Try This Air Fryer for Healthier, Less Messy Fried Foods

French Fries

Of course, French fries—an obvious choice, but so incredibly tasty. I made two batches, both from frozen fries, though the Airfryer includes a simple cookbook with a recipe for homemade fries. The key is to preheat the Airfryer for a few minutes, then cook for a bit longer than the recommended time, shaking the basket in between. This ensures even cooking in this little convection oven. Both batches came out perfectly golden and crispy, with the deep-fried texture you crave, but without the dryness that often happens when baking fries in a regular oven. For the second batch, I added poutine-style curds during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Genius!

Photo credit: Leslie Kelly.

Chicken Wings

I seasoned the wings with a barbecue dry rub and let them marinate overnight. After loading them into the Airfryer basket, just 18 minutes later, I pulled out perfectly cooked wings with a rich mahogany color. The meat was juicy, the skin crisp and full of flavor. The only catch is that you can’t fit more than six wings at a time in the fryer, as they need to be cooked in a single layer. This makes it ideal for serving one or two people, but not a crowd. I had better success with drumsticks, which I coated in seasoned panko breadcrumbs, then drizzled with olive oil. The Airfryer works best when there's a bit of oil on the food's surface.

Edited wings in the Airfryer photo by Leslie Kelly

Photo credit: Leslie Kelly.

Cauliflower Popcorn

This chopped cauliflower dish was a healthy hit! Coated in olive oil and seasoned simply with salt and pepper, the cauliflower caramelized beautifully, developing a slight crunch on the edges. For a Buffalo twist, I drizzled on some hot pepper sauce and topped it with blue cheese. Can’t wait to experiment with other veggies in the future!