Air fryers are a versatile kitchen appliance

 

The air fryer has become an essential tool for many cooks, a way of preparing not just fried foods but many dishes generally baked in an oven.

They can be used to make breakfast sandwiches, side dishes and entrees as well as desserts. They can quickly and easily be used to reheat leftovers.

But there are a few things to know to make using your air fryer easier and most effective.

The first tip seems obvious — take care of your air fryer. Only use utensils that are safe for nonstick surfaces, such as silicone-tipped utensils to avoid damaging the non-stick surfaces, and when cleaning air fryers, avoid using items like steel wool, metal scrubbers or anything abrasive. 

To make cleanup easier, place parchment paper on the bottom of the basket.

Preheat your air fryer, especially if you want to sear something, and don’t overcrowd the basket or you may prevent the food from cooking evenly and stop the food from browning and crisping.

Don’t use aerosol cooking sprays that use propellants or emulsifiers. Instead, invest in a mister where you add your oil of choice. Propellants can create a sticky build-up in your fryer, making it difficult or impossible to thoroughly clean.

When cooking, it’s often good to shake the baskets or flip the food halfway through to ensure both sides are evenly cooked.

If you’re cooking fatty foods, add a thin layer of water to the fryer drawer beneath the basket to prevent smoking.

Remember that it’s fine to open your air fryer during the cooking process to check your food. 

And when you’re done, whether you’re roasting a chicken or making a pork tenderloin, don’t toss the juices that collect in the air fryer drawer. They are the foundation of a tasty gravy or pan sauce.

Following are some air fryer recipes from www.airfried.com.

 

 

Air Fryer Breakfast Bites

6 slices bacon

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons diced green chiles

1 can of 8 refrigerated flaky layers biscuit dough

4 tablespoons butter melted

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Add bacon to the basket of an air fryer and fry eight minutes at 400 degrees. Remove bacon and crumble. Drain any bacon grease and wipe out the air fryer basket.

Whisk together eggs and milk, then scramble in a greased skillet over low heat until eggs are set but not overdone. Season with salt.

Remove eggs from the heat and stir in crumbled bacon, cheddar and diced green chiles.

Peel each biscuit in half to form 16 pieces of dough. Spoon egg mixture evenly into the center of each piece of biscuit. Fold the edges of the biscuit around the filling and roll into a ball. Be sure to seal the dough.

Stir together melted butter and maple syrup.

Arrange biscuit bombs in an even layer in the air fryer basket, leaving a bit of space between each one. You will likely need to work in batches.

Brush tops of the biscuits with maple butter, then air fry at 350 degrees for five to six minutes, until dough is golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot.

 

 

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

8 large sea scallops

4 slices center-cut bacon

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cracked pepper to taste

Parsley

Slice bacon in half and place in a greased air fryer basket. Air fry at 400 degrees for three minutes, until bacon is partially cooked, but not at all crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate until cool enough to handle.

Pat scallops dry and wrap the edges in bacon. Secure with a toothpick.

Whisk together maple syrup, butter, soy sauce and garlic powder in a small bowl.

Place scallops in the air fryer and brush with sauce. Air fry at 400 degrees for eight minutes, until bacon is crisp and scallops are opaque and just cooked through. Do not overcook. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and parsley before serving.

Be careful not to overcook the scallops or they’ll get tough and chewy. They should be opaque and feel a bit like Jello that is perfectly set when touched. You may use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. Scallops should be 125 degrees – remove from the air fryer at 120 degrees and let rest five minutes to come to temperature.

 

 

Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

1 frozen breaded chicken breast filet

2 slices sandwich bread

1 tablespoon softened butter

Pinch of garlic salt

2 to 3 tablespoons marinara sauce

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Pinch of Italian seasoning

Spritz air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place frozen chicken in the basket and spritz with cooking spray. Air fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, until hot and crispy.

Butter each piece of bread on one side. Sprinkle butter with garlic salt.

When the chicken has finished cooking, place one slice of bread, butter side down, in the air fryer basket. Spread one tablespoon marinara sauce over the bread and sprinkle with half of the Parmesan and mozzarella. Place chicken breast on top and spread with remaining marinara. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over the cheese and place the second piece of bread, butter side up, on the sandwich.

Air fry at 360 degrees for four minutes, carefully flip the sandwich and cook another three to four minutes, until bread is golden and crispy. Serve hot.

 

 

Indoor S’mores

4 sheets graham crackers

4 marshmallows

1 Hershey’s candy bar

Carefully break graham crackers in half to form 8 crackers. Place four graham cracker squares in the bottom of an air fryer basket. Top each with one marshmallow. Air fry at 400 degrees for four to six minutes, until marshmallow is as toasted as you’d like.

Break candy bar into equal sized pieces and place over the marshmallows. Top with remaining graham crackers.

