How would you like to eat delicious fried food with up to 80% less fat?
You can if you use an Air Fryer for your favorites. Enjoy the crispy crunchy deliciousness of fried food with little to no oil. It’s faster, less messy, and much healthier. Not to mention you do not have that “fried oil smell” lingering in the air for hours after cooking.
So, how does an Air Fryer work anyway?
It works by circulating hot air around the food to produce a crunchy, crispy exterior. Instead of completely submerging the food in oil, air-frying requires just a tablespoon of oil to achieve a similar taste and texture to deep-fried foods.
If you’re looking to whittle your waistline, swapping deep-fried foods for air-fried foods can be a good place to start. Because air-fried foods are lower in fat than deep-fried products, switching to an air fryer may be an easy way to cut calories and promote weight loss.
French Fries
My mom made the best homemade French fries when I was a kid. She didn’t make them often but when she did, they were always a huge hit. Of course, this was back in the dark ages before Air Fryer’s were invented. Her fries were deep fried and dripping in fat. Delicious, but not very healthy. The first thing I made when I got an Air Fryer was french fries. I was so excited when they actually turned out just like my mom’s. Absolutely delicious. And super easy. I normally leave the skin on to make it even easier, but you can peel it if you prefer. I have made fries with Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes. Both are very good. But if I had to choose, I would go with Russet. They seem to make crispier fries.
How do you get super crispy French fries? Remove starch from potatoes by soaking them in cold water for at least 1 hour prior to cooking. Pat dry thoroughly.
Preheat Air Fryer to 380/spray with nonstick spray or olive oil.
2 russet potatoes per person.
Slice fries into ½ inch sticks (a fry cutter can make this a lot easier).
Put potatoes in a Zip-Lock bag or bowl with lid. Add 1-2tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (I also like to add 1-2 drops of doTERRA Rosemary Essential Oil to the Olive Oil for added flavor).
Add 1/2tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and a few shakes of Pepper.
Toss the potatoes to coat.
Put the fries in an even layer in the air fryer basket with no overlapping and cook, turning them halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove and season with salt.
You may need to cook the fries in batches depending on the size of your fryer and the number of potatoes used.
Chicken Wings
The very day that the Air Fryer was delivered to our front porch (courtesy of my Mother-in-law) my husband made chicken wings. He loves wings and neither of us had ever made them because it seemed like too much trouble. They were something we ordered when we went out to watch a game or shoot pool. Now, my husband makes them 2-3 times a month.
We prefer dry wings with a side of ranch. But you can use buffalo sauce, BBQ sauce or create your own sauce. You might want to add the sauce after cooking for less mess. (you can purchase basket liners for easier clean-up)
My husband’s wing recipe
Preheat Air Fryer to 400/Spray with nonstick spray or Olive Oil.
Bag of Chicken Wing Sections (it’s much easier than buying the full wings!).
Thaw out the bag and rinse with water.
1.5 cups of flour combined with a few dashes of Sea Salt, a few dashes of pepper, a few dashes of Season Salt and a pinch of Cajun Seasoning.
Coat with flour mixture.
Add single layer to Air Fryer basket.
Cook for 10 minutes, flip the wings, cook for 10 more.
Serve plain or with a side of Ranch Dressing.
Potatoes & Green Beans
Oven-baked kielbasa, potatoes and green beans have been a family favorite for years. It’s an easy and delicious one-sheet meal that both of my kids love. The one complaint my daughter had was that sometimes, the kielbasa would get overcooked.
After we got the air fryer, I thought I would try to mix things up a bit. I cooked the potatoes and green beans in the air fryer, and the kielbasa on the stove and then combined them. I got 2 thumbs up from my 6-year-old!
Preheat air fryer to 390/Spray the basket of the air fryer with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.
12 oz Trimmed Green Beans (I buy the bagged ones in the produce section).
2 Pounds Baby Yellow Gold Potatoes, Halved.
1/2 Tsp Garlic Salt.
Put potatoes/beans/garlic salt in a Zip-Lock bag or bowl with lid. Add 1tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (I also like to add 1-2 drops of doTERRA Rosemary Essential Oil to the Olive Oil for added flavor).
Place the potatoes and beans in the basket.
Cook for 25 minutes. Check on the vegetables halfway through the cooking time and stir them. At this point, add an additional coat of olive oil if need.
Pork Chops
My original favorite pork chop recipe involved a can of cream of mushroom soup. Needless to say, it wasn’t the healthiest option available. I tried to make healthier chops by cooking them in the oven and on the grill but I felt like the chops always got dried out.
I love making Pork Chops in the Air Fryer. They are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. This is now my go-to option for cooking pork chops.
Allow Chops to rest for about 30 minutes to take off the chill prior to cooking.
Preheat Air Fryer to 380.
4-6 Boneless Pork Chops.
Rinse and pat dry.
Combine ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper.
Rub a little olive oil on the Chops and apply spices evenly to both sides.
Add single layer to Air Fryer basket. (4 should fit depending on size)
Cook for 5 minutes, flip, cook for 5 more minutes.
We like to serve ours on rice with a side of green beans.
Zucchini Fritters
If I had to pick a favorite vegetable, zucchini would probably be it. I love steaming it, cooking it on the stovetop, making zucchini boats, spiraling it to make noodles. The possibilities are endless. Well, maybe not endless but it’s definitely super versatile. Full disclosure, I haven’t actually made these fritters yet. I have it on my list and plan to try it next week. I came across this recipe while searching for vegetable recipes for the air fryer. It looks so fantastic, I wanted to share. If you try it, I would love to know what you think!
Preheat air fryer to 350/spray with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.
Shred 2 Zucchinis and squeeze out excess water with a cheesecloth.
Mix 1 cup shredded cheddar, 1 egg, 1/2 cup flour, 2 tbs chives , 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper in a bowl.
Add zucchini to the mixture.
Mix together.
Make 8 patties with the mixture.
Optional ( place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes) to keep the form.
Put zucchini patties in the air fryer for 5 minutes.
Flip patties over for an additional 5-10 minutes or until brown.
For the full blog post on Zucchini Fritters, click here.
What are your favorites?
There are countless Air fryer recipes available online. I usually ask google for help. My grandmother is old school and purchased an Air Fryer cookbook from Amazon. The Air Fryer that I recommend actually includes a recipe book to get you started. My family enjoy’s trying new recipes. If you have a favorite, please drop it in the comments!
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