Easy Air Fryer Recipes: 14 Dishes That Crisp Up Beautifully

The air fryer has quietly become the most-used gadget in a lot of kitchens, and it is easy to see why. It crisps like a deep-fryer, roasts like an oven, and does both faster with barely any oil. The one catch is that most recipes are still written for a conventional oven, so you need to drop the temperature a little and shorten the time. Our air fryer conversion calculator does that maths for you in a couple of seconds.

Here are fourteen recipes from around the ZestyPlate kitchen that take to the air fryer especially well, with a suggested temperature and time for each. Treat the settings as a starting point: cook in a single layer, shake or turn halfway, and check the food is properly done before serving.

Chicken that comes out crisp

Chicken Karaage: Japanese fried chicken is made for the air fryer, and the cornflour coating goes properly crisp without a pan of oil. Try around 190C for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.

Chicken wings with cumin, lemon and garlic: Wings are the thing air fryers do best. Toss them in the spice mix and cook at 200C for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking once or twice, until the skin is deep golden.

Katsu Chicken Curry: The breaded chicken crisps up nicely at about 190C for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once. Make the curry sauce on the hob while it cooks.

Kentucky Fried Chicken: A lighter take on the bucket. Give the coated pieces a spray of oil and cook at 190C for 20 to 25 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through.

Chicken Shawarma: The marinated strips char at the edges just as they would on a spit. Around 190C for 12 to 15 minutes does it. Pile into warm flatbreads with the garlic yoghurt.

Fish and seafood in minutes

Baked salmon with fennel and tomatoes: Salmon is almost foolproof in an air fryer. Eight to twelve minutes at 180C leaves it just cooked and flaking.

Honey teriyaki salmon: The glaze caramelises fast under the fan. Cook at 180C for 8 to 10 minutes and brush with a little more sauce at the end.

Cajun spiced fish tacos: Spice-rubbed white fish cooks in under ten minutes at 190C, ready to flake into warm tortillas.

Garlicky prawns with sherry: Prawns need barely any time at all. Six to eight minutes at 200C and they are pink and sizzling.

Meatballs, sausages and sides

Cevapi Sausages: These little skinless sausages brown nicely at 190C for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once.

Algerian Kefta meatballs: Roll them small and cook at 180C for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the basket so they colour all over.

Breakfast potatoes: Diced potatoes go crisp outside and fluffy inside at 200C for 15 to 18 minutes. Shake them a couple of times as they cook.

Even pudding

Churros: Pipe the dough straight into the basket and air fry at 190C for 8 to 10 minutes, then roll in cinnamon sugar. Less mess than deep-frying, all of the crunch.

Jamaican banana fritters: Spoon the batter in and cook at around 190C for 8 to 10 minutes for a lighter fritter.

A few things that help

• Do not crowd the basket. A single layer with room around each piece crisps far better than a packed load.
• Give fresh vegetables and coated foods a light spray of oil. Frozen and fatty foods usually need none.
• Check a few minutes early the first time you make something, since air fryers run hot and vary by model.

For any other recipe on the site, put the oven temperature and time into our air fryer converter and it will hand you the air fryer settings. Then just browse the recipes and get cooking.