Air Fryer Recipes that are both quick & nutritious the Whole Family will love - Cathy Richards, RD (2024)

FAQs

What 5 foods should you not put in an air fryer? ›

Summary. In conclusion, while air fryers offer certain benefits such as reduced calorie intake and faster cooking times, they are not without their limitations. Size constraints, limited cooking options, and concerns about crispiness are driving some people to look for alternatives.

Air-frying equipment is not known to cause cancer, but the process of air frying does result in the formation of certain compounds, like acrylamide, that are linked to cancer development. Acrylamide is classified as a probable human carcinogen.

Hearty dishes including stew, chilli con carne or bolognese are midweek favourites, but Good Food's food copy editor Samuel Goldsmith advises against using an air fryer to cook them. As the hot circulates inside the air fryer, this can cause hot liquids to splatter, which can be dangerous and messy.

Some say it's too good to be true, that you can't effectively “fry” something with a few tablespoons of oil and hot circulating air. Some say yeah, it works but it takes up too much countertop space for what it's worth.

A countertop oven is a quick fix

But I'll argue that the taste trade-offs are worth it, and that you'll still be heating food and cooking more quickly than you would in a large conventional oven.

These gadgets are superb for cooking 'small things that cook quickly', but Lewis pointed out that loading the air fryer with various foods can increase energy consumption and bump up your bills.

Most of the downsides of Ninja air fryers can be said of any air fryer: They have a limited cooking capacity, you can burn food easily, and they are quite bulky, taking up a good amount of counter space.

Acrylamide can be reduced by not cooking food at a too high temperature for too long. Consumers should aim for a golden yellow colour or lighter when frying (including air frying), baking, toasting or roasting food.

What food Cannot use air fryer? ›

Brussels sprouts are the best place to start your air-fried vegetable journey. They crisp up beautifully and take no time at all. If you're making these for a crowd, we suggest frying them up in batches as overcrowding the basket can lead to soggy results.

It is safe to cook raw meat in the air fryer if it is fully defrosted, seasoned, and monitored. Some fully cooked foods, including chicken tenders or fries, can be placed frozen in the air fryer. However, with raw meat, it's recommended to thoroughly defrost to allow more even cooking and a tasty final product.

While an air fryer can technically take a burger patty from raw to cooked, the exterior won't brown as quickly as it would on, say, a grill, which means medium-rare (and even medium) burgers are out of the question. You also won't get that irresistible char.

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

Here's why: Bacon doesn't require any excess oil or butter to cook because it's so full of fat. So when hot air is circulated around the bacon, your air fryer will fill up with rendered bacon fat, which will then burn and maybe even release smoke from your machine.

It's great at heating frozen foods, but it's also fantastic for from-scratch foods, like chicken wings, potato chips, donuts, and extra-crisp cookies. Here, we've rounded up 81 air fryer recipes to show just how versatile the appliance can be.