Air fryers are already quite versatile as they are, but it seems like people are continuously finding new ways to maximize their air frying experiences.
As an avid fan food air-fried foods myself, I tried these innovative ways to utilize the unit I have at home.
I gathered the most creative and useful ones here. So, if you're a thrill-seeker like me, here are the best uses for your air fryer you probably haven't tried before.
Things You Can Do With Your Air Fryer
Here are some of the best ways to maximize your air fryer's capabilities.
1. A quick way to cook frozen French fries.
My family loves homemade French fries, but these can be quite time-consuming to prepare, so we often stick to store-bought instead.
One problem with store-bought French fries is that you have to keep them in your freezer to maintain their best quality. This means we often have to wait for them to thaw before deep frying them.
Since air fryers use hot air instead of oil, you can just place your frozen French fries in the basket and start cooking! It's one of the quickest ways to prepare a hearty snack.
2. Reheat your leftovers.
If you regularly cook in an air fryer, you should know that you can reheat leftover foods in the same device as well. Even takeout foods will benefit from air fryers.
Stop using your microwave oven to try and bring them back to life, especially with fried foods. This would just make them soggy. Instead, set the temperature on your air fryer to 165ยฐ F (if it doesn't have a reheat function).
Air fry your leftover food for about two minutes, and let your air fryer show you your money's worth when you bought that expensive meal from the restaurant (or the slices of pizza sitting in your fridge).
3. Mouthwatering Steak
How do you like your steak done, sir? You don't have to visit your favorite steak restaurant to get asked this question. Just do it yourself! Before that, we'll take this time to apologize to every steak purist out there.
We know a good steak needs to be cooked and seared on a grill or pan, but let's give air fryer home chefs a chance! If you don't have a griller or smoker at home, try air frying that steak.
The best part is that it'll probably only take 15 minutes at most to cook the steak (depending on its thickness and how you like it done). It's not as good as pan-seared or grilled steak, but it should do the trick.
4. Homemade Chips
One of the many things I love about my air fryer is I can make all kinds of hearty meals and delicious snacks with it, all in just one appliance! That's why I always take the time to perfect my snack recipes with it.
Homemade snacks like potato chips and all sorts of fried potato recipes are the most common ones I make. The best part is that air frying makes them slightly healthier than deep frying or other cooking methods.
5. Hard-Boiled Eggs
How do you like your eggs cooked for breakfast? Some people enjoy them sunny-side up, but others prefer hard-boiled (like me!). Did you know you don't have to "boil" eggs to make hard-boiled eggs?
With an air fryer, all you have to do is place the eggs in the basket and set the appropriate temperature and time. However, this can be a little tricky since every air fryer is different.
You might have to undergo some trial and error before you figure out what works for your own air fryer. But once you perfected that, making hard-boiled eggs will be a breeze in the future.
6. Chicken Wings
Anyone who owns an air fryer already knows it's one of the best appliances you can use to prepare chicken wings. It's probably the second food (next to French fries) you air-fried when you first got your unit.
So, why am I including this in "creative" ways to use your air fryer? Well, your chicken wings don't have to be boring when you air fry them. You can marinate your chicken wings before air frying them for a more exciting meal!
7. Grilled Cheese Sandwich
If you're a fan of a good old grilled cheese sandwich (with or without the grill marks), I have terrific news for you; your air fryer is all you need to make your favorite sammie.
The best part is that it's relatively easy to prepare (but don't forget to flip it halfway through to toast the other side).
8. Kale Chips
One of the many reasons why people switched to an air fryer from a deep fryer is to be more mindful of their health. Cooking food in hot air instead of oil significantly reduces the fat and calorie content of your meals.
If you're sticking to that "healthier alternative" narrative, why not make healthy snacks on your air fryer as well? A crispy kale chips recipe should always be in your book.
However, remember that kale has delicate leaves, so you want to coat them in olive oil first to protect them from the intense heat of your air fryer. This is also the trick that gives them a crispy exterior instead of burnt leaves.
9. Roast Chicken
Craving for roasted chicken? You can also make it with your fryer! As long as, of course, the air fryer basket is big enough to fit an entire chicken. Air fryers with cooking capacities of six quarts or above should suffice.
The cooking process will probably take around 60 minutes, but it's worth the wait since you'd get an entire chicken for the whole family. Some air fryers even have rotisserie accessories, making the process extremely easier.
10. Caramelized Banana Slices
If you're getting bored of peeling a banana and eating it raw, your air fryer will make your healthy snack more exciting. Raw bananas caramelize when you cook them in an air fryer or a pan (because of their sugar content).
As a result, their flavor tends to get richer, sweeter, and more complex. While it's true that there are a hundred other ways to cook a banana, cooking it in an air fryer is among the easiest.
However, the high sugar content of bananas is a double-edged sword. Sugar burns easily, which may overcook your banana.
Constant monitoring, setting the air fryer to a lower temperature, and cooking it for a shorter period is the key to the best caramelized banana slices.
