Air Fryer help?

ashmherrin
ashmherrin Posts: 16 Member
Hi, everyone!

My boyfriend was recently gifted an air fryer, and frankly, I have no idea what to do with it. I've been looking around online, and it seems like all the recipes I'm finding are either:

a) some slight variation of the same few things (wings, fries, chips, etc.)
or
b) something unique that sounds really delicious in theory, but has a ton of negative reviews

Do you have any hidden gems of recipes for this thing?

Thanks! :)
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Replies

  • julesdechaine
    julesdechaine Posts: 138 Member
    I know nothing about them, and don't eat fried foods often, but coworkers were saying that if you have leftover wings/fried chicken, for example, you can toss them in the air fryer the next day and they will heat up perfectly and be super crispy, even after being in the fridge overnight.
  • swirlybee
    swirlybee Posts: 497 Member
    Yup, they're only really good for re-heating leftovers for getting them crispy again. Even then, it takes a long time so I'd rather just nuke leftovers and eat them soggy. They're great for wings and frozen french fries and frozen foods. That's about it.
  • ashmherrin
    ashmherrin Posts: 16 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    ...A couple of things I made recently in the air fryer...

    Everything looks amazing!! Thanks for all the tips!
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    I love my air fryer! My favorite things i've made so far:

    -broccoli
    -brussels sprouts
    -veggie patties (i like to have these on the weekends, hilary's root veggie burger, with eggs and the air fryer is the absolute BEST way to cook a veggie patty IMO)
    -turkey burgers
    -teriyaki marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts
    -curry powder chick peas
    -bacon

    I kind of just wing it. Lots of trial and error because I also haven't had much luck with recipes I find online. The instant pot is still my favorite kitchen appliance, but the air fryer comes in handy quite often.
  • DWBalboa
    DWBalboa Posts: 37,259 Member
    I've been really on the fence about getting one, all of y'alls post is making me want to get off the fence and get one.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,959 Member
    One more thing. If your air fryer starts smoking, it's probably due to rendered fat burning at the bottom. Toss in a quarter cup of water under the basket.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    DWBalboa wrote: »
    I've been really on the fence about getting one, all of y'alls post is making me want to get off the fence and get one.

    Dont. Thats all I am going to say.

    Lol... yes Godfather, a good convection oven can do the same thing. I have both. If I am feeling lazy and dont want to heat up the kitchen, I will use my air dryer. Uses less energy I believe.
  • shalvy2007
    shalvy2007 Posts: 130 Member
    We love our air fryer, we buy these cheddar cauliflower broccoli bites that turn out amazing in there, we've done a pork tenderloin, pork chops, chicken breast, even fish my husband had to as well tried a steak in since ours has a steak setting. The steak was good but didn't have the "grill" from being cooked on a grill.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,353 Member
    I have a countertop oven with an air fry setting and have hardly turned my big oven on at all since I got it a year ago. I make everything from eggs and toast in the morning to London broil and broiled asparagus with prosciutto at night in it and things come out great. I also really like the way it reheats things--more gently and evenly than the microwave. I only cook once a week, so I do a LOT of reheating. I'd say I even cook at least a little more because it's so much more convenient than everything else in my kitchen.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,959 Member
    I think that for drumsticks and chicken wings where there is a lot of subcutaneous fat, the air fryer is indeed different from deep fried but actually better. Very thin crispy skin without the greasy mouth feel.
  • Mamazon75
    Mamazon75 Posts: 2 Member
    I love mine. Between my Air Fryer and Instant Pot I hardly use my stove. 🤷‍♀️

    Ive made cinnamon rolls, a chocolate cake, whole chicken, chicken drumsticks (marindaed over night) they were so juicy. 😋
    French fries, fish, roasted veggies, steak bites and steaks, pork chops, won tons, chicken nuggets, biscuits,
    Really I just google or use pinterest to get recipes or times to cook.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,959 Member
    Lately the hubby is making the world'st easiest side. Cherry tomatoes are eached pricked with a fork and then tossed into the air fryer without any additional ingredients at all. Roast on high around 10-15 minutes giving an occasional shake. They come out intensely sweet. Will work in a convection oven too, of course.
  • italianprimadonna
    italianprimadonna Posts: 7 Member
    I got one for my bridal shower in jan 2019. We absolutely love it. We stick everything in there. We love it better than the stove. It makes juicy meat and crispy veggies. The added bonus is no deep frying! We don't even use oil much, with the exception of a spritz of avocado oil, maybe, depending on the dish. We are a family of 3, with a teenager... the teen even uses it, especially for veggie tots or whatever, and loves it. That was a gift for the kitchen we didn't realize we'd enjoy having.
  • JRsLateInLifeMom
    JRsLateInLifeMom Posts: 2,275 Member
    1. Tortilla chips - open bag toss some in a 1-2minutes heats it just like the restaurant without the freeze.
    2. Grilled cheese sandwich- wheat bread,cheese,a tiny bit of margerine on top
    6-7minutes
    3. Heat up frozen foods I got that has air fryer instructions.
    That’s all I use it for so far still learning. Mine was a gift too but having a stomach condition born with I was a preemie obviously (Can’t have grease) so this is a great alternative if you have health issues need kitchen gadgets to help. I also use water instead of oils.Olive oil only a little bit. Margarine instead of greasy butter/lards.

