or ones that are on sale for around $150.

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Are Air Fryers Safe

I dont see it any different than any other small kitchen appliance like a slow cooker or Instant Pot really.

Its a lot safer than a deep fryer for sure without any worry of spilling or splashing. AND if there are only a few of you, its great for cooking holiday meals.

Lets talk holidays and what to do if you only have 2 or 3 of you at home. NO need to cook an entire bird. Instead try air fryer turkey wings or a breast. Pair it with a salad with air fryer croutons on top and dinner is served.

Like this air fryer turkey breast or a KFC copycat air fryer fried chicken breast! If you make frozen dinners like air fryer orange chicken, its way better than in the oven.

Works Well: Frozen French Fries

If youre a French fry fanatic, this is the machine for you. Frozen French fries were practically made for air fryers they turn out crunchy, crispy, and baked to perfection. With 75 percent less oil than a deep-fryer, you can eat them guilt-free too. This is what an air fryer actually does to your food.

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Air Fryer Breakfast Tacos

This clever recipe uses silicone ice cube stick molds to quickly create the components for breakfast tacos in an air fryer. One mold holds corn tortillas in a U-shape so they transform into hard taco shells while they cook. Another mold holds beaten eggs, which cook at the same time as the tortillas. Pop the finished “scrambled” eggs out of the mold, then stuff them into the cheese-filled taco shells. Add some spicy mayo, tomatoes and avocado and the result is an extra-crispy, extra-tasty breakfast treat.

Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Breakfast Tacos

Reheat Leftovers Like A Pro

How to Cook an ENTIRE DINNER Inside Your Air Fryer

Sure, you can use your microwave to accomplish thisbut an air fryer is the ultimate tool for reheating food without sacrificing texture. No more floppy pizza or soft fried chicken, says Kenzie Swanhart, director of global culinary innovation at Ninja, which makes an air fryer. The next time you have a leftover slice, add it to your air fryer and cook at 350 degrees.

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Make Bruschetta In A Flash

Instead of pulling out a baking sheet and preheating your oven, make simple crostini by using your air fryer. Cut a baguette into half-inch-thick slices and put about half of them into the appliance, trying not to overlap too much, says Nelson. Cook at 380 degrees for 3-4 minutes, stopping halfway through to flip the slices so they dont burn. Cook the other half of the slices the same way and add desired toppings.

Fast Safe And Easy To Use

The air fryer started out as a sort of replacement for a deep fryer. And while that was great, it wasnt enough to convince most people that they needed one, because not many people use a deep fryer on a regular basis at home anyways.

A common problem these days is that wed all would love to cook more often but simply dont have the time to do so. This is why ready meals and takeaway are so popular, even when we know how unhealthy they are. If you could cook foods like salmon or pork chops in the air fryer in under 20 minutes, wouldnt you rather do that than order out?

The fact that air fryers are fast and easy to use means that cooking at home is a much more tempting option. The air fryer makes dinner uncomplicated. All you have to do is season a piece of meat, like a chicken breast put it in the basket, and set it to cook. So simple.

Also Check: Best 8 Qt Air Fryer

Do You Use Oil When Cooking With An Air Fryer

You do not need to use oil in your air fryer, however, with most, you can use oil should you choose to. Adding oil to your food before placing in the air fryer can provide extra crispiness to your food.

You should not put the oil inside the air fryer. Rather, use an oil spray or brush to coat your food.

Please refer to your owners manual prior to use.

Best Air Fryer Oven Recipes

Cook and Savor

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25 recipes specifically designed for air fryer oven recipes. They cook perfectly every time so you never haveto guess when theyre done cooking!

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Whether you have a Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven or Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven, these recipes are exactly what you need to start cooking in your to-be most beloved appliance in the kitchen.

Wondering if an air fryer oven is right for you? Check out these best large-capacity air fryers to buy.

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How Big Should An Air Fryer Be About A Quart Per Person But Bigger Isn’t Always Better

If you’re cooking for one or two people a 2- or 3-quart air fryer should be large enough. From there, I would suggest adding a quart of capacity for every person that you’re regularly cooking for. So, if you plan to air fry for five people on a regular basis, spring for a 5-quart model.

Size matters when it comes to air fryer prowess but maybe not in the way you expected. A smaller air fryer means food is going to get blasted faster and more often than inside a larger model where the air has further to travel and more time to lose heat. I’ve found that small and powerful air fryers including the Magic Bullet 2-5-quart model and Instant Pot’s Duo Crisp work exceptionally well and very quickly.

