"Fat drips from the bacon and out of the basket, so the bacon ends up leaner," she told BI. "It's so much less messy and requires less supervision than other cooking methods."
For a quick dessert, try frying up some bananas.
Dang said air fryers can turn slices of plain fruit into deliciously caramelized treats. She recommends using bananas.
"I slice them in half lengthwise and add them to banana splits," she said. "Sometimes I'll brush them with a little coconut oil first for an extra-special treat."
"Rub the steak with a little olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper before cooking," he said. "The olive oil helps it get a really good sear, and the salt and pepper give a simple yet satisfying flavor."
Polak said to cook your steak evenly , flip it halfway through the cooking time. This ensures both sides of the meat come into contact with the hot surface of the basket.
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," Dang said. "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.
Air-fried doughnuts are often light and fluffy.
If you're looking for a way to make homemade doughnuts a bit less calorie-dense, try using an air fryer instead of a deep fryer.
"Opt for making your doughnut batter more like bread dough for a cake-like consistency. The key is to use more flour than egg," they said.
This appliance can help you make crunchy, homemade chicken nuggets.
Skip the store-bought chicken nuggets and whip up your own batch at home with an air fryer.
"The air fryer is terrific for keeping crunchy, coated chicken juicy and tender," Polak said. "Just make sure to moisten your chicken with a swipe of olive oil or mustard to keep the breading adhered."
It's also important not to go overboard with breading — adding too much can lead to the coating being blown off by the airflow of the air fryer.
You don't need breading to prepare juicy chicken breasts.
"The air fryer yields a much juicier chicken breast than either the oven or stovetop," Dang said. "Due to the compact design of an air fryer, there's not as much room for the juices to evaporate like they sometimes do with other methods."
Some types of fish will become moist and flaky when you air fry them.
Using an air fryer can help take some of the guesswork out of preparing seafood. It can also help you to avoid dry, overcooked fish.
"I recommend using an air fryer for baked or breaded fish. The hot air gets the outside of the fish nice and crispy without overcooking the inside," Polak told BI.
"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."
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 BI.
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 .
You can make sweet and savory baby carrots 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," Cummings said.
Cummings said to perfectly caramelize carrots, coat them in extra-virgin olive oil, toasted fennel seeds, fresh thyme, sea salt, and pepper. Cook them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Use the appliance to make your own kale chips.
Since air fryers use extremely hot air to both cook and remove surface moisture from foods, they're actually great for making kale chips.
Cummings recommends tossing kale with coconut oil and sea salt before adding them to your air fryer.
"The air fryer brings out the aroma of the coconut while keeping the kale chips light," he explained.
Stuffed peppers are an easy and versatile air-fryer dish.
Chelsea Knight, chef at Fable Lounge in Nashville told BI that stuffed peppers cook well in an air fryer.
"You can use any kind of filling, from a delicious cream cheese to your favorite meat," Knight said. "I would also suggest wrapping the peppers in bacon."
For an air-fryer party snack , try stuffing smaller peppers with cubes of mozzarella and serving them with a marinara dipping sauce.
Air-fried zucchini makes for a crispy snack or side dish.
Coat fresh zucchini coins or slices in breadcrumbs and pop them in an air fryer for a crunchy, plant-based snack .
"Fried zucchini is a healthy side dish that you can dress up with your favorite spices — or keep it simple with just some olive oil, salt, and pepper," Knight told BI.
You can make your own potato chips with an air fryer.
Air fryers can turn thin slices of potatoes into crispy chips — and Knight said you don't have to stick to plain spuds.
"You can definitely use regular white potatoes, but you can also substitute sweet potatoes," said Knight.
For best results, coat your potato slices with a touch of olive or vegetable oil before placing them in the air fryer.
It's possible to cook crunchy chicken wings in an air fryer.
Chicken wings are sometimes battered and cooked in oil, which can make them high-calorie and greasy. If you're looking for a lighter alternative, Knight said, try air-frying your wings instead.
"Chicken wings are great to cook in an air fryer as a snack or a whole meal," Knight told BI. "Air-frying means that you still get crispy wings without the added calories of deep-frying."
This story was originally published on June 30, 2020, and most recently updated on September 11, 2024.
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