Have you turned up your nose at the idea of using an air fryer because you don’t eat much fried food or you don’t want another gadget taking up space in your kitchen? Air fryers can be used to make a wide variety of foods.
They use rapidly circulating hot air to cook food, giving it a nicely browned exterior without diminishing its nutritional content.
If you’re not sure how convenient an air fryer can be, learn about some surprising dishes that can be cooked using one of these appliances.
1. Make Bacon Without The Mess
Whether you’re used to making bacon in a frying pan or on a cookie sheet in the oven, you probably know how messy dealing with the hot grease can be. Plus, cooking times vary, and you often have to babysit the food while it’s browning.
Making bacon in an air fryer cuts down on the cooking time, and the grease falls through to the bottom, making cleanup a cinch.
How To Make Bacon In An Air Fryer: Ingredients
- Bacon
Instructions
- Lay bacon in a single layer in the fryer basket.
- Cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Check for doneness, and cook for another minute or two if needed.
2. Make Doughnuts In Five Minutes
Making doughnuts in a traditional fryer can be time-consuming. Use a can of biscuits and an air fryer for a healthier morning treat.
Air Fryer Doughnuts: Ingredients
- 1 can refrigerated jumbo flaky biscuit dough
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
- Coconut oil
- Melted butter
Instructions
- Separate biscuits on a flat surface, and use a round cookie cutter to make a hole in the center.
- Save the centers to make doughnut holes.
- Grease the air fryer basket with coconut oil.
- Cook doughnuts at 350 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes and holes for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix the cinnamon and sugar.
- Remove the doughnuts from the fryer, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar.
3. Reheat Last Night’s Pizza
Leftover pizza can be reheated to a crispy, gooey finish in an air fryer. Just heat a slice in the basket at 320 degrees for 5 minutes.
4. Make Juicy Burgers In Under 10 Minutes
Any burger recipe can be cooked in the air fryer for juicy results. Make your patties according to your favorite recipe, and cook them for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Brussels Sprouts Might Become Your Favorite Veggie
Soft, mushy Brussels sprouts aren’t appealing. Cook them up to a tender finish with a crispy exterior in your air fryer.
Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts: Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Seasoned salt, to taste
Instructions
- Remove stem ends from Brussels sprouts and any outer leaves that fall off.
- Toss sprouts in olive oil to coat.
- Sprinkle with seasoned salt.
- Cook for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, shaking basket halfway through.
6. Make Perfect Kale Chips
When you make kale chips in the oven, you must monitor them carefully to ensure that they cook evenly. The circulating heat in the air fryer creates a perfect chip every time.
Air Fryer Kale Chips: Ingredients
- 3 cups kale leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Remove the kale leaves from the stems. Wash and dry them.
- Toss the kale leaves with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook in the air fryer at 370 degrees for 7 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
7. Turn Cauliflower Into A Delicious Appetizer
Surprise guests at your next party by making a buffalo appetizer that’s vegetarian and healthy.
Buffalo Cauliflower: Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Buffalo wing sauce
Instructions
- Separate cauliflower florets. Wash and dry them.
- Toss florets with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Remove florets, toss in wing sauce and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.
8. Make Green Beans Even The Kids Will Eat
Green beans become caramelized and delicious when cooked in the air fryer.
Air Fryer Green Beans: Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 packet ranch dressing powder
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Toss green beans with olive oil. Sprinkle with ranch dressing powder.
- Cook green beans at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until tender and browned on the ends.
- Remove green beans from air fryer, and squeeze some lemon juice on them.
9. Perfect Your Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries can be challenging to cook in an oven. They often burn or come out soggy. This air fryer recipe gives them the perfect texture.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries: Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Slice sweet potatoes into ¼-inch strips. Measure them for accuracy and best results.
- Toss with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasonings.
- Cook at 400 degrees for 14 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
10. Make Foolproof Corn On The Cob
Instead of boiling corn on the cob, you can give it a caramelized flavor by cooking it in the air fryer. Cook whole cobs at 390 degrees for about 13 minutes.
11. Upgrade Your French Fries
Frozen French fries are healthier and have an improved texture when they’re cooked in an air fryer. Cook them at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
After removing the fries from the basket, sprinkle them with garlic salt and parmesan cheese for added flavor.
12. Make Your Own Potato Chips
Homemade potato chips are warm, crunchy and delicious. They’re a completely different species than their bagged counterparts.
Air Fryer Potato Chips: Ingredients
- 1 medium potato, sliced thinly
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- After slicing the potato, pat it dry.
- Toss with olive oil and seasoning.
- Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Bonus: Make Restaurant-Quality Mozzarella Sticks
Cooking mozzarella sticks in oil creates little bars that aren’t very healthy. Reduce the amount of fat by making these in an air fryer.
Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks: Ingredients
- 1 pound block mozzarella cheese
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons skim milk
- ¼ cup white flour
- 1 cup bread crumbs
Instructions
- Cut the mozzarella block into ½-inch sticks.
- Mix the eggs with the milk and place in a bowl.
- Put the flour in a second bowl and the bread crumbs in a third.
- Dip the cheese into the flour, egg mixture and bread crumbs in succession.
- Freeze on a parchment-lined cookie sheet until solid (up to 2 hours).
- Place frozen sticks in the fry basket. Don’t crowd them.
- Cook at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.
An air fryer allows you to cook with less oil. It often shortens cooking time and heats food more evenly than an oven, grill or frying pan would.
However, because you get the best results when you don’t crowd the basket, you might have to cook food in batches, which can increase the cooking time.
Revision 3.4.2020 – links edited
Revision 19.3.2019 – 404 link removed
