I'm a trained chef – These are meals I ALWAYS cook in the air fryer

As a trained cook, it might surprise you to hear that the air fryer is my favorite kitchen tool. It all started when I was living in a tiny flat without an oven and working for a healthy recipe box company, writing air fryer recipes. I became obsessed with what I could cook in the air fryer – starting with roasted veggies and even attempting a full English roast dinner. It became my go-to for just about everything.

If you've just bought a Black Friday weekend air fryer deal in the amazing sales, and you're not sure where to start, let me show you how versatile it can be. Air fryers are ideal for quick, healthy meals. They heat up in seconds, require minimal oil, and are energy-efficient. According to Instant, their air fryers are 70% faster than ovens and use 95% less oil than deep frying.

Best of all, you don't have to lift a finger to create food that's crispy on the outside and tender within – just pop the food in the drawer and you're set.

From sticky teriyaki salmon to simple 'smores, here are my favorite dishes to cook in the air fryer. The possibilities are endless!

The best air fryers 2024

If you're late to the air fryer party, these are the top three models from my best air fryer list. Black Friday might be over, but sales are running all weekend until Cyber Monday. You can still find a great deal and cook delicious dishes in any of these air fryers.

Tested by

Tested by

Lydia Hayman

Lydia trained in cookery at Leiths School of Food & Wine and was previously Recipe Editor for Mindful Chef. She’s also worked for healthy food brands, like Deliciously Ella. Lydia tests air fryers, mixers, frying pans and more in her home kitchen, ensuring they're the perfect fit for real home cooks.

Breakfast

The air fryer is your best friend for effortless, healthier breakfasts. You could make these dishes half asleep.

Crispy bacon

Air-fried bacon is crispy and less fatty than stovetop cooking. I recommend placing the strips in a single layer in the air fryer and cooking for 5-8 minutes at 400F. The bacon will be perfectly browned and crunchy, without swimming in grease.

Egg bites

As a health-conscious cook, I try to start my day with protein, but I'm often in a rush. I make these protein-packed egg bites in half the time it takes to bake in the oven.

I whisk together eggs, chopped veggies and shredded cheese, then pour the mixture into these non-stick, silicone baking cups from Amazon. I find the air fryer replicates the texture of fluffy, sous-vide eggs without special equipment. The clean-up is minimal and there's no oil or butter needed.

Baked oatmeal

I've seen air-fried oatmeal recipes trending all over TikTok, so I had to try it out for myself. You don't have to do anything special, just add the ingredients to the basket (oats, bananas, cinnamon, eggs, milk and chocolate) and mash everything together. Bake at 350°F and fifteen minutes later you have a warming sweet breakfast. I used my rectangular, silicone basket liners for hygiene and the easiest clean-up.

Frozen pastries

Frozen pastries like croissants and cinnamon swirls can be cooked in the air fryer in minutes. It creates the crispiest, fresh-from-the-oven texture without heating your whole kitchen. Check your packet for air fryer instructions – I usually preheat to 350F then put the pastries in for 10 minutes. The ultimate, lazy weekend breakfast.

Snacks & Side Dishes

An air fryer is ideal for cooking frozen food quickly on days when you're particularly tired or rushed off your feet.

French fries

I haven't cooked French fries in the oven or deep fat fryer for years – they are quicker, crispier and less-oily in the air fryer. My partner loves them.

There's a guide to cooking French fries in the air fryer here, including top tips for making homemade chips too. If you want an a healthier option, you can make homemade sweet potato fries instead, seasoned with a little paprika for smoky spice.

Roasted vegetables

Again, I can't remember the last time I used my oven to roast vegetables. I toss tomatoes, courgettes, peppers and broccoli into my Ninja Double Stack – which preheats instantly. I spritz them with olive oil, using this glass oil sprayer from Amazon and select the vegetable preset. Once they're soft and charred, I serve the vegetables as a side dish, or stir them into pasta sauces for a veggie-packed dish.

Frozen goujons

Frozen fast food items like chicken goujons, fish fingers, breaded or battered vegetables can all be air fried from frozen and like all the other foods: no waiting time for your oven to pre-heat.

Chicken goujons or tenders are my favorite option, and should take around eight to 12 minutes at around 400°F to get nice and crisp from frozen. You can usually find air fryer instructions on the back of the packaging these days.

