What do you cook in your air fryer?

[Cole_Robbie]

I was given one of these machines and don't know much about using them.

[Pokemato]

We use ours all the time! Last night, I quickly roasted cabbage in ours. My husband loves to make wings in it. My daughter loves to make mozzarella sticks in it. We use it often for frozen foods, mini pizzas, and sometimes to crisp up leftovers, like fried chicken. It makes great baked potatoes! I'm not sure if this helps you at all

This might help:
https://www.thekitchn.com/air-fryer-recipes-264238

[MissS]

I love my air fryer. You can cook almost anything that you can cook in a conventional oven. It's not just for chicken nuggets. I love how it keeps things moist on the inside yet nice and crispy on the outside. I makes great fried chicken, you have got to try that. It's healthier and crispier than done in a fry pan. I also enjoy eggplant done in it. Salmon is very good as well as pork.

[wildcat62]

Hard to beat for fries & onion rings.

[mikestuff49]

I have a Blackstone griddle with built in air fryers. I have two baskets and we cook in them literally every day. Hot dogs, fried chicken (especially wings) french fries, egg rolls, fish. Almost any thing that can be fried can be air fried.

[pondgardener]

[mention]Cole_Robbie[/mention], I like making "egg in a hole" with it and since the hot chile peppers are getting ready to pick, I am going to see how the air fryer will roast just enough peppers at a time to add to a sandwich or as a side dish. Frozen french fries come out great, as well as hamburgers. If you are interested I could post an Air Fryer cooking chart listing meats and vegetables that could be cooked along with the cooking time and temperature.

[worth1]

@Cole_Robbie, I like making "egg in a hole" with it and since the hot chile peppers are getting ready to pick, I am going to see how the air fryer will roast just enough peppers at a time to add to a sandwich or two. Frozen french fries come out great, as well as hamburgers. If you are interested I could post an Air Fryer cooking chart listing meats and vegetables that could be cooked along with the cooking time and temperature.

I would be very interested, as you well know I like fried foods, especially properly cooked french fries that are crispy.

[pondgardener]

[mention]worth1[/mention] I use a temperature of 400˚, which is less than the recommended oven temperature, set the time for at least 15 minutes, pulling the basket out every 4-5 minutes to toss the fries to get even heating. But after a few attempts, you make adjustments to get the texture you desire.

[pondgardener]

I found a couple of snapshots of air fryer cooking times that I took with my phones camera of an online book I was looking over. But temperatures and time are dependent on type of machine and your desired result of the cooked item. And you need to flip the product being cooked to ensure even cooking, as the heat is applied to just the top side of what you are air frying.

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[Cole_Robbie]

I tried making cabbage last night. I bought purple instead of regular, idk if that is what made it not come out so well.

After the second basket, the air fryer beeped and shut off like it is supposed to, then a few minutes later I looked up and smoke was coming out of it. I set it outside and let the fire go out. No wonder it was free.

[worth1]

I have been watching some air fryer videos and I have to say, 'Whatever the reason they have one, it sure isn't for low fat cooking.
Ya don't stick a whole potato slathered with oil in an air fryer and then cover it with half a stick of butter and a 6 ounces of cheese and expect to lose weight.
Looks like a useful tool for the right reasons though.

[mikestuff49]

I'm cooking baby back ribs in mine tonight. I'm looking for good ribs in a shorter amount of time involved. We'll see.

[worth1]

I'm cooking baby back ribs in mine tonight. I'm looking for good ribs in a shorter amount of time involved. We'll see.

I bet they come out good.

[ddsack]

I made breaded pork chops last night. The only extra grease was a light spray of olive oil on each side to aid with the crisping. No need to add tons of fat or butter. They call it an AIR fryer, for Pete's sake!

[mikestuff49]

The ribs turned out great in about 40 minutes.

[pepperhead212]

Though I rarely use it for the types of things they push air fryers for, I have a countertop convection oven from '77, way before they came up with that name, that does the same types of cooking, with a rack over a tray, to catch the drippings. The main thing I use it for (being larger than most) is baking breads, and I quickly got hooked on baking bread in a convection oven (hundreds of loaves have been baked in that thing!), since the crust is evenly browned, and they rise so evenly. Mine goes up to 450º, though I rarely use it at that temp.- 400º is usually the max. for the meats, or breaded items, but usually only 300º for breads. Amazingly, the thermostat is still very accurate in that thing - I do keep a thermometer in it, to check!

[Sue_CT]

I have convection in both my large oven and in my microwave. I use it only for meat, like Turkey or Chicken when I want crispy skin. I find the circulating air in convection dries out and crisps up the outside of whatever I am cooking. So if you like a crispy crunchy crust on your bread, I can see how it would work well for you. If I want soft breads and baked goods, though, I don't use it. I don't want crispy hamburger buns, for example. I like cookies soft and chewy. I suppose I could use it to speed up cooking without that effect if I covered the food in foil or something. I generally just use the regular oven though.

[Sue_CT]

OK, I was given an air fryer that I did not want for my birthday. I broke two expensive ceramic mixing bowls that I cannot replace trying to make room for it, and I am really upset about that. My mother, who is convinced it the best kitchen gadget ever invented because of what she has read, but has never tried one, really wants me to try it. She is even sending me recipes I don't want so that I will use it. I already have an a regular oven with convection, a built in microwave/convection oven, a toaster oven, an instant pot I have only used once in the 2 or 3 years I have owned it, not to mention various other kitchen applinaces. What can this thing do that I can't do the same or better in an oven, convection oven, microwave or toaster oven? Because if it is nothing, then it is going back to her. I am trying to be open minded, but it seems like another appliance to circulate hot air just like convection does. If not, I will try whatever it does so uniquely well before deciding I really don't want it.

[worth1]

[mention]Sue_CT[/mention]
I feel your pain.
My brother gave me a George Foreman grill for Christmas I didn't want.
Took it to Walmart and exchanged it for a giant Tramontina stainless kettle with steamer basket and all.
As you well know I have a ton of them now and use them all the time.
Looked at a ton of air fryer videos and not impressed.
Sorry folks just being honest.

[ddsack]

[mention]Sue_CT[/mention] Give that thing back! You already resent it (for good reason) and it will be just be another gadget that does what your convection oven can do. I bought myself an Instant Pot and only used it once in five years, had to give it away to get it out of my life. That said, I do like my air fryer for quick batches of 15-20 min for roasted mixed vegetables. Nice that you can open the drawer to check on progress and add quick cooking ones like broccoli late in the cycle. When cooking for one or two people, you don't have to heat up your whole oven, preheating is much faster.