Air Fryer Recipes - Everything I Have Tested and What Actually Works

If you have ever stood in front of your air fryer wondering what on earth to cook in it, or worse, bought one and let it gather dust on the bench, this post is for you.

As a chef with over 20 years in professional kitchens, I will be honest, I was sceptical at first. It felt like a gadget. A fad. But after testing recipe after recipe in my own kitchen, I am completely converted and I want to show you exactly what it can do.

I have spent a LOT of time testing recipes in the air fryer. The successes, the failures, the genuinely SURPRISING wins. And I have put everything I know right here, what works, what doesn't, my best tips, and the recipes I come back to again and again. Whether you are brand new to air frying or you have had your machine for years and feel like you are not using it to its full potential, this is your guide.

And if you want all of my best tested recipes in one place, I have got two ebooks packed with everything you need. Will It Air Fry? Vol.1 has 30+ tested recipes for just $7.99 NZD, and Will It Air Fry? No.2 has even more for just $5.99 NZD. Both are instant digital downloads, grab your copy from the store and start cooking today!

What Does an Air Fryer Actually Do?

An air fryer is essentially a small, powerful convection oven. It circulates very hot air around your food at high speed, which gives you that CRISPY, golden result with far less oil than deep frying and faster than a conventional oven. The results are genuinely incredible for the right foods. The key is knowing which foods LOVE the air fryer and which ones don't.

What works brilliantly:

• Meat and protein, think chicken thighs, lamb, beef patties, sausages
• Flatbreads and pastry
• Roasted vegetables
• Reheating leftovers 
• Snacks and party food
• Eggs, yes, really!

What doesn't work as well:

• Wet batters: they drip and make a mess
• Large roasts: the basket is just too small
• Big batches of anything: overcrowding kills the crisp, more on this below

My Favourite Air Fryer Recipes

These are the recipes I come back to again and again. Tried, tested, and absolutely DELICIOUS.

Air Fryer Arayes - Crispy Lamb Stuffed Pitas

If you make ONE thing in your air fryer from this list, make arayes. These Middle Eastern flatbreads stuffed with spiced lamb mince are INCREDIBLE in the air fryer, crispy on the outside, juicy and flavourful inside, and ready in under 20 minutes. I cannot stop making these and neither will you.

Watch me make the arayes on YouTube!

Get the full recipe here: Air Fryer Arayes - Crispy Lamb Stuffed Pitas

This recipe features in Will It Air Fry? No.2  grab your copy for just $5.99 NZD!

More Air Fryer Recipes

I am constantly adding new recipes to my air fryer collection and testing what works. One of my personal favourites has to be these broccoli "meatballs" trust me on this one, they are INCREDIBLE!

Watch: Broccoli Meatballs in the Air Fryer

And if you want to see everything I have made in the air fryer, head to my full air fryer playlist on YouTube, loads of ideas, all tested, all delicious!

Watch: The Full Air Fryer Playlist on YouTube

Chef's Tips for Air Fryer Success

After all my testing, here are the things that make the BIGGEST difference between good results and great ones.

1. Don't overcrowd the basket: Air needs to circulate around your food to crisp it up. If you pile everything in, you will steam your food instead of fry it. Cook in batches if you need to, it is worth it every time.

2. Pat your meat dry before cooking: Moisture is the enemy of crispiness. Before putting meat in the air fryer, pat it dry with paper towels. More surface contact with hot air equals better browning.

3. Preheat your air fryer: Just like an oven, a preheated air fryer gives better results. Most models only need 3 to 5 minutes to come up to temperature. Don't skip this step!

4. Use a light coating of oil: You don't need much, a light spray or brush is enough. This helps with browning and stops food from sticking to the basket.

5. Shake or flip halfway through: For even cooking, shake the basket or flip your food halfway through the cooking time. This is especially important for smaller things like vegetables or anything bite-sized.

6. Check earlier than you think: Every air fryer runs slightly differently and they cook faster than you expect. Start checking a few minutes before the recipe says, especially the first time you make something new.

7. Use it to reheat leftovers: This might be my FAVOURITE air fryer trick. Pizza, roast chicken, spring rolls, chips, the air fryer brings them back to life in a way a microwave never can. 5 to 8 minutes and you have got crispy, delicious leftovers. Absolute game changer.

Will It Air Fry? My Ebooks

After testing dozens of recipes, I put my absolute favourites into not one but TWO ebooks,  and between them they cover everything you could ever want to cook in your air fryer.

Will It Air Fry? Vol.1 has 30+ recipes I have personally tested in my own air fryer, the ones that WORK, with the timing and temperatures already dialled in for you. No guessing, no soggy results, no wasted ingredients. Just great food, fast. Grab your copy for just $7.99 NZD.

This has 10 recipes that are EXCLUSIVE to the book.

Will It Air Fry? No.2 is the follow-up packed with even more tested recipes including the arayes above, all for just $5.99 NZD.

Both are instant digital downloads so you can have them immediately and start cooking today. Grab them both from the store and get the most out of your machine!

Get your copies at disheswithdel.com/store

You Might Also Like

Air Fryer Arayes - Crispy Lamb Stuffed Pitas - The recipe that started it all, crispy, juicy, and absolutely incredible!

Crispy Crunchy Air Fryer Chips - The ultimate air fryer side dish, perfectly golden every single time!

Crispy Curried Devilled Eggs - Air Fryer Party Food Recipe - A brilliant air fryer party food recipe that will absolutely blow your guests away!

Enjoy!

Del x

Everything I know about air frying, the tips, the recipes, the mistakes I made so you don't have to, all in one place. Start with the arayes and thank me later. And if you want all my best tested recipes in one place, grab Will It Air Fry? Vol.1 for $7.99 NZD or Will It Air Fry? No.2 for $5.99 NZD from the store today!