From Spicy Prawn Tacos to Cookie Cakes, Here’s 10 Surprising Dishes You Can Make in Your Air Fryer

Air fryers are genuinely the best thing on the market. Why? They’re an easy (and often healthier method) of cooking that requires minimal effort, which is why it’s no surprise the appliance has been getting a lot of air time recently (pun not intended).

If you already own an air fryer, you’ll likely know what we’re talking about. If you’ve been on the fence about buying one, these recipes might just persuade you. Here, we’ve rounded up ten unique recipes you’ll never believe were made in an air fryer.

From cookie cakes to homemade bread, the sky is well and truly the limit when it comes to making magic with your air fryer.

Pepsi Max Mango Fries by The Air Fryer Guy 

Equipment: Devanti Air Fryer ($161.95)

Ingredients: 

• 2 almost ripe/firm mangoes
• 1 cup of plain flour
• Olive oil spray
• 1 Tablespoon of fajita seasoning
• A pinch of salt and pepper
• Can of Pepsi Max Mango

Method: 

• Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes at 200c. 
• Cut mangoes into thick wedges/chips. 
• Put flour into a large bowl. 
• Cover each mango chip with flour and set aside. 
• Spray the air fryer tray with olive oil. 
• In batches, put the chips into the air fryer, then spray them with olive oil. 
• Cook for 7-10 minutes at 200c. 
• Transfer chips to another bowl and season with salt, pepper and fajita seasoning. 
• Enjoy with a cold can of Pepsi Max Mango. 

@airfryerguy

Mango Fries in the air fryer! How good is pepsimaxmango! Show me your mango hack! #airfryerguy #airfryerrecipe #SP #mango #fries #airfryer

♬ original sound – Air Fryer Guy

Weight Watchers Chicken Schnitzel with Salsa Verde 

Serves: 4

Equipment: Instant Pot Vortex Mini Air Fryer ($77.55)

Ingredients: 

• ¼ cup plain flour
• 1 medium egg
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
• 4x 150g chicken breast fillets
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 4 pickled gherkins
• 1 tbsp baby capers
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 300g green beans
• 500g halved cherry tomatoes

Method:

• Place flour on a plate. Whisk egg and 2 tsp water in a shallow plate. Combine breadcrumbs, onion powder and 1 tbsp oil in a third shallow plate. Season.
• Place chicken between 2 sheets of baking paper and pound with a rolling pin until an even thickness of 1.5cm. Working with 1 piece at a time, coat with flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg and finally coat with breadcrumb mixture.
• Preheat Airfryer to 200°C. Place 2 chicken pieces in the Airfryer basket, taking care to allow a small gap between them. Slide basket into Airfryer. Set the timer to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a food processor, process parsley, basil, gherkins, capers, vinegar, mustard and 2 tbs water, stopping several times to scrape down the side of the bowl until rough paste forms. Season.
• Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook beans for 1 minute or until lightly charred. Season. Add tomatoes. Carefully add ¼ cup (60ml) water, standing back to avoid steam. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until tomatoes soften slightly.
• Remove chicken from the air fryer as it should be finished now.
•  Serve chicken schnitzel with beans and tomatoes and dollop over salsa verde.

Basque Burnt Cheesecake 

Serves: 4

Equipment: Maxkon Air Fryer ($94.99) 

Ingredients: 

• 250g cream cheese
• 80g sugar
• 15g egg yolk, at room temperature
• 105g whole egg, at room temperature
• 0.5g vanilla extract
• 170g whipping cream, at room temperature
• 6g cake flour

Method:

• Soften the cream cheese to room temperature. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until all the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the egg yolk and mix well.
• Add the whole egg and mix well.
• Add the cream and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.
• Sift the flour evenly onto the cream cheese mixture. Beat until well combined.
• Pour the batter into a 6-inch round pan, lined with baking paper.
• Preheat the air fryer to 200°C for 10 minutes.
• Bake the cheesecake in the air fryer at 180°C for 18 to 21 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cool the cheesecake on a rack without removing the mold. Chill and serve.

Elle Vernon’s Fairy Bread Bagels

Ingredients:

Makes: 4

Equipment: Philips XXL Digital Air Fryer ($504.15)

• 1 ½ cups self-raising flour, plus extra to dust
• Pinch of sea-salt flakes, to season
• 1 cup Greek-style natural yogurt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp hundreds and thousands

Method:

• Put flour and salt into a large bowl. Add yogurt, and stir until a shaggy mixture forms.
• Tip the mixture onto a clean, dry surface. Use your hands to gather the mixture into a rough ball, then knead the dough together until all of the flour has been incorporated, and a slightly sticky ball has formed.
• Cut the ball into quarters. Dust the surface with a little flour, then roll one portion into a log, 24cm long. Curl the log to form a ring, pinching the two ends together to adhere. Repeat with remaining portions. Brush tops with a little egg.
• Place hundreds and thousands on a plate, then lightly press dough rings into the hundred’s and thousand’s, egg-side down.
• Remove the mesh basket from the Philips XXL Digital Air Fryer and arrange it inside, with hundreds and thousand’s facing up, leaving a little space in between each one.
• Return the basket to the Air Fryer and set temperature to 160C and time to 12 minutes. Cook until bagels are light golden brown. Remove basket from Air Fryer and set aside for 15 minutes to allow bagels to cool slightly. Enjoy warm, or cool completely if preferred.