Return to the air fryer for 30 seconds, with the air fryer turned off. The residual heat will melt the chocolate. Serve immediately.

 

 

Air Fryer Apple Crisp

For filling: 

3 large Granny Smith apples

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

For topping:

1/3 cup quick cooking oats

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons butter melted

Peel and core apples, then chop into small, bite-sized pieces. Place in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Stir to coat.

Grease four six-ounce ramekins and divide the apples evenly between them.

Place oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl and stir to combine. Drizzle butter over the top and stir to combine. Crumble evenly over the apples, then cover ramekins with foil.

Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees for two minutes. Place ramekins in the air fryer basket and air fry for 12 to 14 minutes, until apples are softened to your liking. Remove foil and cook one to two minutes to brown the topping. Use a fork or knife to test the apples for doneness.

Let sit five minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, if desired.

 

 

Air Fryer Hash Browns

16 ounces frozen hash browns

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt 

Pepper to taste

Place frozen hash browns in a bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat, then spread potatoes in an even layer in an air fryer basket. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Air fry at 370 degrees for 15 minutes.

Use a spatula to break the hash browns into four sections and carefully flip each section over. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Continue air frying at 370 degrees five minutes, until potatoes are as crisp as desired. Serve immediately.

 

 

Air Fryer Roasted Garlic

1 head garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

Sea salt, optional

Slice the top 1/4-inch of the garlic bulb off, exposing the inner cloves but leaving the garlic intact. Place garlic in the center of a sheet of aluminum foil, then drizzle oil over the garlic, letting it drip down into the cloves. Sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired. Wrap foil tightly around the garlic, then air fry at 380 degrees for 25 minutes.

Carefully remove foil-wrapped garlic from the air fryer and let cool a bit before carefully unwrapping the bulb. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic from the skins.

Spread roasted garlic on bread, add into mashed potatoes, use to make garlic aioli, add to hummus or use in other foods.

 

 

Cheesy Taco Pinwheels

1/2 pound ground beef 

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 tablespoon sour cream

Salt 

2 large flour tortillas

1/4 cup shredded cheddar

Brown beef in a small skillet over medium heat, crumbling meat as it cooks. Drain grease, then add 1/4 cup water and taco seasoning. Stir to combine and cook five to 10 minutes, until liquid has evaporated.

Place seasoned beef, cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl and mash together with a fork until well combined. Taste and season with salt, if needed.

Divide mixture evenly between tortillas and spread to the edges. Sprinkle cheese evenly over each tortilla and roll up tightly.

Use a sharp knife to trim the edges of the tortilla, then slice each tortilla into five pieces. Arrange pinwheels in an air fryer basket in an even layer. Cook at 370 degrees for five minutes.

 

 

Air Fryer Monterey Chicken

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

6 cups warm water

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1- to 2 tablespoons BBQ dry rub

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons diced green onions

Fill a bowl or baking dish with warm water and add salt. Stir to combine., then add the chicken and place in the refrigerator for one hour to brine.

Remove chicken from the liquid and pat dry. Season chicken on both sides with the BBQ dry rub.

Spritz the air fryer basket with oil and place chicken in the basket in an even layer. Air fry at 380 degrees for seven minutes. Brush with BBQ sauce, flip and brush with more sauce. Cook three to five minutes, until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees.

Open air fryer and carefully sprinkle the top of the chicken breasts with shredded cheese. Close air fryer basket and let sit, turned off, one to two minute, until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with bacon, tomatoes and green onions and serve.

The brine for the chicken does make this more moist and flavorful, but if you’re in a rush you can absolutely skip this step.

 

 

French Toast Roll Ups

10 slices white bread

10 tablespoons Nutella

2 large eggs

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Powdered sugar

Syrup

Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees. Spritz the basket with oil spray or line with parchment paper.

Trim crust off each slice of bread, then use a rolling pin to flatten each piece. Spread each slice with one tablespoon Nutella, then roll the bread up tightly.

Place eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Dip each bread roll into the egg mixture for a couple of seconds, then let the excess drip off. Place in the air fryer basket and air fry five to six minutes, turning halfway through cooking.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with a drizzle of syrup.

 

 

Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Scones

3-1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups dark chocolate chips

2 cups cold whipping cream

2 tablespoons butter melted

Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Pour in cold whipping cream and use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture until just combined.

Lightly dust work surface with flour. Place scone mixture onto the flour and lightly knead until it just comes together. Don’t overwork the dough.

Divide dough into three evenly sized balls. Flatten each ball into a seven-inch circle using your hands, then cut each circle into eight triangles. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.

Preheat air fryer to 330 degrees for three minutes. Add scones to the air fryer basket in a single layer with room between each. You will need to work in batches. 

Air fry for seven minutes. The tops and edges should be just lightly golden in spots, but not overly browned. Let cool at least five minutes before serving.