Yummy recipes to try in your air fryer

Easy, yummy recipes to try in your air fryer

With a short prep time, Bacon is at its best when prepared in an air fryer. Photo by Gianna Kelley

Air fryers have become the new must-have kitchen gadget for home chefs. They are a faster and healthier alternative to frying in oil, and the food comes out golden and crispy in a fraction of the time that it would take in a standard oven!

Air fryers range in price from about $60 - $150. I bought a COSORI for $120 over a year ago and it’s everything I wanted and more! It’s easy to use, easy to clean, comes with a book full of great recipes and looks snazzy.

Here are some of my favorite air fryer recipes that I’ve made for a yummy and healthier alternative to frying with oil:

Fried Pickles – 5 Stars

Ingredients: Sliced dill pickles, egg, flour, breadcrumbs, parmesan and Italian seasoning.

This fried pickles recipe makes a perfect appetizer. They’re easy and quick to make in the air fryer, but be prepared to get your hands dirty. This appetizer is addictive and will be gone in five seconds, but what truly makes it amazing is the dipping sauce.

I made this buttermilk-free homemade ranch from The Recipe Critic, and it paired perfectly with the fried pickles. The sauce is creamy and tangy, and the panko crust turned out crunchy and golden.

Mozzarella Sticks – 3 Stars

Ingredients: egg, Italian seasoning, salt, breadcrumbs and mozzarella string cheese.

The mozzarella sticks turned out yummy, but I’m not sure it was worth all of the effort. The process of battering the cheese sticks, freezing them for half an hour then repeating the entire process several times took a total of about two hours. It’s another recipe where you have to get your hands dirty.

The breading was crispy and salty, and the Italian seasoning added a nice flavor. However, the cheese wasn’t as gooey and melted as I expect from mozzarella sticks. I think in order for the cheese to get as stringy as possible, it has to be deep-fried. The flavor was still nice, and it paired great with marinara dipping sauce. I used jarred Bertolli’s garlic pasta sauce, and it definitely made the appetizer 10 times better.

Bacon – 5 Stars

Ingredients: bacon.

The air fryer is my favorite way to cook bacon because it turns out crispy and flavorful. It’s faster than the oven and the air fryer is almost effortless to clean. The result is much crispier than cooking it in a skillet and faster than a standard oven. With the air fryer, you can save some time making breakfast –– just pop some bacon in the air fryer and it’ll be ready in under 10 minutes.

Pizza – 3 stars

Ingredients: cheese (your choice), pizza dough, olive oil, tomato sauce and topping.

The flavor of this homemade pizza recipe was great, and it wasn’t too challenging. I would highly recommend getting a premade pizza dough if you’re looking for something fast and easy. I like making my own dough, but I didn’t stretch it out thin enough in the air fryer, so my crust ended up being more “Chicago-style.”

The center wasn’t as crispy as I would’ve preferred, but I didn’t want to cook it any longer and risk burning the cheese. My air fryer cooks from top to bottom, so the toppings cook faster than the dough. Make sure you roll out your dough as thin as possible!

I white onion, banana peppers, fresh basil, cheddar, mozzarella and Bertolli’s garlic pasta sauce as toppings. The recipe was delicious, but it’s definitely not the fastest process.

Garlic Potatoes – 5 stars

Ingredients: baby potatoes, olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cajun seasoning (optional but I highly suggest), salt and cracked black pepper, lemon and parsley.

These garlicky baby potatoes are such an easy and delicious side dish that can work with practically anything. The prep is fast and easy –– all you have to do is cut the potatoes in half and mix in the seasonings you prefer with a good amount of olive oil.

I tried cajun seasoning, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Top off with some lemon juice and fresh rosemary and voilà! You have a garlic potato side dish bursting with flavor.

Here are some other recipes I'll be trying soon in the air fryer, and you should too:

Published on The Standard: February 28, 2022