Air fryers are a fast way to boil, bake, and fry many of our favorite meals.
Did you know they're great for cooking fruit, mac and cheese, even eggs?
Keep watching for how you can pull it off.
You may not have thought of putting a banana in the air fryer, but the concept isn't that
different from whipping up fried plantains as a sweet side for breakfast.
And really, it's an easy way to get a serving of fruit.
Simply heat your air fryer to 350 degrees fahrenheit, slice your bananas, brush with
vegetable oil, and sprinkle with sugar.
You'll cook the sliced bananas for about 12 minutes in the air fryer, and just like that,
they're ready to serve.
The sugar in the bananas and the coconut sugar, along with the oil, create a "caramelized"
effect that makes them particularly sticky and delicious.
And while they make an excellent breakfast accompaniment, they also make a good dessert.
You can even turn them into a "fried" banana split by topping them with ice cream, a drizzle
of chocolate, and a few cherries.
"Wow, that is the brownest banana I've ever seen.
That's borderline black I wouldn't eat that.
You're eating it–he's eating it."
Meatloaf isn't necessarily a dish that makes your weekly roundup of favorite recipes, but
when you're getting a hankering for a nostalgic dinner, it's easy to make a loaf in your air
fryer.
The prep isn't all that different than making meatloaf in your oven.
You simply mix together the loaf ingredients — ground meat, an egg, breadcrumbs, milk,
spices, and diced onion — form it into a loaf-like shape, and cook it in your air fryer
for 25 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Then, add a glaze of barbecue sauce and ketchup, and cook for 5 more minutes to allow the outside
of the loaf to get a little crispy and sticky.The air circulation in the air fryer helps deliver
that slightly crisp texture on the outside with the moist, perfectly-cooked beef on the inside.
When it's ready, serve with mashed potatoes and green veggies.
You won't be disappointed.
Green beans are easy enough to steam or stir fry, but if you've never considered how perfectly
suited they are for frying?
Due to the beans' narrow and long shape, they're not that different from french fries.
So when you season them with salt, garlic, vegetable oil, and pepper, then pop them in
the air fryer at 380 degrees fahrenheit for 8 minutes.
What you get is crunchy, but perfectly cooked and fresh-tasting green beans.
They're flavorful without losing their texture or masking their taste with other ingredients.
One thing to keep in mind is that you need to shake the basket of the air fryer about
halfway through the cooking process to help the batch cook evenly and to prevent sticking.
French toast isn't necessarily something you'd think about putting in the air fryer.
And yet, you know the perfect French toast is served with slightly crunchy, crispy edges,
and that nice, soft interior.
So, clearly, it's air fryer material.
And luckily, it's incredibly easy to make.
You need all the basic ingredients you'd expect in a French toast recipe — bread, eggs,
milk, butter, and vanilla extract — then dip the bread in your mix, and air fry at
335 degrees fahrenheit for six minutes.
You might want to flip the slices of bread halfway through the fry for a more even finish.
When it's done, serve with a dash of cinnamon or powdered sugar topped with fruit.
The result is even better than a pan-fried version.
Most people don't think about making a frittata in the air fryer.
Once your air fryer is preheated to 375 degrees fahrenheit, it only takes 15 minutes to deliver
a veggie-filled breakfast that's deliciously crispy around the edges.
All you need is eggs and the fillings of your choice.
For instance,veggies and pre-cooked breakfast meats work really well.
Here's the thing — you don't want to just add all the ingredients directly to your air fryer.
Instead, use a circular pan that fits inside your air fryer before adding the pre-mixed ingredients.
Then, simply allow the frittata to cook for 15 minutes and it's ready to serve.
Cooking a full-fledged apple pie in your air fryer might be a little tricky, but whipping
up the handheld version is surprisingly simple.
And given that the handheld pies are typically deep-fried to get that nice, crispy, flaky
crust, using your air fryer can help cut down on some of the added fat without skimping
on flavor.
All you need is pre-made pie crusts, apple pie filling, cinnamon, sugar, an egg, and
a little bit of water.
Simply roll out the pie crusts and cut them into squares that are roughly 5-inches wide.
Spoon apple pie filling in the middle and fold them over, pinching the edges together
to make your apple pies.
Then, use the egg and a little bit of water to make an egg wash, brushing it over the
top of the crust.
Cut small slices in the crust to allow for venting, and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over
the top.
Finally, pop them in a preheated air fryer at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.
Just like that, you've got tasty hand-held apple pies.
"We'll just tell your mother we ate it all."
Mac & Cheese
Mac and cheese doesn't typically come to mind when you think of "fried foods."
Usually, it's thought of as a creamy, cheesy comfort dish.
But really, baked pastas are popular because of the slightly crunchy texture that develops
around the edges.
And when you air fry your mac and cheese, you get that delicious, crunchy cheese coating
in addition to the soft, creamy pasta you know and love.
And the beautiful thing about air fryer mac and cheese is that you're making your meal
from scratch, which delivers an even better flavor than if you were making it from a box.
All you have to do is mix together dry pasta, chicken broth, cheeses of your choice, heavy
cream, butter, and any seasonings of your choice, and put them in an oven-safe container
that fits inside your air fryer.
Cook the whole thing at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
After 20 minutes, top the pasta with panko breadcrumbs and a little more cheese, then
cook for 5 more minutes at 400 degrees.
