I’m an air fryer expert – here’s my easy recipes for a burger bowl and melted chocolate pud
THERE’S no denying it: Air fryers are here to stay, with research showing that nearly half of all households now own one.
They’re cheaper and cleaner than a conventional oven – plus they use less oil and are safer for older kids to use.
New book How To Make Anything In An Air Fryer, by Hayley Dean, smashes the stereotypes that they are only good for warming chips – with 100 simple, family-friendly recipes to try.
Hayley said: “Because they work efficiently, air fryers require less power to heat and then cook food quicker. Surveys report that they use around 60 per cent less energy than regular ovens.”
Here, in an exclusive extract, we highlight five recipes from the book that can be served up in around 30 minutes.
- Extracted by Natasha Harding from: How To Make Anything In An Air Fryer: Easy Dinners! (Ebury, £22) published on August 15. Photography: Hannah Hughes
Chicken and prawn noodle bowls
ONE of my all-time favourite noodle dishes, this bowl of yumminess is inspired by probably the most famous food from Thailand, the pad Thai.
I love it just with chicken but you can add a few prawns, too.
I’ve included a few peanuts in the calorie count, but if you’re not keeping tabs then feel free to add more for extra crunch.
Cooking time: 19 minutes
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Calories: 600 cals per serving
(Serves 2)
YOU NEED:
For the chicken and noodles:
- 2 skinless chicken breasts (about 300g)
- 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 165g raw king prawns (optional)
- 300g straight-to-wok flat rice noodles
- 100g beansprouts
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Non-stick spray oil
- For the sauce:
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tsp tamarind paste
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp sriracha hot chilli sauce, plus extra to serve
To serve:
- 10g salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Method:
1. Preheat the air fryer to 180C. Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips. Toss the chicken and white parts of the spring onions (reserving some of the greener bits for a garnish) with the sesame oil.
2. Add the chicken and spring onion, and cook for eight minutes.
3. Add the prawns, if using, and cook for a further three minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and add the noodles and beansprouts.
5. Once the chicken and prawns have had their cooking time, add the noodles and beansprouts to the air fryer.
6. Mix to combine with the chicken and cook for a further four minutes, then return to the bowl.
7. Place a pizza pan or 20cm cake tin in the air fryer and spray with oil.
8. Season the beaten egg, add it to the pan or tin and cook at 180C for three minutes, using a silicone spatula to stir the beaten egg regularly to encourage it to cook evenly. Cook for a further one minute.
9. Divide the noodles between two serving plates and top with the scrambled egg, chopped peanuts, green parts of the spring onion and lime wedges for squeezing over.
10. Serve with some extra sriracha sauce if you prefer it spicy.
Big burger bowls
AFTER I saw a few different burger bowls online, I had to give it a go.
This bowl has everything that you’d find on a burger, just without the bun.
I like to serve mine with potato wedges rather than fries and a bit more salad than you’d get in a burger for a more balanced meal.
Cooking time: 18 minutes
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Calories: 480 cals per serving
(Serves 2)
YOU NEED:
For the potato wedges:
- 300g potatoes (I use King Edward)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Non-stick spray oil
For the beef:
- 250g beef mince (10 per cent fat)
- 2 slices of burger cheese
For the big burger sauce:
- 1 tbsp “light” mayonnaise
- ½ tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp pickled gherkin juice (from the jar)
To serve:
- ½ Iceberg lettuce
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- ¼ onion
- 3 tbsp sliced gherkins (or more or less, if you’re a gherkin lover or hater!)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
METHOD:
1. Preheat the air fryer to 200C and cut the potatoes into evenly sized wedges.
2. Place the wedges in the air fryer basket, spray them with oil and season with plenty of salt and pepper.
3. Cook at 200C for ten minutes, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time.
4. Season the beef mince.
5. Push the potato wedges over to one half of the air fryer basket, then place the mince in the other half of the basket, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
6. Spray the mince with oil and cook at 200C for seven to eight minutes.
7. While the mince and wedges are cooking, prepare the big burger sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.
