A Cookpedia collection

Air Fryer Favorites

Air fryer recipes work because moving hot air is a far more efficient way to cook than a static oven, which is why they brown food in a fraction of the time and use a fraction of the energy. An air fryer is, mechanically, a small convection oven with a very strong fan. That is the whole trick. Because the basket is compact and the air is moving fast, the surface of the food loses moisture quickly and browns. The Maillard reaction that gives roast potatoes their crust and chicken thighs their colour. A conventional oven reaches the same temperature but moves air far more slowly, so browning takes much longer and the food dries out in the meantime. What an air fryer does well. Anything that benefits from fast, dry, high heat. Chicken thighs and wings, where the skin crisps while the meat stays juicy. Root vegetables cubed small, which caramelise at the edges. Salmon fillets and cod, which cook through in under ten minutes without drying. Tofu, which crisps in a way pan-frying rarely matches. Reheated leftovers (pizza, fried food, pastries) which come back closer to their original texture than a microwave can manage. What it does badly. Anything wet, anything battered, anything needing to be cooked in large volume. Wet marinades steam rather than glaze, so pat food dry and add sauces after cooking. Loose batter will pool and set, so use a dry coating such as breadcrumbs or cornflour. And an air fryer cooks in a single layer. Food piled up simply steams, which is the opposite of the point. The habit that matters most. Preheating. A few minutes of empty preheat is the difference between crisp and pale, because the basket needs to be at temperature before food goes in. After that, shake or turn halfway through, since the fan heats unevenly near the edges. And resist adding oil by feel: a teaspoon or two is usually enough, and too much oil smokes and burns onto the element. Sizing and timing. Air fryers vary enormously, and wattage matters more than the litre figure. Recipes written for a 1.5kg basket will cook faster in a larger one and slower in a smaller one, so treat times as a starting point and check early. Thinner pieces need less time than you expect. A salmon fillet is usually done in eight to ten minutes at 200°C. Where to go next. Our air fryer collection gathers the recipes that genuinely benefit from the method, from roast chicken thighs and crispy tofu to salmon, halloumi, stuffed peppers and faster versions of things that normally take an hour. If you are new to the appliance, start with a vegetable to learn how your particular basket behaves, then move on to proteins.