Roasted Lemon and Thyme Chicken

Serves: 4

Equipment: The Combi Wave Air Fryer by Breville ($449.95)

Ingredients 

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 40g butter, at room temperature
• 1.6kg whole chicken
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Method:

• Combine the garlic, parsley, thyme and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add the butter and stir to combine. Divide into two portions.
•  Pat the chicken completely dry. Carefully spread one portion of the herbed butter under the skin of the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Tuck the wings behind the back and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
• Press FOOD MENU and select COOK, then CHICKEN, 1.6kg. Place the Combi Crisp pan on the turntable in low position and press START to preheat the pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, in the preheated pan and press START to begin cooking.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest, loosely covered, for 5-10 minutes before brushing with the remaining herbed butter and serve.

Brioche Braided Bread

Serves: Up to 8

Equipment: De’Longhi IdealFry Hot Air Fryer, $189

Ingredients: 

For the dough

• 500 grams flour
• 3 eggs
• 100 ml milk
• 100 grams softened butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

For browning

• 3 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1 egg

Method: 

• Put the flour in a large bowl (or on a rolling board), make a well in the centre and put all of the other ingredients in the well. Mix together into a ball and knead for at least 10 min or until it is smooth and elastic.
• Remove the paddle from the bowl.
• Select the AIRGRILL program, select power level 4, set 2 min and press the program start/stop button. When finished, put the greaseproof paper inside the bowl with the bread dough on top, close the lid and let rise for 1 hour.
• When finished rising, remove the dough and place on a floured surface. Make 3 strips about 40 cm long and braid.
• Reset the AIRGRILL program, select power level 4, set 2 minutes and press the program start/stop button.
• Open the lid, quickly place the braid on the greaseproof paper, close the lid and let rise for another 30 minutes.
• Beat the egg yolk. Brush on the bread and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Close the lid, select the OVEN program, select power level 1, set 35 minutes and press the program start/stop button.

Violet Crumble Caramel Air Fryer Pizookie 

Serves:  4-6

Equipment: Healthy Choice 5 Litre Digital Air Fryer ($77)

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/3 cup choc chips
• 4 squares Violet Crumble Caramel crushed

Toppings:

• Crushed Violet Crumble Caramel
• Melted chocolate
• Ice Cream flavour of choice

Method:

• Preheat your air fryer to 160º2.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together.
• Add egg and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
• Stir in baking powder and flour until a thick dough forms.
• Fold in choc chips and crushed Violet Crumble Caramel.
• Portion out the dough into 2 large cookies or 4 small cookie sand flatten into a greased cake tin.
• Air fry 8-10 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Top with a chocolate drizzle, ice cream and crushed Violet Crumble Caramel.

Potato Tortilla 

Serves: Up to 6

Equipment: De’Longhi Traditional Deep Fryer, $179

Ingredients: 

• 600 grams potatoes
• 1/2 onion
• 6 eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 level teaspoons of peanut oil

Method: 

• Peel the potatoes and cut in 1 cm cubes. Peel the onion and cut into slices (not overly small).
• Insert the paddle in the bowl.
• Put the onion, oil and potatoes in the bowl, close the lid, set the thermostat dial to position 4, press the bottom heating element button and press the on/off button. Cook for 25 min.
• Remove the paddle (be careful, it is very hot).
• Spread the potatoes and onions evenly on the bottom. Pour the previously prepared mixture of eggs, salt and pepper evenly over the top and continue cooking for another 5 min or until the egg is firm.

Weight Watchers Smokey Pork Cutlets 

Serves: 4

Equipment: Tower Air Fryer ($91.79)

Ingredients: 

• 500g baby potatoes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 small fennel bulbs cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp light sour cream
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 4x pork loin cutlets

Method: 

• Set the Airfryer to 200˚C. Toss potatoes with half the oil in a bowl. Season.
• Transfer to Airfryer basket and insert basket in Airfryer. Set a timer for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, toss fennel and remaining oil in the same bowl, and once the timer goes off, toss potatoes and add fennel. Set a timer for a remaining 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine sour cream, garlic and paprika in a large bowl, add pork and turn to coat.
• Transfer roasted vegetables to a heatproof dish and cover with foil to keep warm. Arrange pork cutlets in Airfryer basket, leaving a little gap between each. Insert basket and set timer for 7 minutes.
• Set cutlets aside, loosely covered with foil, to rest for 5 minutes. Return vegetables to Airfryer and set timer for 3 minutes. Serve cutlets with roasted vegetables.

Spicy Prawns

Serves 2-3

Equipment: Russell Hobbs Brooklyn Air Fryer ($138)

Ingredients: 

• 1kg raw tail-on peeled prawns 
• 1 tbs paprika powder
• A generous drizzle of olive oil
• Small stick of butter
• Nando’s Peri Peri Spice Chilli Salt
• A sprinkle of dried oregano

Method: 

• Defrost prawns (if bought from frozen) and add to a bowl with paprika and olive oil. Mix well until they’re all evenly coated. 
• Spread prawns out on the Airfryer draw and cook for seven minutes on 170 degrees.
• While they’re cooking, you can pop your small stick of butter (100g or so) into a large bowl and microwave it to melt, making sure to mix every 15 seconds, so it doesn’t burn. Add a sprinkle of oregano and some Nando’s Peri Peri Chilli Salt.
• Once the seven minutes is up, take the prawns out of the Airfryer and put them into the butter mixture, mixing well.
• Voila, succulent spicy prawns that slide right out of the tail. You can serve these up with rice, as part of a prawn taco mix, or even in prawn rice paper rolls. The options are endless.

@lowcarbstateofmind

spicy shrimp in the #airfryer #learnontiktok #easyrecipe #airfryerrecipes #danosseasoning #danospartner

♬ Little Bitty Pretty One – Thurston Harris