Is there more to an air fryer than cooking your typical beige food? You have probably seen and heard lots of people cooking chips and chicken nuggets in theirs. But is there more to an air fryer than that? Can the food you make in an air fryer be colourful and packed full of taste? Can you create dishes to rival your favourite restaurant? Aren’t they just good for the basics? Yes, you can keep it nice and simple. And yes you can cook the basics in your air fryer, there is nothing wrong with that. But you can also get a little adventurous and definitely more colourful than just a few beige basics. Here are my suggestions of what to air fry.
Vegetables
There are so many vegetables that you can cook in your air fryer. You can do them on their own or as part of a bigger recipe. And you can keep it simple and add a tiny spray of oil or a sprinkle of salt when you want to. Or you can dress up those vegetables and make them into sumptuous starters or side dishes to make your mouth water.
The following work really well cooked in an air fryer:
- Kale
- Tomatoes
- Courgette
- Bell Peppers
- Potato’s – made lots of different ways
- Sweet potato
- Butternut Squash
- Mushrooms
- Aubergine
- Chilli’s
- Pumpkin
- Brussel Sprouts
- Red Onion
- Onion
- Chickpeas
- Carrots
- Asparagus
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Parsnip
And so many more! If I made a list of all the veg that can be cooked in your air fryer, we would be here all day. I’ve included in this list a number of foods that are technically fruits, but which most of us eat as if they are vegetables, read on though for more on fruits.
Think of dishes like stuffed tomato’s, stuffed peppers or chilli’s, roasted vegetable skewers, or a more traditional tray of chopped veg ready to roast, how about roasted chickpeas for a snack? All of these and so much more can be made in your air fryer and you will most likely find that they will cook faster. If you want to recreate some of the flavours you might get from other cooking methods, then think about all the herbs and spices you can add and all that flavour you can easily create.
Fruits
Yes, that’s right you can cook fruits in your air fryer. This will be a whole new world to creating delicious healthy snacks and sumptuous desserts. Fruit might not be the most obvious choice for what to air fry but trust me when I say that once you have tried it, you won’t go back.
Fruits you can try in your air fryer:
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Rhubarb
- Banana
- Pineapple
- Peaches
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Watermelon
- Oranges
- Jackfruit
- And more…
It really is all about experimenting when it comes to an air fryer, don’t be afraid that you might mess things up. Just have a little fun.
Fish and Meats
I’m not even going to bother listing them because pretty much most fish and meat can be cooked in an air fryer. You have control over the temperature and time that you cook your food for so you can still go for something tender and juicy or opt for creating something a little more rustic.
You can also cook vegan options like tofu and tempeh in your air fryer so there really is no reason not to be using one. They are incredibly versatile and there are so many options of what to air fry.
Recipes
It’s not just about cooking single ingredients though. You can create some truly lovely dishes. How about beetroot and carrot muffins, or courgette and red pepper kebabs, or mini sausage and red onion tarts, or how about spring rolls, or apples stuffed with strawberries? My mouth is watering just thinking about all of the incredible meals that can be created using the air fryer. For lots more ideas and recipes you can head over to my Instagram account, there you can see all the lovely recipes that I have been trying out.
I started out just the way that you probably feel right now: dubious! And I was wondering what I could cook in an air fryer and what benefits it would really bring. I was wondering if it really would be something that I would use on a regular basis, or if it would just be another kitchen gadget gathering dust, and taking up valuable space, in one of my cupboards. But the reality cannot be further from that. I happily use my air fryer most days and I love experimenting and trying out new ideas and recipes with it.
If you head over and check out some of my recipes what you will see is that although they look and sound amazing, and trust me they taste even better, they are also very simple, usually require very few ingredients, and can be made even by beginners. I love to create beautiful food, but I also love to keep it simple when deciding what to air fry.
If you try out my recipes, then be sure to tag me on Instagram on your posts: @airfryeruk
Check out the other articles in my blog.