It's no secret that air fryers are one of the most popular cooking gadgets around these days. On top of that, the idea of being able to have fried foods without all the added oil is a dream come true. Here are five recipes that get me excited to own an air fryer.
I saw a video of Gordon Ramsay air frying a steak and was in awe of how it looked. So I decided, why not air fry a steak?
Frying with air? It sounds insane on paper, but the concept is interesting. An air fryer utilizes heat, which then a fan circulates the air at a very high pace.
The circulation is to ensure that the food is cooked all around evenly.
The most unique feature with cooking a steak, salmon, or chicken in an air fryer is that it allows the juices within the meat to be completely locked in.
Not to mention, if you were to air fry French fries, you have yourself nice non-soggy crispy fries. To top that off, it requires little to no oil, making it a healthier option to cook.
Marinated T-Bone Steak
Peter Truong
The steak that I air fried was a pound of T-bone steak. You can choose any cut of steak, I chose T-bone. I decided to marinate the steak to enhance the flavor more instead of adding only salt and pepper because to me it seemed generic to use only salt and pepper.
The main component with this marinade was the ancho chili powder. It has a rich aromatic floral-like flavor with a little heat.
In addition, I also used Aleppo pepper to give it a little more spice. I found that it had a nice earthy flavor with a kick. It is also salty and has a tangy powerful unique flavor.
Furthermore, I utilized garlic powder, onion powder, a little bit of brown sugar to add some sweetness to the heat, salt, and pepper.
To top it all off, I used oregano, coriander, and some thyme leaves to give the steak some wonderful fragrance. I spread it out evenly as well as massaged the steak to allow the spices to stick.
I allowed the steak to marinate for an hour in the refrigerator so the spices and the meat get to know each other. You can do it for more than an hour, it adds more flavor, but beware that it can get saltier.
Take the steak out of the refrigerator and make sure you leave it out for 20 to 25 minutes to ensure that the steak cooks evenly.
The more it is close to room temperature, the more efficient it cooks.
I put the steak into the air fryer basket for 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cooked it for eight minutes. I decided to cook it on the rarer to medium-rare side.
You can leave it in for longer depending on how you like your steak cooked. If you prefer well-done, for me it takes twelve minutes. Make sure you flip the steak halfway through to ensure that it has an even color from top to bottom.
Once you finish cooking the steak, let it rest for nearly eight minutes or how long you cooked it because when you let a steak rest, the juice circulates around the steak.
Cut it right away and you will lose all the juice immediately. Not to mention, it is still cooking at a slow pace with all that heat that is contained with it.
Do not touch it at all. Do not even use a temperature probe. Let it fully rest.
Air Fried T-Bone Steak
Peter Truong
To be honest, it was a not bad steak. The color is not bad, however I prefer my steak to have a nice charred crust like you would when you sear it on a grill or pan.
For some reason, the edges got overcooked and slowly got more red as I worked my way to the top of the "T."
The smell of the steak is quite incredible. There is the aromatic scent of the peppers, the herbs, and the smell of the meat itself is remarkable.
Inside of An Air Fried T-Bone Steak
Peter Truong
In terms of dissecting the steak, the inside was what I wanted, a rare to medium-rare steak. There is so much juice absorbed within the steak and it enticing to look at, as well as eating it.
Unfortunately, there was this gray band which usually indicates that it was overcooked. However, it did not taste overcooked.
Dissected Air Fried T-Bone Steak
Peter Truong
The flavor of the air fried steak was impressive, to say the least. It is juicy, the light sweetness from the brown sugar, has that nice kick from the Aleppo pepper, and that fragrant taste from the ancho chili.
Unfortunately, I did not get that euphoric "Oh my goodness" feeling, but it was still pretty good.
The gray band, as mentioned before, made it look unappetizing. But, the taste was surprisingly incredible. The feeling from the outside crust was barely present, which made me a little upset.
Overall, it is not a bad way to cook a steak. There are advantages and disadvantages with air frying a steak, but it all depends on you. If you care about that smoke taste that you get from a grill as well as a crust, go ahead and use a grill.
If you want to use a pan and baste a steak then finishing it off in the oven, go ahead and use a pan. If you want a fast and easy way to cook a steak, then this is an option to think about.
