7 Meals You Ought to Be Cooking in an Air Fryer

It is no secret that air fryers cook dinner staples such hen wings, french fries and frozen meals higher than different strategies and with virtually no cleanup to handle. However there are some sudden meals that make excellent air fryer fodder. From entire roasted hen to fillets of salmon and even burgers and sizzling canine, the air fryer is now the one place I will make these seven meals.

On the subject of speedy cooking with high quality outcomes, nothing beats the air fryer. The microwave has its perks, however meals typically comes out rubbery or inconsistently heated, and toaster ovens do not impart fairly the identical degree of warmth for crispy pores and skin and edges the best way an air fryer can.

Listed below are seven issues I will solely cook dinner within the air fryer to any extent further.

Salmon

Broiled salmon is a straightforward, wholesome weeknight dinner staple. It isn’t tough to make within the oven, however should you’re solely cooking for one or two folks, the preheating time is a ache and you may waste loads of power for a small quantity of meals. Pan-seared salmon is nice and fast, however there’s virtually no strategy to cook dinner salmon on the range with out creating an oily and odorous mess. 

I attempted cooking roasted salmon within the air fryer, and it got here out completely in about 10 minutes, together with preheat time. The closed cooking chamber captures the entire grease and even hides a number of the fishy odor from taking up the house. 

OK, so that you may catch me throwing the occasional filet of salmon on the grill throughout hotter months, however gone are the times of me wiping fish grease from the backsplash behind my kitchen range. 

Here is the right way to make excellent air fryer salmon.

Roasted hen

This one stunned me probably the most since I make a roast hen most Sundays and had grow to be content material with my methodology utilizing the oven. I realized quick that the air fryer does a good higher job because it’s capable of crisp the pores and skin shortly with out overcooking the meat. Air-fryer roasted hen takes about 45 minutes — about 15% faster than the oven — and it is practically unattainable to screw up.

Here is the right way to make a fast roasted hen within the air fryer.

Bacon cheeseburgers

Air fryer cheeseburgers have grow to be a staple round my house. The exception is throughout summer season when the grill is in full swing, however throughout cooler months, I flip to the air fryer for this American basic. It isn’t solely cleaner than pan frying, however the burger would not cook dinner in its personal grease, so that you get a lighter, more healthy meal (should you’re into that type of factor). It’s also possible to stick the bun and a few slices of bacon in with the burger and you’ve got the complete meal with virtually no cleanup to handle.

Here is the right way to make a cheeseburger from high to backside within the air fryer.

Hen cutlets

Earlier than the air fryer, I used to pan-fry breaded hen cutlets for hen Parmesan and different recipes, however the air fryer does the identical job with much less mess and produces much less oily fried hen, too. 

I like to recommend utilizing boneless hen thighs, which have sufficient fats content material to resist all that convection warmth with out drying out. Merely coat the hen in overwhelmed egg wash adopted by bread crumbs combined with salt, pepper and different spices. Prepare dinner at 375 levels for about quarter-hour.

You’ll be able to spray the cutlets evenly with a little bit of oil earlier than cooking to get an additional crispy crust, however it’s not needed. I’ve tried the identical methodology with hen breasts; it really works effectively, however there’s extra danger of drying out the meat.

Cauliflower steak

Certainly one of my favourite issues to cook dinner within the air fryer is cauliflower. A slab of cauliflower makes a wonderful hearty facet dish or important course should you’re going plant-based. Merely toss a thick slice or two of cauliflower with olive oil and salt and pepper, or some seasoning of your alternative, and air fry for 10 or 12 minutes on excessive. The air fryer provides it a stupendous caramelized crust, and it cooks the dense veggie quick sufficient in order that the within of the cauliflower would not grow to be mushy.

Leftover pizza

Whereas not each kind of meals is finest reheated within the air fryer, loads of them are. Air fryers are the proper strategy to revive leftover pizza, fried hen, grilled meats and greens. A microwave heats meals inconsistently and tends to impart a rubbery texture. Air fryers give meals a second life by way of convection warmth for a crispy crust and even heating. 

Here is the finest strategy to reheat each kind of leftover.

Sizzling canine

It is exhausting to screw up a sizzling canine, however if you need a wonderfully charred wiener in beneath 5 minutes with primarily no cleanup to handle, look to the air fryer. Air fryer sizzling canine are so simple as easy will get, and the superconvection oven provides them an ideal browning in two or three minutes. 

Here is the right way to make sizzling canine within the air fryer all summer season.