    I have a steamer on the way.I have quesadilla maker to egg cooker but I also have a late in life 2yr old so they help me cook faster with less mess as I run after a boy who is a giant hulk of a thing. Rest goes into my oven that uses a fan to cook evenly cause I like to broil chicken without skins.
  • CarolPre
    CarolPre Posts: 1,865 Member
    My husband swore he wasn't going to eat anything from the air fryer. I changed his mind quickly with the first batch of French Fries that I made. I spray them with a little olive oil, and no they don't taste like the greasy ones you make in the deep fryer, but they do have a great flavor and the olive oil helps make them crispy.

    Last night, I made chicken strips and zucchini chips in it for dinner. Yummy.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Love mine. Use it 3-4 times a week. But basic stuff I don't feel like turning the oven on for. A lot of french fries get done in mine.

    Be sure to get the basket for it. Helps with those things you don't need stirred.
  • Ginamarie_39
    Ginamarie_39 Posts: 13 Member
    My air fryer is good when making bbq baked chicken. I tried to make panko crusted chicken and it did go as well. Veggies come out well with the air fryer. So many uses but haven't tried them all out yet.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
    I've been thinking of getting one. What brand or model of Air Fryer is good?
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    @midlomel1971 mine is a Dash mini, and is good for one person. If you are cooking for more, i'd get a bigger one. Dash makes larger models too!

    Another added benefit, in the summer, turning on the oven makes my entire apartment hot and has often made me dread cooking in the summer. With the air fryer, this problem is 100% removed from my life!
  • annwyatt69
    annwyatt69 Posts: 727 Member
    I use my air fryer for non breaded chicken legs, homemade meatballs, meatloaf, homemade fried zucchini or sweet potatoes. I have never been successful with breading anything--mine always turned out gummy. Homemade egg rolls are great in there too. I don't have a typical air fryer like most have--I have the Big Boss Oil Less Fryer. Its huge, is clear and has two racks.
  • vnb_208
    vnb_208 Posts: 1,359 Member
    edited May 2019
    CHICKEN WINGS SEASON SPRAY FYER WITH SOME COOKING SPRAY AND 40 M ALL DONE WITH A SIDE SALAD
    Whole chicken, "roasted" veggies, frozen foods, fries, or just to reheat food its amazing my hands down favorite appliance in the kitchen
  • mstrike
    mstrike Posts: 3 Member
    Check pinterest they have awesome recipes to make with one
  • Megan_smartiepants1970
    Megan_smartiepants1970 Posts: 43,256 Member
    I've been thinking of getting one. What brand or model of Air Fryer is good?

    I have the tidylife 6.3 quart
  • cynthobrien
    cynthobrien Posts: 20 Member
    I've been thinking of getting one. What brand or model of Air Fryer is good?

    I have the ninja foodi, it does just about everything including air frying and I absolutely love it!
  • srj58
    srj58 Posts: 1 Member
    I cook most of my foods in the air fryer. I also "boil" eggs that peel easily in my air fryer. I love to make buffalo cauliflower in it also.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
    So is an air fryer just a smaller convection oven? The above poster said there was no need to have an air fryer if you have a convection oven. I have a convection setting on my oven, but I don't know what to do with it.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    People have toaster ovens for convenience, air fryers seem no different to me in that vein. I was gifted one, it's kinda fun to use, I've made some nice things in it. It's not getting you anything like actually fried food.
  • JRsLateInLifeMom
    JRsLateInLifeMom Posts: 2,275 Member
    edited June 2019
    Got an air fryer it is like a confection oven in ways. My type if airfryer bigger inside than the confection ovens I was looking for. It holds more cooks good way easier to clean!It’s just what you like or want really. I also got a steam cooker y a tiny egg cooker both steam eggs but the little ones easier to clean so it gets used way more.Got a rice cooker that steams veggies at the same time y the steam cooker the steam cooker makes rice too the veggies taste better but it’s harder to clean.