Again, if you are like me where the state is cold and windy, you do not feel like you want to grill outside or cook with anything outdoors, an air fryer can be useful.
Since then, I've put nearly every solid food imaginable in the air fryer. My favorite way to use it is by throwing a handful of marinated veggies in it before stir-frying them and simmering them in a sauce. The vegetables stay crispy and continue to taste fresh for days after.
I'll use my parent's air fryer whenever I'm home visiting them (which has been a lot recently), but I look forward to sending them several links to some of the air fryers I've been eyeing to add to my own kitchen in the hopes of 2021 being the year I eat crispy, homemade french fries every single day.
Through my research, I found the best of the best for every situation. Whether you're a meat lover, enjoy a good indoor barbecue, or even want to bake desserts and dry fruit, these are the best air fryers out there, for every budget:
The compact size of this one makes it perfect for anyone like me with a tiny kitchen or who doesn't plan on cooking for a large number of people in it.
The best part is that according to the hundreds of five-star reviews, the small size doesn't cut short on how quickly and effectively it works.
One Target reviewer says it's "easy to operate with just a turn of the dial to adjust temperature and set time. Cleaning is a breeze! I love that you can air fry raw frozen chicken wings in under half an hour!"
For the person who wants to air fry a full rotisserie chicken, this one's for you. This is ideal for someone making larger quantities of food — according to the hundreds of five-star reviews, it's a meat lover's dream.
For the tech-loving healthy chef, this is perfect. The many one-touch options make it easy to click on the chicken, fish, or even dessert or skewers logo without having to toy with any temperature or time settings on your own.
The different layers in this make it perfect if you want to air fry your meat, veggies, and even dessert (if fried Oreos are your thing) at the same time.
If you're one of the many home chefs who have been considering upgrading the way you cook from home, this Ninja Foodi 9-in1 is ideal. If you want to make crispy vegetables and protein just as much as you love making stews, curries, and pasta, this one is perfect.
In this, you can bake, broil, fry, roast, and more. Plus, the dishwasher-safe parts make for easy clean-up unlike a lot of other air fryers that can get sticky and require heavy amounts of scrubbing with steel wool.
If you're getting this as a gift for your friend who loves throwing dinner parties, get the bigger 8-quart size — it's perfect if you're making larger amounts of food.
With thousands of five-star Amazon reviews, this one works great and is available in five fun colors: blue, red, white, green, and black. The small size is ideal for anyone cooking one or two portions of food, and the auto turn-off feature is ideal if you're just as forgetful as I am.
Amazon's favorite air fryer is a massive hit with anyone who hates cooking. With over 17,000 five-star reviews, this one is super easy to use.
The 11 presets ranging from standard vegetables and meat to even bread and desserts — it's a no-brainer for the person who calls cooking a total drag.
Most air fryers involve putting your food in, and blindly waiting till the timer dings. That's usually fine for me, but if you're perhaps too curious or impatient to see what's happening inside while you're cooking, the light and window on this is perfect.
Its extra functions mean you can make a rotisserie chicken in it, put some shelves in to cook three different things at once, or just make 10 quarts' worth of french fries.
If you plan on baking desserts and pizzas or making dried fruit, the long flat surface on this is perfect in its shape as a more traditional oven. The LED screen and many options on this one make it great for more seasoned chefs.
If your specific goal is just to air fry, this probably isn't for you. It's great if you want to crisp more unique items.
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-Garlic Salt
-Cayenne
-Salt
-Pepper
-Bread crumbs
-Basil
-Olive Oil Spray
1. Cut the potato into long thin strips.
2. Spray the potato strips with PAM spray.
3. Add a half a teaspoon of salt and pepper.
4. Add a dash of garlic salt.
4. Add a teaspoon of cayenne.
6. Mix the spices well with the fries. Make sure to rub the spices on the fries.
7. Add two teaspoons of breadcrumbs and a dash of basil. Cover the fries with the bread crumbs for an extra crunch.
8. Set your air fryer for 370 F in 4 minutes to warm it up.
9. Place your fries in the air fryer. Set the air fryer for 370 F. The fries should take about 12 to 14 minutes. It depends on how crunchy you prefer. The longer you keep it in, the more crunchy the fries are. I prefer about 13 minutes as the fires don't become hard.
10. Add a dash of cayenne or cheese for an extra twist!
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