An air fryer works exactly like a small fan-forced oven, circulating hot, dry air to cook crispy food. It's faster to heat up than an oven and uses little to no oil, making it a healthier way to 'fry'.
Quick tips
- Remember to give the basket a few shakes during cooking, for crispy, evenly browned results.
- Skip the dishwasher. Even if the instructions say your air fryer drawer is dishwasher safe, the non-stick coating will last much longer if you wash it by hand.
- Don't overfill or your food won’t cook properly.
- Wash or wipe the drawer after every use. Otherwise, it might give off odours and smoke from previously cooked food.
- Never use an aerosol spray in the air fryer as it will ruin the non-stick coating – grab a refillable spray bottle and lightly spray foods with a fine mist of oil or use a brush. Make your non-stick pans last longer
- If you’re cooking marinated food, you can lay baking paper in the basket to keep it from sticking (and it makes clean up easier).
- Add a little water to the bottom of the drawer when cooking fatty foods. This will stop it from smoking and making a huge mess to clean up!
- If your air fryer isn’t digital use a thermometer to check any meat is cooked as the settings may not be as accurate.
- The exterior of the air fryer can get hot, so be careful
- For safety, always unplug your air fryer when it’s not in use.
Cooking
- Rather than using the microwave to heat up leftovers (which can leave them mushy and soggy), use your air fryer! It’s great to reheat meals such as pizza or chips. You can also perk up a sad Danish pastry or croissant in just a couple of minutes.
- Cook things such as burgers and schnitzels in a single layer.
- Enjoy delicious roasts in a fraction of the time and you won’t heat up your entire house by using the oven.
- You can bake anything in the air fryer, but obviously it must fit in the air fryer drawer. If you have a silicon cake pan that fits, try baking a cake! You’ll be surprised how great it turns out in less time than in the oven.
- Make boiled eggs. Okay, they aren’t ‘boiled’, but you get the idea. Just put your raw eggs in the air fryer for about 15 minutes. Try cooking one egg first to see how long it takes in your air fryer as they can differ between brands and sizes. 6 egg-cellent egg tips!
- Who doesn’t love a warm cookie straight out of the oven? Make your cookie dough, form it into a log, wrap and freeze. Then, slice a couple of cookies from the log and pop into your air fryer with baking paper on the bottom of the basket. You’ll have a constant supply of freshly baked cookies! More freezer food tips
- Dehydrate orange and lemon slices on a low temperature as a garnish for your cocktails or mocktails! Just slice your fruit thinly and set the temp to 45 C. You can also pop some into a nice jar for a great homemade gift.
Here are some great Little Aussie recipes you can try in your air fryer:
Prepare Fuss-free Fish Parcels and pop them into the air fryer rather than the oven. Adjust the time and keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook.
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas are perfect for a delicious snack, and perfect for air frying. Make sure you line the basket with baking paper or foil, so they don’t fall through the holes, keep giving them a shake and adjust the time to suit your air fryer.
Make a batch of our Belgian Waffles and store in the fridge or freezer. When you fancy one for brekky or brunch, just pop them into your air fry to crisp them up!