8. Shred the lettuce, chop the cherry tomatoes and finely chop the onion.
9. Remove the basket from the air fryer and lay the cheese slices on top of the cooked mince.
10. Allow the cheese to melt outside of the air fryer.
11. Divide the shredded lettuce and potato wedges between two wide, shallow bowls.
12. Top the lettuce with the cheeseburger mince, cherry tomatoes, chopped onion and gherkins.
13. Drizzle over the big burger sauce and finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Beef and broccoli stir fry
I MAKE this simple stir-fry regularly in my fryer as it takes just minutes to pull together.
The beef and broccoli both crisp up slightly without overcooking, then the nutty sesame seeds add a little more crunch.
This is a really good one to include alongside other Chinese-style dishes when you are feeding a crowd.
Cooking time: 14 minutes
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Calories: 286 cals per serving
(Serves 2)
YOU NEED:
- 225g sirloin steak, trimmed
- 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp cornflour
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into 2cm pieces
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- Non-stick spray oil
METHOD:
1. Cut the steak into finger-width slices and put them in a bowl with the ginger and garlic paste, sesame oil and 1½ tablespoons soy sauce then leave to marinate. In a separate bowl, combine the hoisin sauce with the remaining 1½ tablespoons of soy sauce, the cornflour and 100ml water.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 200C.
3. Add the steak to the air fryer basket with the marinade and cook at 200C for four minutes.
4. Transfer the steak to a plate and set aside.
5. Add the broccoli to the air fryer, spritz with oil and cook at 200C for four minutes.
6. Shake the air fryer basket, pour the hoisin sauce mixture over the broccoli and cook for a further four minutes.
7. Put the steak back in the air fryer, mix to combine and cook for a final two minutes.
8. When ready to serve, divide the beef and broccoli between two serving plates then scatter the toasted sesame seeds on top.
Salmon, asparagus and baby potato tray bake
IDEAL when you’re looking for a light and healthy meal that is quick to prepare, as you can get this dish ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes.
And because it’s cooked all in one tray, there’s so little washing up!
The honey, mustard and dill mayo is a heavenly match for the sublime salmon.
Cooking time: 22 minutes
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Calories: 419 cals per serving
(Serves 2)
YOU NEED:
- 300g baby potatoes, halved (or quartered, if large)
- Non-stick spray oil
- 2 salmon fillets (about 240g total – and long ones, if possible)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100g asparagus tips
For the dressing:
- 1½ tbsp “light” mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tbsp chopped dill, plus extra to serve
- 1 tsp honey
METHOD:
1. Preheat the air fryer to 180C.
2. Drop the baby potatoes into the basket, spritz with oil, season with salt and pepper, then cook at 180C for 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the potatoes to a plate while you add a liner to the basket.
4. Return the potatoes to the air fryer basket. Season the salmon then nestle it inbetween the potatoes. Cook the potatoes and salmon at 180C for four minutes, then add the asparagus tips and cook for a further three minutes.
5. While everything is cooking, make the dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, dill and honey in a bowl then add one tablespoon of water and stir to mix well.
6. When ready to serve, divide the salmon, potatoes and asparagus between two serving plates.
7. Drizzle over the dressing and scatter on some extra dill.
Melt-in-the-middle chocolate puddings
A DINNER party staple as they never fail to impress guests, especially when they discover the hidden surprise.
I sneak a few caramel chocolate buttons into each pudding mould before baking, so you get a burst of liquid caramel as you scoop through the molten choc pudding.
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Calories: 529 cals per pudding (without cream)
(Makes 4)
YOU NEED:
- 4 dariole moulds or a muffin tray that fits in your air fryer.
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder, plus an extra 2 tsp for dusting
- 100g salted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 150g caster sugar
- 80g self-raising flour
- 12 caramel chocolate buttons
- Pouring cream, to serve (optional)
METHOD:
1. Grease four dariole moulds well with butter then dust them with the two teaspoons of cocoa – make sure you thoroughly coat each mould in cocoa. Put a disc of parchment paper on the base of each mould.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 180C.
3. Add the cocoa to the melted butter in a bowl, then mix to combine. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until a little foamy. Pour in the cocoa mixture then sift in the flour and fold together until combined.
5. Spoon the chocolatey mixture into the prepared dariole moulds then push three chocolate buttons down into each pudding until just submerged.
6. Cook the puddings at 180C for eight minutes then let them stand for one minute.
7. Using a small palette knife or dessert knife, loosen the puddings before turning out on to plates.
8. Eat immediately, with a little cream poured over if you like.