Healthy Air Fryer Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is healthy to cook in an air fryer? ›

Lean into plant foods like fruits, vegetables, herbs, legumes and nuts. You can use your air fryer to "sauté" greens like kale and Swiss chard, "roast" vegetables including carrots, asparagus and Brussels sprouts and "bake" lean cuts of protein like boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Households are shelving their air fryers in favour of another kitchen appliance that is cheaper to run, and just as healthy.

By most measures, air frying is healthier than frying in oil. It cuts calories by 70% to 80% and has a lot less fat. This cooking method might also cut down on some of the other harmful effects of oil frying.

Ribeye and New York strip steak tastes great when prepared in an air fryer, but many other cuts such as tri-tip, flank steak, and top round also work well. Marinate lean steak cuts prior to cooking, and try to stick with 1-inch-thick steaks for the best results.

As with all dry-heat cooker methods (grilling, broiling, pan frying and oven roasting), tender beef cuts perform best in the air fryer. Those cuts include Top Sirloin, KC Strip, Ribeye, Tenderloin and Tri Tip. Ground beef also can be easily prepared in an air fryer.

Some say it's too good to be true, that you can't effectively “fry” something with a few tablespoons of oil and hot circulating air. Some say yeah, it works but it takes up too much countertop space for what it's worth.

AIR fryers have been a hot topic in recent years, with a huge rise in sales as people look for healthier and more cost-effective ways to cook food. But now shoppers are searching for an alternative kitchen appliance that's said to be a better (and cheaper) alternative to air fryers: halogen ovens.

A halogen oven consists of a glass bowl with a lid that contains a fan and halogen bulbs. When switched on, beams of infrared radiation are released from the halogen bulbs to produce heat. The fan circulates hot air over and around the food to cook.

In airfryer, hot air is used to prepare food. Since oil is not used to fry, it does not add calories. But, if you are person who gains weight easily or you have high cholesterol and you fry chicken/red meat/potato etc. in airfryer and use it frequently thinking you are not deep frying them, it is not healthier.

What is the real truth about air fryers? ›

Air fryers 'fry' your food. Despite its name, an air fryer doesn't actually 'fry' your food at all – it bakes it. "The biggest misconception is that air fryers cook foods the same as deep frying," says Fiona. "They cook as an oven would, so foods are more oven baked than deep fried."

Several air fryers have a non-stick coating that contains chemical polyfluorinated molecules, better known as PFAs and nicknamed “forever chemicals,” due to the decades they take to break down in the environment, as explained by Joseph G.

Grab your pre-cut, starchy vegetables (think potatoes, squash, beets and other root vegetables), and soak them for a minimum of 15 minutes or longer in filtered water before preparing them for your recipe. This helps reduce the percentage of acrylamide formed.

Some of the popular things to make in the air fryer are potatoes (chips, roasted, baked), muffins, scones, and cakes. It's also great for getting dinner on the table fast – we love to use our air fryer to make fritters, rissoles, nuggets, and pork belly (yes, you can cook raw meat in an air fryer).

The pros are that air fryers are versatile, easy-to-use, and very quick allowing you to make healthier food efficiently in your own kitchen. Despite this, these rather large devices quickly take up space on your kitchen counter or in your cupboards and can be tricky to clean.

Which is better: an air fryer or a microwave? An air fryer is ideal for cooking healthier, crispy dishes, while a microwave is best for quick reheating and defrosting. Choose the appliance that aligns with your specific cooking needs and preferences.