Protein

Teriyaki salmon

This is my favorite dish to order at a restaurant, but I used to shy away from making it at home because I can't stand the lingering smell of pan-fried fish. Thankfully, the air fryer changed everything.

Now, I make a quick teriyaki marinade, pour it over the salmon fillets and my Ninja air fryer takes 12 minutes to bake them on the 400F recipe preset. The salmon is perfect – fall-apart tender with a sticky glaze – and no lingering odors in my kitchen.

Tofu

Air fryers use 95% less oil than deep frying, so that you can achieve a crispy, but healthy finish. I take advantage of this to make crispy tofu bites, with soy sauce, sesame oil and seeds. If you choose an air fryer with a window, like the Instant Vortex you can keep track of the cooking process and remove your tofu when it is the perfect color for you.

I start prepping a vegetable stir-fry once I've put the tofu in and everything is ready at the same time. Life-changing stuff.

Dessert

If you're craving a sweet treat, but no one else is, you can easily make a single-serve dessert without having to waste energy heating the whole oven for one portion. I've also made small batches of cookies, cakes and even air fryer 'smores!

Air fryer cookies 

You can make a small batch of air fryer cookies in less than 10 minutes, without having to wait for the oven to preheat. My favorite is peanut butter and chocolate chip. It's almost too easy and too tempting!

Baked bananas

Healthy desserts are effortless in the air fryer. When I'm craving a sweet treat after dinner, I quickly air-fry banana halves, studded with cinnamon, nuts and raisins. I serve it with a dollop of Greek yogurt, honey or ice cream. If your air fryer has a dehydrate function, you can also make banana chips or any kind of fruit crisps, for that matter.

'Smores

Not so healthy, but a cute midnight snack for kids and grown-ups. I make this in the Winter months, when there's no chance I'll be building a campfire. I actually did a deep dive on whether you can grill with an air fryer – and it turns out, a whole BBQ is possible!

The general gist is adding chocolate and marshmallows to toast in the air fryer, then scooping up the gooey goodness with a graham cracker. I use a paper liner, so all the sticky mess gets discarded and there's no washing up.

Just keep an eye on them and be careful not to burn the top. This recipe is trending on TikTok, so you're sure to find some inspiration over there.

Air Fryer Liners

As you might have noticed as I talked through these desserts, air fryer liners can open up a world of recipe possibilities. I never use my air fryer without one, so I tested the best air fryer liners to find the only ones worth buying. Combined, these will cover every recipe in this guide.

Reheated leftovers

Pizza slices

Home economist at Breville, Zoe McClean, suggests: 'Use the air fryer for re-crisping or reheating takeaway leftovers, like fried chicken or pizza, and enjoy your meal for a second time.

You might ask: Why air fry leftover pizza when you can microwave it? Air frying keeps the base of your pizza nice and crisp, whereas microwaving tends to soften the base. Zoe says, 'I like to wrap leftover pizza in aluminum foil before air frying as this helps to prevent the topping from drying out.'

A chef's air frying tips

Preheat the air fryer: This is the key to a crispy finish. Most air fryers only require a couple of minutes to preheat – some take mere seconds!

Use air fryer liners: Line your basket with silicone or parchment paper liners. This makes cleaning so much easier and catches mess from sticky or saucy foods.

Use a spritz of olive oil: I use a dash of olive oil to help potatoes, vegetables and goujons get golden. Just avoid aerosol sprays that contain lectin, since they can damage your air fryer's non-stick coating.

Temperatures vary: Not all air fryers are created equally, so cooking times can vary depending on your specific model, the size of the food, and your personal preferences. While I've provided general guidelines, the best results come from checking your food frequently as it cooks.

Check on your food: It's best to check on your food two or three times during the cooking. For fries, sausages, goujons, and vegetables, it's a good idea to shake the basket at these points to get that all-over golden finish.

What's best food to cook in an air fryer? If I had to choose, it would be breakfast. The egg bites are so easy and bacon comes out crispy, perfectly cooked, and less fatty than when cooked under a grill or in a pan. You could even air-fry some frozen hash browns for a full brunch.

That said, I couldn't live without my air-fried banana dessert. It's the healthiest after-dinner treat I've tried. Tempted to invest? You can shop for the best air fryer deals below.

Black Friday weekend deals