If you're looking to change your cooking habits at home, genius air fryer recipes and hacks can be the game-changers. An air fryer is an appliance that will prepare delicious and crispy meals with little to no oil, saving time and energy. This incredible kitchen appliance can handle a wide variety of everyday recipes in no time at all from crunchy fries and roasted vegetables to cookies, bacon, garlic, and even dehydrated fruit! With the right cooking methods, the right heat and some simple hacks, you will achieve a better result every single time.
No matter if you're just starting to use an air fryer or already have one on a regular basis, these air fryer hacks and genius recipes will make your life easier, healthier and more delicious.
The air fryer revolution
If you’re one of the converts to the kitchen miracle that the air fryer offers, take a look. Actually… actually you probably should keep reading, even if you’re not a convert; by the end of the gallery, you will feel as converted as we are!
Easy to use, it uses much less energy and cooking oil than the oven, and it cooks food that comes out… golden, and crispy with the minimum amount of fat involved (ie it can make crispy, Golden McDonald's standard French fries from virtually no fat, so there!). Here are some of our best tips.
Read More: Best Easy Rice Recipes for Every Meal
What is an air fryer?
An air fryer looks and functions in a very similar fashion to a convection oven used for baking and roasting. In fact, an air fryer does not actually 'fry' anything at all! It has an array of top-mounted heat elements which a powerful fan controls to circulate the heat around the contents within.
An air fryer can achieve similar crispy results to a deep fat fryer but with minimal if not zero amounts of oil. Air fryers tend to reach their optimal temperature rapidly, and they will generally use less energy than a full-sized oven as they are significantly smaller in size.
To oil or not to oil?
Best use sauces/marinades? Dry air frying. Moisture will make your food no longer crispy, so for dishes where this is the goal, go for dry rubs or add marinades/sauces right at the end. For dishes where oil is needed (roasting veg or roasting non-breaded meat/fish), you only need a light mist.
Beware: even a non-stick cooking spray shouldn’t spray into an empty air fryer! Residue will accumulate on the basket and could ruin your non-stick finish; spray the food, not the appliance
Choosing your air fryer
Air fryers: the good, the great and the multi-taskers Air fryers come in all shapes, sizes and prices – invest as much time in choosing yours. Consider how many mouths you typically feed and how much cupboard space you have.
Also keep cooking for how long a job the air fryer’s going to be to clean, though most are simple to rinse and the inner basket can often pop in the dishwasher.
The crucial factor is what you plan to make a basic basket air fryer is best for chips and veg, while oven-style air fryers have a more generous capacity suitable for a whole roast chicken. Buy a multicooker Air fryers don’t just do ‘air fried’. You may need to budget more, but the best multicookers offer an air fryer setting too, along with other cooking modes like pressure cooking and slow cooking.
What can you cook in an air fryer?
Chips are the obvious pairing for air fryers, but there's plenty more you can cook in yours, from choc brownies to whole roast dinners. Your appliance adds a delicious crispy coating to anything breaded and a flavourful, tender centre with a good crust, while roasted foods gain an all-over lovely texture.
You can cook using oven safe silicone moulds, foil, baking parchment, and ramekins. Ensure foods are spread out and avoid overcrowding.
Do: use it as a dehydrator
All our air fryers have a dehydrate feature. We’ve used it here to dehydrate slices of apples, pineapples, oranges and strawberries for healthy eating (and for garnishing our drinks/desserts).
Place your dried slices in an air fryer basket or tray and let it dry out for about four hours. Serve with Greek yoghurt and granola for an ideal breakfast.
You May Also Read: Homemade Donuts Recipe | Easy Soft Fried and Baked Donuts
Do: enjoy corn on the cob all year round
Previously, people reserved grilled corn for summertime fun, but thanks to the air fryer you won’t need to wait to dig into your favourite sweet summer crop. Simply spray or brush each cob of corn with some oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and then pop them in your air fryer at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes turning halfway through. Butter or spice with your favourite additions.
Do: make extra-crispy bacon
Perfect with pork - Air fry your bacon Air fry your bacon How to cook crispy bacon the easy way the air fryer cooks bacon up to perfection; to make clean-up simple, line the base of your air fryer basket with foil, spread your rashers evenly inside (in a single layer) and then cook at 190C (375F) for two to three minutes (or a little longer to crisp your bacon up to perfection).
For sweet and candied bacon, sprinkle your rashers with brown sugar and paprika first.
Do: roast garlic
Creamy, flavourful and tasty roasted garlic will elevate any recipe from now until eternity - all the flavours but none of the harsh, raw taste that comes afterwards. Easy enough in the air fryer to: Pop your air fryer on for 190C / 375F.
Top the bulb of garlic with the tip cut off. Pop on a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap up in foil and air fry for 15-20 minutes. The garlic cloves pop out and have a delicious but buttery consistency.
Do: bake a single cookie (or three)
To bake a fresh cookie at the last minute-without the need to batch cook. Line your air fryer with parchment paper, and heat it to your recipe’s recommended temperature.
The key-you can either use fresh cookie dough, or freeze your cookie dough for the ultimate ‘cook when you want it’ hack; roll it into ‘ready-to-go’ cookie balls that you can pull out of your freezer and throw in whenever a sweet craving calls-remembering to add another minute or two on top of your cooking time. One other thing to remember if you’re using an air fryer - cookies bake in much less time than in your oven – 5 minutes for most cookies.
FAQs
1. What are the best foods to cook in an air fryer?
Air fryers work well for fries, chicken, vegetables, fish, bacon, frozen snacks, cookies, and even roasted garlic.
2. Do I need to use oil in an air fryer?
Only a small amount of oil is needed for most recipes. Many foods become crispy with little or no added oil.
3. Can I bake desserts in an air fryer?
Yes. You can make cookies, brownies, cakes, muffins, and other desserts using oven-safe baking dishes.
4. What should I avoid putting in an air fryer?
Avoid wet batters, too much liquid, loose cheese, and overcrowding the basket, as these can affect cooking results.
5. How do I make food extra crispy in an air fryer?
Arrange food in a single layer, avoid overcrowding, lightly spray oil on the food, and shake or turn it halfway through cooking.