What to Cook in an Air Fryer (and What to Avoid)

An air fryer is, in effect, a small, fast fan oven. That’s both why it’s good and why it has limits. It’s brilliant at food that wants dry, circulating heat and a crisp finish. It’s poor at anything wet, light, or too big to fit in a single layer.

Most disappointments come from putting the wrong food in, not from the machine. Here’s how to tell the difference before you load the basket.

A three-question test

1. Does it want a crisp, browned outside? Chips, wings and roast veg do. Soup doesn’t.
2. Will it sit still in a single layer? Heavy pieces do. Loose leaves and light crumbs get blown around.
3. Can it cook without liquid? If it needs to simmer or soak, it belongs on the hob.

If the answer to all three is yes, it’s very likely a good air fryer food.

What works well

Food	Why it works
Frozen chips, wedges, hash browns	The fan crisps the outside quickly, and you need little or no extra oil
Chicken thighs, drumsticks and wings	Skin crisps as the fat renders, and the pieces are heavy enough to stay put
Sausages and bacon	They cook in their own fat, which drips below the basket
Fish fingers and breaded fillets	The coating crisps without frying
Roast vegetables (peppers, courgette, broccoli, sweet potato)	Dry heat browns the edges, and a light coat of oil does the rest
Reheating pizza, pastries and roast potatoes	Crisps leftovers that a microwave would leave soft

What works, with care

Food	What to watch
A whole chicken	It must fit with room for air, and it needs to be cooked all the way through, so check the thickest part
Cakes, muffins and bakes	Use a small tin and a lower temperature, check early, and cover the top if it browns first
Burgers	Fine, but expect fat to drip. Cook them through and don’t overfill
Anything with a breadcrumb coating	Press the crumbs on firmly and spray lightly with oil, or loose crumbs blow around
Cheese on top of food	Light toppings can blow off. A heavier or pressed-on layer stays put
Leafy greens such as kale	They crisp fast and can burn, so keep the portion small and watch it

What to leave out

Food	Why
Wet batter	It drips through the basket before it sets, leaving mess instead of a coating
Soups, stews, sauces	They need a pot. The basket can’t hold liquid
Rice and pasta from dry	They need water to cook
Large joints that don’t fit in a single layer	They crowd the air and cook unevenly. The oven copes better
A packed basket of anything	Food steams instead of crisping. Cook in two batches

Cooking a whole meal in one go

The trick with a single basket is order. Start the food that takes longest, then add faster items part way through. Chicken thighs go in first, wedges join them later, and quick vegetables go in for the last few minutes. Rest the meat under foil while the sides finish. Times vary between models, so treat any figure as a starting point and check your manual. Our guide to converting oven recipes gives starting times for common foods.

Foods people ask about

Food	Verdict	Note
Toast and garlic bread	Works	Browns fast, so watch it
Jacket potatoes	Works	Pierce the skin. They take longer than chips
Frozen vegetables	Works	Cook from frozen and shake the basket
Halloumi	Works	Slice it and brush with a little oil
Whole eggs in the shell	Check your manual	Guidance varies between models
Popcorn	Check your manual	Some makers advise against it

Cook it through

Air fryers brown the outside quickly, so food can look done before the middle is. Meat and poultry should be steaming hot all the way through, with no pink and clear juices, which is the standard UK food safety advice. Check the thickest part, and use a thermometer for chicken legs and joints.

Habits that help

• Pat food dry with kitchen roll before it goes in. Surface water slows crisping.
• Use a light coat of oil, ideally brushed or sprayed on, rather than a pour.
• Spread food in a single layer, and shake or turn it halfway through.
• Check the manual before using foil or liners. We cover what’s actually safe in an air fryer separately.

For tweaking an oven recipe, read converting oven recipes for the air fryer. To work out whether it saves you money, see air fryer vs oven running costs.

Useful extras