Airfryer Recipes: Crispy & quick cooking
Quick, crispy & crunchy: The magic of the air fryer
Whether crispy potato fries, juicy chicken fillet, or tender salmon: the air fryer has taken kitchens by storm. Thanks to the rapid circulation of hot air, your favorite dishes become wonderfully crispy on the outside and remain deliciously juicy on the inside. The best part? You save time, energy, and up to 80% fat compared to traditional deep-frying.
On this page, we share the best air fryer recipes, proven cooking time tips, and practical kitchen hacks for the perfect result on your plate.
The Airfryer Formula: The Secret to Maximum Crispiness
For air fryer dishes to turn out like they were made by a chef, it all comes down to a few simple but crucial tricks. The air fryer basically works like an extremely powerful mini convection oven. Since the cooking chamber volume is very compact compared to a conventional oven, the heat is transferred to the ingredient lightning-fast and intensively by a powerful ventilation system. This ensures direct development of roasting aromas while keeping the core juicy.
If you want to prepare a familiar oven recipe in the air fryer, lower the temperature by approx. 20 °C compared to top/bottom heat and shorten the cooking time by around 20%. Instead of 200 °C in the oven, choose 180 °C in the air fryer. Check the cooking progress shortly before the end of the time.
Never overfill the frying basket to the brim. The hot air must be able to flow freely around all ingredients. It is better to cook two smaller portions one after the other than one overloaded batch where the moisture gets trapped and the result becomes soft.
Fat is an excellent heat conductor. A fine mist of olive oil or rapeseed oil ensures that dry spices stick and the surface browns perfectly. A sparing teaspoon of olive oil spray is completely sufficient for a whole basket portion.
Especially with French fries, vegetable wedges, or meatballs: shake the basket vigorously halfway through the cooking time or turn the pieces with tongs. This distributes the heat evenly on all sides.
Another advantage: preheating in the air fryer usually only takes 2 to 3 minutes. Compared to preheating a large built-in oven, this not only saves you valuable minutes before dinner, but also a significant amount on your energy bill.
Potato Magic: Perfect Potato Fries & Crispy Roasted Vegetables
Potatoes are the undisputed number one in the air fryer. Whether classic French fries, sweet potato wedges, or seasoned wedges: with the right preparation, you can achieve fantastic snack-bar quality without a heavy deep-fat bath.
Pro tip for fresh potato fries: Cut waxy potatoes into even sticks and place them in a bowl of cold water for at least 20 to 30 minutes. This thoroughly washes out the surface starch. Then dry the sticks thoroughly on a kitchen towel. Mix them with 1 tsp of olive oil and a pinch of cornstarch before cooking them at 180 °C for 18-22 minutes. The result is a paper-thin, extremely crispy crust with a soft center.
Fresh roasted vegetables are just as excellent: broccoli florets, cauliflower, diced bell peppers, or zucchini are roasted in the air fryer at 190 °C in just 12-15 minutes to bring out their rich flavor. Chickpeas also transform into a healthy protein snack in no time: rinse from the can, dry thoroughly, mix with paprika powder, sea salt, and olive oil, and roast at 190 °C for 12 minutes until crispy.
Chicken & Co.: Crispy on the outside, wonderfully tender on the inside
Preparing meat in an air fryer is a real kitchen insider tip. Lean poultry meat such as chicken breast or turkey fillet often dries out quickly in a frying pan due to uneven heat. Thanks to the hot air circulating all around in the compact basket, the outer layer of meat sears in just a few minutes, sealing the natural meat juices inside.
Crispy chicken strips with cornflake breading: Cut fresh chicken breast fillets into strips. Briefly coat them in beaten egg and then in lightly crushed unsweetened cornflakes mixed with salt and sweet paprika. Place the strips in the air fryer at 180 °C for about 12 to 14 minutes. They turn out amazingly crispy and remain incomparably juicy.
Meatloaf, juicy burger patties, pork chops, or lamb chops also turn out perfectly cooked. Tip for perfect doneness: Use a digital meat thermometer. For chicken breast, a core temperature of 75 °C is ideal, and for pork loin, about 68 °C.
Fish delight in minutes: Salmon & seafood cooked to perfection
Fish lovers will get their money's worth in the air fryer. Particularly fattier types of fish, such as fresh salmon fillet or trout, are excellent: the skin becomes wonderfully crispy, while the salmon fillet remains translucent, tender, and juicy on the inside.
Perfect salmon fillet from the air fryer: Brush a fresh salmon fillet with a little lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and dill. Place the fillet skin-side down on a small piece of perforated baking paper in the fryer basket. At 180 °C, the salmon fillet only takes 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut. No fat splattering on the stovetop, no burning in the pan, and no lingering fishy smell throughout the house!
Seafood such as prawns or calamari can be prepared just as quickly: tossed in a little garlic oil, Herbes de Provence, and lemon, just 5 to 6 minutes at 190 °C is enough for firm-to-the-bite, juicy results.
20 min
Under an hour