7 air fryer cooking tips you’ll actually use - tried and tested by Which? air fryer fans
Jamie's been reviewing consumer products for nearly two decades, and is the Which? cooking expert. When not making terrible puns, he grills nearly 100 ovens, cookers, cooker hoods and hobs every year, to see which can take the heat.
Air fryers are excellent for knocking out oven chips and delicious chicken pieces when you’re in a rush, but why stop there?
Your air fryer is a lot more versatile than you probably realise - and there’s a good chance you’re not making the most of everything it can do. From incredible toasted sandwiches to tofu that your family genuinely wants to eat, these simple cooking tips from air fryer owning Which? staffers are here to inspire.
Note: Cooking times and temperatures supplied are for each owner’s model. You may need a little trial and error to achieve the best results in your air fryer.
Love this? See 7 microwave cooking tips you’ll actually use
1. Hard or soft ‘boil’ eggs
It’s so easy to overdo eggs, especially when you’re trying to soft boil them: I always get distracted while sorting out the toast or bacon. With this method, I get them spot on every time. No waiting for water to boil and no shells breaking while cooking.
Using your air fryer's standard ‘bake’ or ‘roast’ setting at around 150°C, you can soft ‘boil’ a large egg in nine minutes and hard ‘boil’ one in 11.
Incidentally, Daniella now owns a Ninja Crispi air fryer, and so far she's found it 'impossible' to air fry eggs in it using this method.
Our guide to the best air fryers lists our top recommended models
Read our Ninja Crispi FN101UKGY review
2. Make moreish toasted sandwiches
Although grills, frying pans and sandwich presses all make excellent toasties, I find the air fryer the most convenient option because it's so quick. I use it for everything from quick cheese toasties for my permanently ravenous son to posh croque monsieur or smoked salmon melts for a luxurious lunch. I wouldn't switch on our hob or oven just to make lunch – it costs far more to run.
For best results, butter the outside of your bread to help it get golden and crispy. Insert your filling, and cook at around 180°C for around six to eight minutes, turning halfway through.
For a classic cheese toastie, grated Cheddar works best though brie and sliced tomatoes is worth trying, too. For a basic croque monsieur, spread the inside of the bread with creme fraiche, add grated Emmental and a slice of ham. Or layer the insides with two slices of smoked salmon and a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese, with a dash of black pepper.
Air fryer vs oven: energy usage, costs and cooking results compared
3. For tofu everyone loves
This method is a game-changer for cooking tofu, especially if you're trying to win over tofu skeptics. You'll end up with a crispy, chicken-like texture that's perfect for stir-fries and other dishes.
Cut your tofu into cubes or tear it into chunks, then coat it with corn flour and your favorite seasonings. Add a little oil and cook for 10 minutes at around 200°C.
Ninja vs Tower vs Tefal air fryers: which should you buy?
Read our Ninja AF100UK review
4. Fry bacon without frying it
With this method, you don't have to stand over a frying pan and the house doesn't smell of bacon for hours afterwards - and neither do you.
Most important, don't wedge in loads of rashers - they'll stick to each other and won't cook evenly. Set your airfryer to around 200°C for two minutes (or one minute if you’re only doing only one or two rashers). The thickness of the rashers, how cold the bacon is and the type of bacon all make a difference, so selecting a shorter cooking time and regularly checking on progress will help you get your bacon just the way you like it.
Need more space? See our best dual air fryers
5. Prep fuss-free corn on the cob
If you're looking for a quick and easy way to cook corn on the cob, the air fryer is hard to beat. It produces juicy, tender kernels in a fraction of the time needed for cooking in an oven. For best results, choose the smaller supermarket cobs that have already been trimmed and had their husks removed – we grow corn on our allotment and the larger cobs are too big for our air fryer basket.
Corn cooks really quickly and doesn't require much oil – you can even cook them oil-free, although a quick brush can encourage extra browning. Place them in the basket in a single layer for ten to 12 minutes at around 190°C, giving a shake two to three times to ensure an even cook. While they're cooking, make a flavoured butter, using a small pinch of chilli flakes or smoked paprika. Brush it onto the hot and tender cobs as they emerge.
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6. Crisp up jacket potatoes - fast
Baking a potato in the air fryer takes too long, but microwaving often lacks crispiness. This method is the best of both!
Do most of the cooking in your microwave, then brush a little oil on to the potato and transfer it to the air fryer for the last few minutes at around 175°C or so to get a crispy jacket.
Find out more about how we test air fryers
7. Toast nuts without burning them
If you're toasting chopped nuts for a recipe, I've found an air fryer handles the task much better than an oven. The circulating hot air produces a more even colour, helping you achieve a golden roast, plus it's easier to keep an eye on their progress. Much better than the fine margin between undercooked and burnt you sometimes get in an oven.
Toast nuts in an air fryer at around 160°C for 3–8 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Check them frequently, as they can brown quickly towards the end of cooking. Remove them when they're lightly golden and fragrant.
Go to our air fryer reviews to see all the models we've tested
How to keep your air fryer cleaner
For a simple but effective way of avoiding washing up, put some foil under the food before cooking. It’s much better at stopping things sticking than spray-on oil, too.
Definitely invest in some silicone air fryer trays - they help to make washing up easier as food doesn't get caught in the nooks and crannies of your air fryer's grid tray. You can buy silicone containers to fit most air fryer baskets.
Read more about how to clean an air fryer or see the results of our air fryer liner tryout.
