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Air fryers are terrific kitchen appliances which allow you to fry foods without the greasy and unhealthy effects of traditional fryers. They are growing more and more popular as time passes by, becoming increasingly more standard in kitchens everywhere. But what can you cook in an air fryer? Here are the top 10 best foods to cook in an air fryer.
1. Fried Chicken Wings
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Want the typical fried chicken wing taste without the excess grease and calories? An air fryer will give you tender, crispy fried chicken wings that are very faithful to the oil fried version. By setting your air fryer at around 360 degrees fahrenheit, you can prepare excellent chicken wings in 25 to 30 minutes. Simply open the fryer two or three times while cooking to flip the wings around with a pair of tongs.
2. Popcorn Shrimp
By setting your air fryer to around 350 degrees fahrenheit and inserting your breaded shrimp, you can have healthy, low-fat popcorn shrimp in about 10 minutes. To bread the shrimp, use flour, egg, milk, bread crumbs, salt, basil, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and any other spice you desire. Mix these spices up in a bowl, roll your shrimp around the bowl, and they’ll be ready to be thrown in the fryer.
3. Fried Pork Chops
Another tasty food to prepare in an air fry is fried pork chops. Start by making a breading out of flour, egg, salt, black pepper, and breadcrumbs coated with olive oil. Once this breading is ready, roll your uncooked pork chops in it until they are fully covered. Set your air fryer at about 375 degrees celsius and throw the pork chops in for around 10 minutes. Make sure to turn the chops over after about five minutes so that they can be fully fried. This will result in crispy, delicious fried pork chops.
4. Mac & Cheese Wheels
If you’re looking to make a great appetizer for your meal, you should try making a mac & cheese wheel. By putting cooked macaroni into a casserole dish and adding breading, you allow it to be fried to a crispy, delicious texture. Set your air fryer around 350 degrees fahrenheit and cook the macaroni for about 30 minutes. A great air fried mac & cheese wheel recipe can be found here.
5. BBQ Pork Strips
Another delicious air fried food to make is BBQ pork strips. Start by setting the airfryer to around 350 degrees fahrenheit. While it’s preheating, tenderize your pork strips and cover them in honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ground ginger, and ground pepper. Once your strips are covered, put them in the fryer and let them cook for 5 to 8 minutes on each side. When they’re golden brown, you’ll have tender, tasty BBQ pork strips to enjoy.
6. French Toast Sticks
Like breakfast food? You can use an air fryer to make that as well. A great breakfast food to make in an air fryer is french toast sticks. Start by setting your air fryer at around 350 degrees fahrenheit. While it’s heating, butter your bread and cut it into strips. After they’ve been cut, dip the strips into egg. Throw the stips in the fryer for around 2 minutes, remove them, spray them with cooking oil, and then throw them back in for around 4 minutes. After this is done, you can cover them in the garnish of your choice, giving you sweet, tasty, and delicious french toast sticks in around 10 minutes.
7. Fried Pickles
Folks often forget about the fact that you can fry vegetables. With an air fryer, you can fry vegetables without saturating them in unhealthy oil. A great vegetable to fry is pickles. First, slice some dill pickles to the width of your choice. Then roll each pickle in flour, egg, milk, and breadcrumbs. After having done this, set the temperature at around 400 degrees fahrenheit. Let each pickle fry for around 7 minutes on each of its sides and reap the benefits.
8. Cake
Air fryers can be used to make sweet treats as well. In fact, they’re great devices for making cakes, cupcakes, and sugary snacks. Once you’ve made your batter, pour the batter into the fryer’s pan receptacle. Put foil over the receptacle and poke holes in it so that heat can escape. Set the fryer at around 360 degrees and let the cake bake for 35 minutes. Then remove the foil and let the cake bake for 10 more minutes. This will result in soft, delicious cake.
9. Burgers
Who doesn’t love a tasty burger every now and then? With an air fryer, cooking delicious burgers is easier than ever. Start by rolling your burger meat in a bowl of your chosen seasoning. Once this is done, form the meat into several patties. Set your fryer at around 400 degrees fahrenheit and then place the patties in the fryer for around 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, check on the patties to make sure they’re doing alright. Then let them cook for 25 more minutes at around 350 degrees fahrenheit.
10. Fish and Chips
The popular English dish, fish and chips, can also be made in an air fryer. There are tons of quality recipes all over the internet. You can find a good one here. It’s a fairly easy food to prepare, taking around 25 minutes in total.
Image Courtesy of Flickr User Edsel Little