What results is a delicious, cheesy mac and cheese that you'd never achieve if you were
making it from a box.
There are lots of ways to make hard-boiled eggs — so why not add an air fryer to the
list of possible options?
And really, the process couldn't be easier.
Simply preheat your air fryer to 250 degrees fahrenheit.
While it's preheating, soak the eggs in a bath of lukewarm water.
This can help prevent cold eggs taken straight from the fridge from cracking during the cooking process.
When the air fryer is ready, simply remove the eggs from the water and place them in
the fryer.
Let them cook for about 17 to 18 minutes before removing them and placing them in an ice bath
for a few minutes to cool down and make them easier to peel.
While you can cook a decent number of eggs in your air fryer, just keep in mind that
you don't want to pack the eggs too close to each other as that can prevent the hot
air from circulating evenly.
Otherwise, this cooking method couldn't be easier!
"Here comes the last one, stuff it down in there, get it in!
That's the last one in there.
Chew Chew Chew!"
If you've ever whipped up a batch of roasted broccoli, the air fryer-version is every bit
as good as the original and takes a little less time to make.
And if you haven't ever tried roasted broccoli, you're in for a treat.
Because regardless of whether you typically like broccoli, the roasted or air fried version
amps up the flavor and texture, giving you a healthy veggie serving that tastes like
a fried treat, but without the extra oils and added fats.
Plus, air fryer broccoli is incredibly easy to make.
Simply toss the broccoli florets with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil.
Use a vegetable spray to spray the bottom of your air fryer to keep the veggies from sticking.
Preheat the device to 400 degrees fahrenheit, add the broccoli, and cook for 8 minutes,
shaking the basket halfway through.
Just like that, you've got a healthy and delicious side dish that's crispy on the outside and
soft on the inside.
Make two or three batches at once so you can feed a crowd.
If you've never made homemade bagels before, it probably hasn't crossed your mind that
you could make a version of mini bagels in your air fryer.
But with the right ingredients and about 25 minutes of your time, you can whip up a batch
of mini bagels that pair perfectly with a hot cup of coffee and a smear of cream cheese.
All you need is flour, baking powder, salt, Greek yogurt, and an egg.
Combine the dry ingredients, mixing them with a fork.
Then, add the yogurt, continuing to mix with until a dough forms.
Use your hands to knead the dough, then divide it into pieces so that you can create half-inch
thick "ropes" of dough that you can form into the round bagels a couple of inches in diameter.
Beat the egg and use it as an egg wash, brushing the tops of the bagels to help give them a
nice sheen.
Finally, cook the mini bagels in your air fryer at 280 degrees fahrenheit for about
12 to 15 minutes, aiming to achieve a nice golden-brown color.
Let them rest for 15 minutes before enjoying.
"Oh I uh, sorry I uh had a bite of my bagel and I forgot to pray."
Who knew you could make sandwiches in the air fryer?
And honestly, how delicious does an air fryer grilled cheese sandwich sound?
Because you know it's going to perfectly melt the cheese while crisping up the edges of
the bread in exactly the way you want it to.
And the thing is, the steps to make your sandwich are simple: preheat your air fryer to 400
degrees fahrenheit, butter both sides of two slices of bread, add shredded cheese between
the slices, and cook the sandwich for 10 minutes on top of a trivet placed in the small appliance.
Just flip the sandwich halfway through to get a nicely toast on both sides of the bread.
You know you can cook up fried meats, like fried chicken, fried shrimp, or even chicken
fried steak in your air fryer, but have you considered the fact that you can air fry ribs
to absolute perfection as well?
To get that country-style flavor, all you need is pork seasoning and barbecue sauce.
Simply preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees fahrenheit, then spread the pork seasoning.
Lay the ribs in an even layer in the air fryer basket, then cook for 10 minutes.
Flip the ribs over to cook for an additional 10 minutes before brushing them with your
favorite barbecue sauce, coating them fully.
Turn up the heat on your air fryer to 400 degrees, and return the coated ribs back to
the air fryer for 8-10 more minutes.
You want the barbecue to turn into a caramelized, slightly sticky glaze, with the edges of the
ribs just crisping up.
Just like that, you've got a batch of delicious ribs ready to enjoy for dinner in about 30
minutes flat.
Never underestimate the power of the air fryer when it comes to cooking delicious and tender meats.
Have you ever even considered eating pasta on a stick?
The air fryer makes pasta skewers possible because it turns cooked pasta into a slightly
crunchy treat that you can enjoy topped with all the pasta basics — tomato sauce, cheese,
and seasonings like fresh basil, oregano, or rosemary.
To make skewers of your own, start with cooked pasta, penne or something similar is your best bet.
String about 11 pieces of the pasta on a skewer, then brush the pasta with tomato sauce on
both sides, and sprinkle with your favorite cheeses, Parmesan and mozzarella are good options.
If you're so inclined, you could skewer pieces of cooked sausage or pieces of tomato or onion
between the pieces of pasta to create a kabob-like effect.
Once you've created a few of these pasta skewers, simply place them in the air fryer at 400
degrees fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
When you remove them, they'll deliver an almost pizza-like effect of a crunchy, but still
soft, "crust" topped with perfectly melted cheese.
Finally, sprinkle the top of the skewers with the freshly chopped herbs of your choice.
and if you'd like, add a dash of salt, pepper, or even red pepper flakes for a spicier finish.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Mashed videos with kitchen gadget tips are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.