11. Toasted Bread
There are several reasons why an air fryer can't replace a toaster oven, but toasted bread isn't one of them. For someone who likes to save as much counter space as possible, toasting bread in an air fryer is a life-saver.
It only takes about five minutes, and the result is almost as good as what I often get from a toaster oven. Of course, I have to flip it halfway through to toast the other side, but its advantages surely outweigh its disadvantages.
12. Deep-Fried Ravioli
Alright. Let me start by admitting that "deep-fried ravioli" is bait to get your attention. But hey, if an air-fried ravioli tastes just as good as its deep-fried alternative, what's the harm?
All you need is to find a good pre-made ravioli brand in your local supermarket, dip them in egg, followed by the breadcrumbs. Place them in your air fryer and spray a considerable amount of oil and let them cook!
While it's in the air fryer, maximize your extra time by making a marinara dipping sauce. By the time you're finished, your air-fried ravioli should be perfectly cooked.
13. Deep-Fried Oreos
If my deep-friedโฆ I mean, air-fried ravioli was satisfying, say hello to my deep-fried, er... I mean, air-fried Oreos. It's the ultimate treat you only see in dreams, but now, you can see it in your air fryer, too.
Make your own batter (personally, pre-made pancake batter works best), add water, and coat your Oreos with it. However, you want to make your batter extra thicker than normal to prevent it from dripping too much in your air fryer.
14. Crispy Brussels Sprouts
I never got the hang of the intense bitter taste of soft and steamed Brussels sprouts. I figured maybe this veggie just isn't for me. But of course, curiosity got the better of me.
When I saw a video of someone cooking Brussels sprouts in an air fryer, I knew I had to try it out. Sure enough, the crispy and flakey texture made all the difference!
I like seasoning it with sweet spices to complement the bitter flavors of the vegetable. You can also try cutting them in half before putting them in your air fryer so they cook more quickly.
15. Donuts
I can't imagine what this world would have become if donuts weren't invented. I love visiting my local donut chain once a week to get a box. But being a home chef, I figured I should try to make donuts at home, too.
It was then that I learned that deep-frying donuts is significantly more difficult than buying them outside. But that's before I learned how to make this Air Fryer Donuts recipe.
The cooking process only took about five minutes, and it saved me a lot of money in the long run. The cleanup? Well, air fryers have always been relatively easy to clean in the first place.
16. Blooming Onion
I have a confession to make. Sometimes, I prefer munching on onion rings or a blooming onion to French fries when watching a movie. The only thing that held me back is the preparation.
I mean, I don't always have the time and patience to heat an entire casserole of cooking oil just so I can deep-fry my onions. Not to mention that I probably would finish all of them in the first 10 minutes of the movie.
Thankfully, cooking a blooming onion in an air fryer only takes around 20 minutes, including the preparation. Aside from being healthier, I have less mess to clean up afterward.
17. Toasted Nuts
Brownies are my favorite baked goods, and I love adding toasted nuts to them to give them an extra texture. The good news? I can make both with an air fryer!
Aside from baking brownies, toasting nuts is a walk in the park with an air fryer. I even prefer using this instead of a stovetop or oven. I can't tell you how many nuts I've burnt trying to get the perfect toast.
With an air fryer, the process only takes about five minutes and I get the most satisfying results every time! You can then follow this Air Fryer Brownies recipe and sprinkle it with toasted nuts.
18. Roasted Eggplant
I've been so used to eating soggy eggplants that my body just accepted it as the default. It wasn't until I tried roasting them with an air fryer that I regained my love for this veggie (even though it's technically a fruit).
Roasting an eggplant in an air fryer takes around 20 minutes, and the finished product is so crispy you'd want to have it every day. It's the perfect side dish in a pinch because it's very easy to prepare.
The Limits of an Air Fryer
In my pursuit of finding out the best ways to maximize my air fryer, I also learned about some of its limitations.
1. Thin Batter
I learned about this limit when I tried the air-fried Oreos. The batter kept sticking to the basket, and when I tried using a grill instead, most of the coating fell through the holes or dripped off from the food.
It's not an absolute dead-end, though. If you're following a recipe that includes batter, just make it thicker than usual so it can retain its structure once inside the air fryer.
2. Loose Seasoning
This limit is similar to the thin batter. Loose seasoning will simply fall through the tray's holes and get stuck to the basket. The best workaround is to air fry your food and just season it after.
3. Fresh Cheese
Cheese placed on top of your food isn't a problem. It's fresh cheese alone in the basket that should bring your air fryer to its limit. The cheese will melt, sure. But it will also stick to the basket, making it extremely difficult to clean.
You will need advanced cleaning methods just to make your air fryer usable again.
4. Huge Batches
I've seen 15- to 20-quart air fryers in the market. Some even have dual baskets to cook more food. But when you're feeding a crowd of 20 to 30 people, your air fryer isn't going to cut it.
Wrapping Up
These are all the best methods I found to maximize the potential of my air fryer. Feel free to try any of them and let me know if you found workarounds on some of its limits.
On the other hand, you can also check out some of my tips, tricks, and hacks on improving your air fryer culinary skills. You can find them at Also The Crumbs, Please.
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