These 4 things you should definitely make in the Airfryer (and these 3 definitely not)
Do you already have an Airfryer, or are you considering buying one? One thing is certain: lots of people are absolutely delighted with theirs, creating one dish after another without having to use too much fat. But there are also several types of food that are better kept away from this appliance…
We’ll show you here that not everything is automatically suitable for preparing in an Airfryer. But these surprising things are! They’re surprising because they’re not the standard meat or cheese bitterballen, which by now you probably know you can prepare in one. No, these are something else entirely:
Pumpkin seeds
Delicious for healthy snacking, especially if, after cooking (while they’re still warm), you lightly brush them with some good olive oil and sprinkle them with herbs such as dukkah or za’atar. If you were to do this traditionally, it would take an hour, but in an Airfryer it apparently takes just fifteen minutes.
Homemade chips
Many people have turned this into a real success, and you can also try something other than thinly sliced potato slices. Vegetable chips, for example: slices of beetroot, sweet potato or parsnip cut on a mandoline. Delicious when the natural sugars in these vegetables caramelize, with a pinch of Maldon salt on top!
Homemade chicken nuggets
FavorFlav’s Marcus Polman has a perfect recipe for homemade chicken nuggets! The only thing you need to adjust slightly is the step in which you let the batter with the crumbs (around the chicken pieces) firm up a little: don’t do this in the refrigerator, but in the freezer if you’re going to bake the nuggets in an Airfryer.
(Pre-cooked) crispy ravioli
Super tasty, deep-fried ravioli, but not really something you should make often. With this hack, you’ll be making a healthier choice: cook the ravioli until tender as indicated on the package, brush with a little olive oil (on a board or baking sheet), and generously sprinkle with a mixture of 1 tbsp grated Parmesan and 1 tbsp panko. Place in the Airfryer, and the result? A soft interior and a crisp, slightly hazy crust on the ravioli. Great!
There are also a few things other people have tried for you so that you don’t have to, with disappointing results. So do not put or prepare these things in the Airfryer:
Leafy greens
We also don’t know why anyone would want to put a head of lettuce or raw spinach leaves in the Airfryer, but apparently it happens. Not a good idea. What does work? Making kale ‘chips’ in it, although you do need to make sure all the (properly cleaned and dried) leaves are coated with a layer of oil.
Seasoned (but not oiled) food
Unless you have rubbed or brushed the food with some oil, herbs, spices and seasonings such as salt and pepper will probably blow off everywhere and fly around when the Airfryer is switched on. It’s better to season the food after taking it out—again, if you haven’t used any extra fat.
Trying to feed a large group of people
There are of course XL models, but even then you shouldn’t try to feed the entire street with your Airfryer at the neighborhood party. It works for a family, but preparing food for large groups isn’t the most convenient use for it. Before you know it, you’ll be spending the entire evening baking batch after batch of whatever, while outside (or somewhere you aren’t, with your Airfryer) the party has long been underway (or over!).
Read also:
- These are the most delicious Airfryer bitterballen in the world
- 6 common Airfryer mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- How to make crispy croutons in the Airfryer super quickly
Source: Reader’s Digest
