Creative Air Fryer Uses: Beyond Just Frying

Air fryers are small but mighty appliances that can roast, broil, or bake a wide variety of foods. They can cook proteins like tofu, chicken, and steak, as well as vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes. You can even make desserts like apple pie and chocolate cake in an air fryer. Frozen snacks like spring rolls and mozzarella sticks also cook better and faster in an air fryer compared to a traditional oven.

Roasting, broiling, and baking

An air fryer is like a convection oven, but smaller. It can roast, broil, and bake, but it can't deep fry. It uses a fan to blow hot air around, which means the temperature is equalised throughout the oven. This is different from a regular oven, where the top rack is the hottest spot, leading to uneven cooking.

When roasting in an air fryer, you can cook a variety of meats and vegetables. For example, you could try lamb shank, duck breast, swordfish steaks, or roasted salmon fillet. You can also roast vegetables like Brussels sprouts, mini potatoes, or frozen Normandy blend vegetables. Just toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then fry for 12 minutes, shake, and fry for another 8 minutes until the skins are crispy.

Broiling in an air fryer is a great way to cook proteins like tofu, chicken drumsticks, meatballs, or pork chops. You can also broil steak, but be careful not to overcook it. Broiling is a quick and easy way to cook your main dish, leaving you more time to focus on your sides.

Baking in an air fryer is a little different from using a traditional oven. The airflow in an air fryer is designed to replicate the heat distribution of deep-frying, so you can create some unique baked goods. Try a vegan zucchini chocolate cake, apple pie "baked" apples, or GF peanut butter treats. You can also bake desserts like a berry crisp or avocado fries.

Reheating leftovers

You can reheat leftovers in an air fryer, including pizza, which some people think tastes even better than it did fresh. You can also reheat fish without the awful smell of microwaved fish.

To reheat leftovers in an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the leftovers in the air fryer basket and heat for 3-5 minutes, or until heated through. For best results, ensure the leftovers are in a single layer and not overcrowded in the basket.

You can also use an air fryer to reheat frozen foods, such as spring rolls and mozzarella sticks. These will cook better and faster in an air fryer than in a microwave or oven.

In addition to reheating leftovers, an air fryer can be used for roasting, broiling, or baking. It works well with proteins like tofu, chicken drumsticks, meatballs, pork chops, and steak. You can also cook vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and cauliflower in an air fryer.

Cooking frozen snacks

Air fryers can be used to cook a wide variety of foods, including frozen snacks. You can cook all kinds of frozen snacks in an air fryer, from spring rolls to mozzarella sticks, and even frozen Normandy blend vegetables.

When cooking frozen snacks in an air fryer, it is important to note that the cooking time may vary depending on the type of snack you are preparing. For example, spring rolls and mozzarella sticks will likely cook faster than frozen vegetables. However, as a general rule of thumb, most frozen snacks can be cooked in the air fryer in a fraction of the time it would take in a traditional oven.

To cook frozen snacks in an air fryer, simply preheat your air fryer to the recommended temperature and cooking time for your specific snack. Place the frozen snacks in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not overcrowded, as this can affect the cooking time and quality. Set the timer and let the air fryer work its magic.

One of the benefits of using an air fryer for frozen snacks is that it can help you achieve a crispy texture without the need for deep-frying in hot fat. The air fryer's convection heat distribution replicates the effects of deep-frying, giving you delicious, crispy snacks with less oil and fat.

Additionally, air fryers are a great option for cooking frozen snacks in smaller batches. If you're cooking for one or two people, you can easily prepare a small portion of frozen snacks in the air fryer without having to heat up your entire oven. Simply adjust the cooking time and temperature accordingly, and you'll have perfectly cooked snacks in no time.

Making desserts

Air fryers can be used to roast, broil, or bake. They can be used to make a variety of desserts, including:

• Berry crisp
• Vegan zucchini chocolate cake
• Apple pie "baked" apples
• GF peanut butter cookies
• Avocado fries

To make avocado fries, cut avocados into wedges, dip them in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, and finally spray them with cooking spray and air fry until golden brown. For a berry crisp, toss berries with sugar and flour, top with a mixture of flour, sugar, butter, and oats, and air fry until the topping is golden and the berries are bubbling. You can also make a vegan zucchini chocolate cake by grating zucchini and mixing it with flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and oil, and then air frying until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Apple pie "baked" apples can be made by coring apples, stuffing them with a mixture of butter, sugar, cinnamon, and oats, and air frying until the apples are tender. Finally, for GF peanut butter cookies, mix peanut butter, sugar, egg, and baking powder, roll the dough into balls, flatten them with a fork, and air fry until the edges are golden.

Cooking proteins

Air fryers are like convection ovens: you can roast, broil, or bake in them. They can't deep-fry, but their airflow is designed to replicate the heat distribution of deep-frying in hot fat.

Air fryers are great for cooking proteins. You can cook chicken wings, drumsticks, and bone-in, skin-on thighs in an air fryer. Chicken comes out great and the skin gets nice and crispy. You can also cook tofu, which comes out crispy, and lamb shank, duck breast, swordfish steaks, seared tuna steaks, beef tips, and pork chops.

You can also cook frozen snacks like spring rolls and mozzarella sticks in an air fryer. They cook better and faster than in a traditional oven.

For a vegetarian option, try cooking eggplant parm, or stuffed Tuscan mushrooms.

Frequently asked questions