Frankly, it’s hard to limit this list to just five foods that I like to air fry. Having played with air fryers for over two years now, I’ve realized how versatile an appliance it is and I’m still discovering things you can cook in your air fryer.
If air frying is new to you, Here’s what an air fryer looks like. It is a compact, cylindrical, countertop convection oven. Convection cooking is when the air inside a structure is heated just like a regular oven, but then that hot air is blown around with a fan. It creates more energy and as a result foods cook faster, brown better and crisp up on the outside. The advantage of an air fryer over a convection oven is that it is cylindrical in shape, which is a more natural shape for air to circulate around. Plus, it’s so compact that the hot air is used more efficiently. Many people think that an air fryer is just for foods that you would otherwise deep fry, but that is so far from the truth. It’s great for SO many different foods. Here are my top 5!
- Steak
Steak is so good in the air fryer because of the air fryer’s efficiency. It takes roughly 9 to 10 minutes at 400ºF to cook a 1-inch thick steak to medium-rare and it is J-U-I-C-Y! It retains so much of its natural juices because it’s not in the air fryer long enough for it to dry out. I might never grill a steak again!
- Croutons
I really don’t like store-bought croutons. They are hard little rocks. They are often stale or just have no ‘give’ whatsoever. Making your own croutons is SO much better. You can pick whatever bread you like and you can customize the size to your liking. Once toasted, they are crunchy on the outside, full of flavor and tender on the inside - just how a crouton was meant to be! Cut the bread into cubes, toss it with a little oil, salt and pepper. Add a fresh herb (or some grated Parmesan cheese if you like) and then air-fry for just 5 minutes at 400ºF.
- French Fries
Well, of course I had to add French Fries! I do love a good French fry, but being able to make them at home, with a much lower calorie count means I can have them more often! You can soak the potatoes ahead of time for at least 30 minutes OR you can blanch them for 4 minutes, dry them and have homemade fries in 25 minutes.
- Vegetables
I have a friend who told me that since she’s had an air fryer, she “fries” her vegetables and her nine-year old son eats his veggies! I don’t need as much convincing. I just love how vegetables come out of the air fryer. Again, they don’t have to spend so long cooking that they dry out. Instead, they are perfectly roasted and delicious. How long you cook them depends on what the vegetables are, but I always like to roast them at a high temperature - 400ºF. The great thing about the air fryer is that you can open the drawer at any time to check to see how the food is progressing. Needs a little more time? Just add a little more time!
- Fish
I’m a big lover of fish, but for those who don’t eat as much fish as they should (or they’d like to) because they don’t know how to prepare it… the answer is IN YOUR AIR FRYER! The beauty of fish in the air fryer is how easy it is, how tidy it is (nothing splattering anywhere) and how it reduces the odor of cooking fish in your kitchen. For every inch of fish (thickness), cook for 10 minutes on 400ºF. The other key to cooking and enjoying fish is to make sure you get the best quality fish you can. Cook it with just salt and pepper and then a squeeze of lemon and some fresh herbs are all you need.
So, of course I have other favorite things to cook in my air fryer… like potato chips, bacon, toasting nuts… I could go on. That, my friends, is the beauty of the air fryer - you can Air Fry Everything! … well, except soup!