The smaller air fryers mean less overall capacity so you may have to cook in batches.

I find that smaller air fryers like Magic Bullet’s 2-5-quart model do an excellent job but the trade-off is less cooking space.

Using medium chicken thighs as a unit measurement, a 2.5-quart air fryer can fit three thighs. A 5-quart model will comfortably fit six thighs and so on. If you spring for a hybrid oven with multiple racks, you can cook as many as 10 or 12 chicken thighs at once, but it will take longer than with a smaller air fryer

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! AND with things like air fryer frozen bacon the grease drains away from your food! 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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Can You Cook A Whole Turkey In An Air Fryer

As the old saying goes, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. “Cooking a whole turkey in an air fryer is a difficult and labor-intensive process,” says Brian Jupiter, executive chef at The Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern in Chicago, Ill.

Jupiter explains the biggest problem with most air fryers is they are small compared to the size of a whole turkey. “Even cooking a whole chicken in an air fryer would be complicated,” he says. “Also, each part of the turkey cooks at different temperatures for different times. This is often why the turkey legs may be perfectly cooked after roasting the bird, but the breast is beyond overcooked.”

The Best Foods To Cook

Air Fryer Recipes – What Can Air Fryers Do? (Part 1)

Air fryers use dry heat, so think of foods that cook with dry heat as opposed to ones that cook with wet heat . Crispy shallots, frozen puff pastry donuts, dehydrated tomato slices, puzzlingly low-carb bagels, reheated leftover pizza…dont be afraid to experiment.

That said, weve noticed some foods really excel in an air fryer. Drum roll, please:

Pre-fried frozen foods: Classics like chicken tenders, fish sticks, tater tots, and pizza rolls are made for the air fryer. In general, portion-sized frozen foods or ones in bite-size pieces heat up and get appealingly crisp in an air fryer in no time. They could re-name this thing the College Kid/Single Dude Dinner Machine.

From-scratch recipes that mimic pre-fried frozen foods: Think air-fried chicken, air fryer mozzarella sticks, air-fried crab cakes, et cetera.

Now it’s time to think outside the deep fryer! I also really love using the air fryer for:

Recommended Reading: How To Make Sweet Potato Fries In Air Fryer

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.

How Does An Air Fryer Work Without Oil

An air fryer uses hot air to cook the food they dont actually fry. At the top of the air fryer is where the heating element and fan are located which circulate hot air around the food in all directions evenly.The fan circulates hot air all around the food inside the basket and cooks it from outside to in. It cooks food much faster than the traditional cooking methods because of the rapid circulation of the hot air which spread evenly around the food.

Thats why it requires only a tablespoon of oil for cooking in an air fryer.

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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 @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

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What To Expect The First Time

Air Fryer Tater Tots from FROZEN to Perfection!

After you open the box, take apart all removable components. This will probably include a removable basket and a grate or perforated tray in the bottom of that basket. Wash and dry them.

Put the air fryer on a heat-resistant surface, at least eight inches away from the wall. Replace the grate and basket.

NOTE: Some manufacturers recommend running the air fryer empty for 10 minutes before you actually cook with it, to let it off-gas. There might be a slightly chemical smell , so have the vents on or windows open. It should be just a one-time thing.

Now you are ready to cook food! How about fries? Really, isnt that the big sell on these things? Potatoes are cheap, and we have a great recipe for you.

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Easy Things To Make In Air Fryer

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:

And my kids favorite new snacks are air fryer cauliflower wings and this eggplant air fryer recipe! WE have made homemade mozzarella sticks air fryer style too which were yummy with marinara.

Air Fryer Instructions And Tips:

  • Try pulling the basket out and shake it to mix the food up real quick and put it back in. This will help move them around a bit for more even cooking.
  • Preheat the fryer for about 2-3 minutes before using
  • If breading your food, be sure to coat the food before breading
  • Invest in a cooking oil sprayer! I adore my Misto – it sprays just the right amount of oil on foods, without saturating them! It gives you the convenience and health benefits of an aerosol sprayer in a more economical and environmental form. It is a MUST HAVE!
  • Dont overload the basket it will prevent the food from cooking evenly and fully.
  • If you are really trying to get your food super crispy. Spray with oil partway through the cooking process.
  • Clean your cooking drawer well after each use.

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